AUSTIN, Texas — The state’s power grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), on Friday said “operations have returned to normal” after a winter storm left millions freezing in the dark for days. ERCOT, in a tweet, said while the system is back up and fully running – it still encouraged energy conservation efforts to reduce
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From bursting pipes to delays for dialysis patients whose treatment can wait, a pair of Houston community hospitals Friday struggled with water and power woes stemming from freezing temperatures and winter storms. “You’ve seen this year that all across the country, people have stepped up and made things happen,” Ben Saldana, the medical director for
Continue Reading The blackouts that shut down most of Texas for much of this week could be coming to other parts of the country in the future. The power outages lasted for days, caused widespread misery and dozens of deaths in a state where many customers depend on electric heat. But experts in the field, regulators in
Continue Reading Texans never could’ve dreamed of a week like this. Since Sunday, the Lone Star state has weathered a winter storm so fierce it’s broken several records, plunged Texas cities into subzero temperatures and knocked out power, water and warmth for millions of residents. This improbably cold weather has tested Texans’ mettle, and it hasn’t let
Continue Reading Americans should be able to expect a few simple things from their politicians: Tell the truth, don’t be a hypocrite, keep the lights on and the water running. But just like mayors get in trouble when streets aren’t plowed or trash isn’t picked up, governors get blame when the state power system fails, even though
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Stephanie Rubio and her three children have had their heart broken twice in three weeks. Stephanie’s husband, Robert, died from Covid-19 complications on January 28 after spending eight days in the hospital. On Tuesday, the family lost their home, filled with his memories, to a fire while trying to stay warm in Texas. With winter
Continue Reading As winter storms and freezing temperatures continue to wreak havoc across Texas, many are having to fight for survival. Hundreds of thousands in the state remained without power on Thursday, trying their best to stay warm and dry as bursted pipes flood homes. Millions who got their lights back on were also dealing with water
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SAN ANTONIO, Texas – San Antonio firefighters battled a massive apartment fire Thursday evening on the city’s north side that was being hampered by access to water in the wintry conditions, ABC affiliate KSAT reported. Fire officials said they were having to transport water to the scene while trying to fight the flames, because fire hydrants
Continue Reading Texas Gov. Greg Abbott continued to slam the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) on Thursday for what he says are failures to prepare the state for the winter storm that has left thousands freezing in the dark without running water. But the governor also said he had the responsibility to ensure the nonprofit company
Continue Reading CANCUN, Mexico — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas traveled to Mexico for a family vacation as his home state struggled with a powerful winter storm that left many residents without power or safe drinking water, saying Thursday that he made the trip to “be a good dad.” The high-profile Republican lawmaker said in a statement to
Continue Reading COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texans never could’ve dreamed of a week like this. Since Sunday, the Lone Star state has weathered a winter storm so fierce it’s broken several records, plunged Texas cities into subzero temperatures and knocked out power, water and warmth for millions of residents. This improbably cold weather has tested Texans’ mettle,
Continue Reading Click here for updates on this story NORTH TEXAS (KTVT) — Many North Texans are feeling the effects of the deep freeze, with bursting pipes and floods. David Crow of Benjamin Franklin Plumbing says so far they’ve had over 2,200 calls in 24 hours. “We were not preparing for it to be this high of
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Click here for updates on this story NORTH TEXAS (KTVT) — “We kind of panicked a little bit, rushed in the house and our dog was standing in about three- inches of water,” said Southlake homeowner Lori Cerami describing what she saw after leaving her home just long enough to take a warm shower at
Continue Reading EULESS, Texas — As winter storms and freezing temperatures continue to wreak havoc across Texas, many are having to fight for survival. Millions in the state remain without power on Wednesday, trying their best to stay warm and dry as burst pipes flood homes. Here are just some of the struggles some Texans said they
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AUSTIN, Texas — As the state’s power grid operator works to restore power to hundreds of thousands of Texas households in the wake of a massive winter storm, Gov. Greg Abbott called on lawmakers to mandate the weatherization of the state’s power plants and provide funding for it. The governor made the plea Thursday during a
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HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Power outages in Texas have forced many to seek warmth in unconventional ways. Some are burning the artwork in their homes, and some are burning baby blocks. But others are resorting to more dangerous measures. People are using their grills, cars and generators to heat their homes — and carbon monoxide
Continue Reading DALLAS, Texas — As hundreds of thousands of Texans struggled for heat and water because of utility outages for a fifth consecutive day, more potentially deadly storms are hitting parts of the South, mid-Atlantic and Northeast with snow and ice. Winter weather alerts stretched Thursday from Texas, where snow and ice still was accumulating, to
Continue Reading AUSTIN, Texas — The widespread power outages in Texas improved overnight even as they caused serious, cascading issues with the state’s supply of heating, water, food and medicine. Power was still down for about 390,000 Texas customers as of Thursday afternoon — well below the over 3 million outages a day earlier, according to Poweroutage.us.
