Texas winter storm: Searching for heat as plunging temperatures knock out utilities and cell service

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The cold is believed to have contributed to at least three deaths in the Houston area alone, police said. That includes a woman and a girl who died of carbon monoxide poisoning after a car was running in the garage at their home to create heat because the power was out, Houston police said Tuesday morning.
The record-breaking deep freeze engulfing much of the US isn't over yet. Here's what to expect next

The treacherous conditions have led to more than 550 car crashes in the area since Sunday, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said.

“Our roadways are still very icy. Please avoid traveling unless absolutely necessary,” Acevedo said Tuesday on Twitter.
Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott has said some utilities’ ability to generate the power has been frozen — including the natural gas and coal generators. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, a grid operator that controls about 90% of the state’s electric load, said intentional, rolling power blackouts will happen in parts of the state to balance huge demand with struggling supply.
Cell towers in Fort Bend County southwest of Houston had generators freezing, running out of fuel or both, interrupting service in parts of the county, County Judge K.P. George wrote on Twitter.
“Conditions are deteriorating on all roadways. Roads are impassable. Do not travel. Stay at your location,” George tweeted early Tuesday.
A truck braves the frozen roads in Houston on Monday, February 15.
Temperatures are expected to be below freezing throughout Tuesday in roughly the state’s northern half, and they may just reach above it in Houston and San Antonio, according to a National Weather Service forecast.
While snow has fallen across much of Texas, more snow and ice are expected for much of the state Tuesday afternoon or evening through Wednesday as part of a larger storm system.
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Up to 6 more inches of snow could fall in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, while freezing rain is forecast for Austin, San Antonio and Houston.

The frigid weather has led to widespread power outages in more than a dozen other states. More outages may be ahead, including in Nebraska, where a utility in Hastings asked residents Tuesday to prepare for rolling blackouts to handle “unprecedented energy demand.”
Southwest Power Pool, which manages electrical grid operations in North Texas and 16 other states, said Monday it had asked member utilities to implement rolling blackouts.

Relying on fireplaces and generators

Barbara Martinez has a mission Tuesday that she wouldn’t normally undertake: Find more wood for the fireplace that is her home’s sole source of heat in freezing weather.

Her home in the Houston suburb of Jersey Village has been largely without power since Sunday at 3 a.m., she told CNN on Tuesday morning.

She, her elderly parents, and her two dogs have been huddled together in one room with a fireplace.

“We have several layers of clothing and it’s cold,” Martinez said. “We’ve been using our cars to charge up phones, and (the) signal here is nearly impossible to use.”

“We hope the power comes back soon because we are running out of firewood,” she said. “My goal today is to find more firewood.”

A fireplace is the sole source of heat for Barbara Martinez at her home in a Houston suburb.

In the Fort Worth suburb of Watauga, Elijah Dorminy’s family has depended on their generator to make it through the deadly cold — and he fears soon even that won’t be an option.

Dorminy, his wife and their four children were worried what will happen when they need to refill their generator with gas again. Only one gas station still had fuel in Watauga, Dorminy told CNN on Monday evening.

“Pray for us, this is going to be rough,” he told CNN.

Water shut off in Abilene

The Texas city of Abilene said it was forced to shut off water service Monday evening because of a power outage at three water treatment plants.

The city of about 120,000 people is located about a 150-mile drive west of Fort Worth.

“It is not known exactly when power and subsequent water service will be returned to Abilene water customers,” a statement from city officials reads.

Frozen wind turbines contribute to rolling power blackouts across Texas

When service is restored, a boil water notice will be in effect, and customers should bring water to a vigorous boil for at least two minutes before consumption, according to the statement.

Texans with electricity are asked to conserve as much as possible in an effort to relieve the demand on the state’s power grid and help restore service,” according to the city’s statement.

Fort Worth has extended a boil water notice for residents in the north half of the city. Rolling power outages affected the its ability to treat and move water to customers, according to the city.

State’s largest school district closes

Several of the state’s school districts announced that classes — both in-person and virtual — will be canceled due to the weather.

The Houston Independent School District, the largest in the state, will be closed Tuesday due to freezing weather, according to a message on the district’s website.

To the north, the Dallas Independent School District, as well as the neighboring Arlington and Fort Worth Independent School Districts also will be closed Tuesday, according to statements on the district’s websites.

Fort Worth’s closures run through Wednesday while Dallas schools are closed through Thursday.

Covid-19 vaccines and appointments at risk

The storm has complicated Covid-19 vaccinations, causing appointments to be postponed and threatening supplies.

No first-dose vaccines are being shipped to Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District Monday and Tuesday due to winter weather, according to a news release from the city.
San Antonio postponed vaccine appointments scheduled for Tuesday at the Alamodome stadium until Saturday, according to a news release from the city.
Cities and states begin delaying Covid-19 vaccine distribution because of winter storms

“With the current icy conditions expected to remain until at least tomorrow, we want to ensure the safety of the public. We also want to remind the public who may be concerned about the small delay for their second dose, that we are still within CDC guidelines to ensure the vaccine will still work with no issues,” the release stated.

After power was lost at the Harris County Public Health Department Building and backup generators failed, officials had to race to allocate and save 8,400 vaccines before they spoiled, Harris County Judge Lena Hidalgo said Monday.

Harris County officials settled on Houston’s Ben Taub, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Methodist Hospitals, as well as Rice University and the Harris County Jail as the locations to receive the vaccine overnight, Hidalgo said.

CNN’s Alisha Ebrahimji, Keith Allen, Gregory Lemos, Carma Hassan, Amanda Jackson, Ed Lavandera, Rebekah Riess and Amir Vera contributed to this report.



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