How to help and get help in Texas as the winter storm causes power outages
Local organizations are providing warming shelters and resources, while nonprofits are asking for donations and volunteers. Full Story
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Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
No, frozen wind turbines aren’t the main culprit for Texas’ power outages
Lost wind power was expected to be a fraction of winter generation. All sources — from natural gas, to nuclear, to coal, to solar — have struggled to generate power during the storm that has left millions of Texans in the dark. Full Story
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![A wind farm in Harrold. March 19, 2018.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Winter storm in Texas: At least 10 deaths linked to statewide disaster; Austin outages may last another day or more
We're tracking the fallout from the massive winter storm in Texas, which has brought widespread power outages and transportation problems. Full Story
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
“We’re in it alone”: Power outages leave millions of Texans desperate for heat and safety
Texas residents said the storm — and ensuing partial collapse of the state's power system — sapped what mental reserves they had left after eleven months of a global health crisis that has cost thousands of jobs and claimed more than 40,000 lives in the state. Full Story
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![The Blanco Vista neighborhood of San Marcos is blanketed with several inches of snow as a massive winter weather system causes power outages across Texas on Feb. 15, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
With more dangerous weather approaching, Texans say officials didn’t warn them about going days without power
Texas' energy grid operators warned of rolling, short-term power outages. Millions of homes have been without power since early Monday morning. Full Story
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![An eastbound view of East Stassney Lane in South Austin on Feb. 15, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott, other top Texas officials call for resignations and investigations at electrical grid operator
“The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has been anything but reliable over the past 48 hours,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. Full Story
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![A utility structure is encased in ice on Feb. 15, 2021, in Houston. A rare snowfall blanketed the city as well as other parts of Texas.]()
Credit: May-Ying Lam for The Texas Tribune -
Hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 vaccine deliveries, injections delayed by winter storm
Vaccine events and appointments across Texas were shut down when snow and ice made travel too dangerous, brought power outages and delayed vaccine deliveries. Full Story
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![A pharmacist the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at Houston Independent School District’s Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center on Jan. 9, 2021. HISD partnered with Kroger to administer the COVID-19 Moderna vaccine to educators, police officers and school nurses as part of Phase 1A and 1B of the vaccine rollout.]()
Credit: May-Ying Lam for The Texas Tribune -
When will Texans get their power back? Officials don't know.
ERCOT says while it's working to restore power to residents — many of whom had been without it for multiple hours or longer as temperatures remained well below freezing — it was also aiming to avoid a complete shutdown of the grid, which is used by roughly 90% of the state. Full Story
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![Power lines along a row of homes in South Austin. Many residents experienced power outages due to the winter storm that rolled through Texas. Feb. 16, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Freezing temperatures are dangerous for homeless people. Shelters are urging Texans to come in off the streets.
Advocates and social workers say there’s enough capacity at warming centers and shelters to ensure no one will be turned away. Full Story
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![A homeless Austinite wears extra blankets to protect against the cold as an unprecedented winter storm grips much of Texas on Feb. 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas largely relies on natural gas for power. It wasn’t ready for the extreme cold.
Texas largely relies on natural gas — especially during times of high demand — to power the state. Experts say natural gas infrastructure, from pumping it out of the ground to the plants in city centers, was unprepared for the plunging temperatures brought by the winter storm. Full Story
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![The Blanco Vista neighborhood of San Marcos is blanketed with several inches of snow as a massive winter weather system causes power outages across Texas on Feb. 15, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Point of Order: The disconnect
In the latest episode of our podcast about the Texas Legislature, Evan Smith talks to state Rep. Trent Ashby about his bill to create a state broadband plan — a long-overdue effort to address our digital deficiency at a time when school, work and health care have all moved online. Full Story
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