Continue Reading EULESS, Texas — As winter storms and freezing temperatures continue to wreak havoc across Texas, many are having to fight for survival. Millions in the state remain without power on Wednesday, trying their best to stay warm and dry as burst pipes flood homes. Here are just some of the struggles some Texans said they
Continue Reading Two officers were shot in Texas after responding to a call Thursday about a shooting in a Dallas suburb, Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia tweeted Thursday. The shooting occurred about 12:30 p.m. ET, police said. “At this time we know that at least one officer was injured in the incident and has been transported to
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WASHINGTON, DC — The Biden administration has authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide generators and supplies to Texas and other states amid severe winter weather. “I’ve declared states of emergency, authorized FEMA to provide generators and supplies, and am ready to fulfill additional requests,” President Biden wrote on Twitter Thursday. Homeland Security advisor
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BROWNSVILLE, Texas — As Texas’ deep freeze wreaks havoc on land, sea animals also suffer in its icy waters. This week, more than 2,600 turtles have been rescued around South Padre Island at the southern tip of the state. Volunteers and wildlife officials scouring bays and beaches for stranded turtles suffering from “cold-stun,” a condition
Continue Reading AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republicans are seeking to deflect blame, misleadingly pointing to renewable energy sources including wind and solar power as the culprits of the state’s massive power outages, as millions of the state’s residents face below-freezing temperatures without power or running water. Millions of Texans remain without power
Continue Reading DALLAS, Texas — A deadly winter storm and cold snap in Texas left many in the Lone Star state struggling as those used to the heat are now fighting freezing temperatures, icy roads and rolling power outages. The devastating weather is shining a light on inequities in a state with large immigrant and homeless populations,
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AUSTIN, Texas — Texas reported 72 more deaths Wednesday from Covid-19, but hospitalizations from the disease continued to fall. However, officials said winter weather is affecting the reporting of Covid-19 data. As a result, death counts and new cases will be artificially lower until complete reporting resumes. The Texas Department of State Health Services said the state’s
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EL PASO, Texas — For those in the Borderland, the winter storm may now be a thing of the past – but that’s not the case for those living in other parts of Texas. “It’s straight survival mode,” said El Paso native Rene Lopez, who now lives in San Antonio. Because of the Texas winter
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SAN ANTONIO, Texas — As millions across Texas battle power outages and freezing temperatures during the massive winter storm, one element has proved especially problematic — water. Whether it’s too much water or too little, high pressure or low pressure, or simply just the wrong form, water has been a huge issue for Texans during
Continue Reading AUSTIN, Texas — As millions of Texans continue to struggle with power outages during a massive winter storm, Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday ordered Texas natural gas producers to sell the fuel to in-state power generators in an effort to restore electricity. There were three million Texas households and businesses still without power as of Wednesday afternoon,
Continue Reading SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas — A Texas nonprofit rescued approximately 3,500 “cold-stunned” sea turtles from record-breaking temperatures that walloped the area and fought to keep the animals warm during a days-long power outage, ABC affiliate KTRK reported. Sea Turtle Inc. in South Padre Island started rescuing stunned turtles on Sunday and told locals to contact
Continue Reading AUSTIN, Texas — Unprecedented winter storms have blanketed Texas, causing bitter cold temperatures and widespread power outages throughout much of the state. President Joe Biden has declared a state of emergency, which makes people eligible for federal assistance. Still, the need for help is immediate as many struggle to find shelter, food, and warmth in
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