Texas blackout reaches 40k without power a year after deadly blackout
At least 40,000 Texans were without power due to an icy storm that threatened to knock out the state’s power grid.
It comes nearly a year after thousands of people were frozen for weeks after a blizzard knocked out power.
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According to a report by the Texas Department of Health, last winter’s hurricane Uri contributed to more than 200 deaths and billions of dollars in damage.
More than 40,000 incidents have been reported on Texas as of 7 a.m. EST today, according to PowerOutage US.
About 10,000 power outages have been recorded in Hunt County alone.
North and Central Texas are under winter storm warnings and warnings have been issued around the suburbs.
The north is forecast to have cold rain, hail and snow.
Dallas is likely to receive up to three tenths of an inch of ice and up to three inches of snow.
Temperatures in the city could drop to as low as 19F today and 14F on Friday as the polar blast hits.
The worst weather is expected between midnight and noon CT today.
Meanwhile, mercury in San Antonio and Houston could drop to as low as 25F and 27F.
Reassuring Americans, the Electrical Reliability Council of Texas, which runs much of the state’s power grid, said Sunday it has the capacity to meet expected high energy demand.
In a statement, officials said: “With freezing rainfall, there is always the possibility of local power outages due to things like ice on power lines or fallen tree branches.
“This local outage has nothing to do with the amount of available electricity being generated and fed into the grid.”
Thousands of flights were canceled ahead of the storm as Southwest Airlines suspended operations to Dallas’ Field of Love airport from today.
And, American Airlines has “pre-processed” flights that will be particularly affected by the weather, CBS-DFW report.
PRIOR FLIGHT
Classes at Texas State University were postponed for Thursday and Friday as bosses warned that icy conditions could affect travel.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott warned earlier this week that ‘no one can guarantee that there won’t be any blackouts caused by demand for electricity.
He believes ERCOT is in a “better position” to mitigate the potential impacts of winter storms.
However, the governor warned that icy lines or fallen trees could cause local power outages.
In November, Republican Party member told Austin Television KTBC: “I can guarantee the light will come on.”
He added: “Listen very confidently about the grid and I can tell you why, I have signed almost a dozen laws to make the (grid) more efficient.”
That’s 100 million Americans preparing for a major winter storm.
POLAR BLAST
Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, IllinoisIndiana, and Michigan there was hail, sleet and snow on Wednesday.
About 8 to 12 inches of white matter were reduced in the Denver metro area, while areas near Colorado Springs saw up to 20 inches.
The town of Lewistown, located in central Illinois, was covered with 14.4 inches of snow, while the northeastern city of Hannibal in Missouri was 11.5 inches.
Andrew Orrison, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Marylandsaid total snowfall could range from 12 to 18 inches in central Illinois and northern Indiana late Thursday.
More than 20,000 power outages have been reported in Arkansas, according to PowerOutage US.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson declared a state of emergency as school districts and universities moved classes to online or cut them out altogether.
Illinois lawmakers canceled three scheduled days of session this week as preparations intensify for heavy snow and ice.
And, Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt has declared a statewide state of emergency that will be in effect for seven days.
The National Weather Service said up to 12 inches of snow is expected Thursday morning in parts of the Rockies and Midwest.
Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter on Hedgehog Day this year.
People gathered on Wednesday at Gobbler’s Knob when members of the animal’s “inner circle” summoned him from his tree stump at dawn to find out if he had seen his shadow or not.
According to folklore, there will be six more weeks of winter if that person is seen. If he doesn’t, spring comes early.
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https://www.the-sun.com/news/4602989/texas-power-outage-winter-storm-blackout/ Texas blackout reaches 40k without power a year after deadly blackout
