Winter Storm 2021

Last week's winter storm was brutal for the whole state, but rural Texans faced particular hardships, like distance from helpful neighbors. And newborn calves. Full Story 

From a new mom in Pflugerville who struggled to keep her baby warm to a Houston teacher worried about her students, listen to what some Texans endured in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast. Full Story 

Retroactively equipping power plants to withstand cold temperatures is likely to be very difficult and costly, energy experts say. Building energy infrastructure to perform in winter conditions is easier — and cheaper. Full Story 

We’re tracking the fallout from the massive winter storm in Texas, which has brought widespread power outages and transportation problems. Full Story 

About half of the state’s population is affected by water infrastructure problems, from complete outages to boil-water notices. Full Story 

When the lights went out this week and Texans lost access to power and clean drinking water, the Texas Division of Emergency Management failed to provide accessible and life-saving updates on outages and inclement weather. Full Story 

Dozens of deaths have been tied to this week's storm, but experts say the death toll is likely far larger. Full Story 

The pandemic had already destabilized parents, teachers and students. Now the winter storm's damage to buildings is preventing schools from even serving as lifelines for students in need of shelter and food. Full Story 

Biden also said he has directed multiple federal agencies to assist people in the state. Full Story 

As power returns, half the state has issues with its water supply, and thawing pipes are at risk of bursting and flooding homes. Full Story 

Abbott will be joined by emergency officials for his update from Austin. Many Texans remain without power, and water access has been disrupted for millions across the state. Full Story 

Texans face a cascade of frustrations and expenses as the state tries to recover from the storm. Insurance companies are bracing for claims rivaling those after major hurricanes, and homeowners are trying to find plumbers and electricians. Full Story 

Texans of color, disproportionately devastated by death and unemployment during the last year, tend to live in neighborhoods with older homes, more vulnerable pipes and fewer food options. That's made it harder to withstand the cold temperatures and power outages. Full Story 

We’re tracking the fallout from the massive winter storm in Texas, which has brought widespread power outages and transportation problems. Full Story 

The Texas government's failures in the face of a winter storm have been very hard on Texans, and could do lasting damage to the state's reputation. Full Story 

The past week of power outages and water shortages have been particularly challenging for college students living in large residence halls who are unable to see their families or access supplies like extra clothing, food or a car. Full Story 

Water disruptions, patient logjams, overflowing emergency rooms, exhausted workers, staffing shortages and power outages created challenging conditions for health care workers across the state. Full Story 

Power and water outages have also hit many Texas lockups. Inmates have feared for their safety and officers were kept at their job for days. Full Story 

We're launching a new text number to share updates with our readers and let you ask us questions. Full Story 

Millions of Texans were left in the dark for days after winter storms triggered power outages. But people in El Paso, the upper Panhandle and parts of East Texas kept their lights on — thanks to power drawn from other parts of the country. Full Story