Massive winter storm prompts disaster declaration and could stress Texas' electricity grid

[Cyber Liberty]

Massive winter storm prompts disaster declaration and could stress Texas' electricity grid
 by Megan Menchaca and Mitchell Ferman Feb. 12, 2021 Updated: 17 hours ago

Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration Friday afternoon for every county in Texas as a massive winter storm threatens to wreck havoc on the state's electricity grid, power lines and roads.

"Texas should heed the guidance of their local leaders and stay alert to changing weather conditions in their area," Abbott said in a press release.

The state’s power grid could see record-setting winter electricity demand from Texans trying to keep warm this weekend. That means the capacity of Texas’ power grid, most of which is run by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, will be put to the test. It is unclear whether this will result in rolling blackouts in Texas, or “rotating outages” as ERCOT calls system power outages.

More:  https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/12/texas-winter-weather/

=========================================================

Joe Bastardi was on Hannity's radio show yesterday, and said this is going to be a huge Natural Disaster story...

[Elderberry]

Texas Tribune by Megan Menchaca and Mitchell Ferman 2/12/2021

Gov. Greg Abbott urged Texans to stay alert as the National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings or watches for most of the state. Experts fear that electricity demand during the frigid temperatures could cause power outages.

State officials are urging Texans to stay home and minimize their use of electricity as a massive winter storm threatens to wreak havoc on the state's power grid and roads.

"Everybody in this state should have several collective goals over the next few days, one of which should be that we will not replicate what happened in Fort Worth," Gov. Greg Abbott said at a Saturday news conference, referring to Thursday's 133-car pileup on an iced-over interstate that left six dead.

"This will be probably more snow over a larger swath of land to a higher degree than ever before in Texas history," he added.

At the news conference, Abbott said he would seek a federal emergency declaration for the storm and planned to deploy National Guard troops to help find stranded travelers.

A day earlier, he issued a statewide disaster declaration for every county in the state and urged Texans to "heed the guidance of their local leaders and stay alert to changing weather conditions in their area."

The state’s power grid could see record-setting winter electricity demand from Texans trying to keep warm this weekend. That means the capacity of Texas’ power grid, most of which is run by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, will be put to the test. It is unclear whether this will result in rolling blackouts in Texas, or “rotating outages” as ERCOT calls system power outages.

More: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/12/texas-winter-weather/

[mountaineer]

Some have pointed out that Biden's FEMA has done nothing, whereas under Trump, when they knew a big weather emergency (e.g., hurricane) was coming, they made preparations.

[catfish1957]

Some have pointed out that Biden's FEMA has done nothing, whereas under Trump, when they knew a big weather emergency (e.g., hurricane) was coming, they made preparations.

Yep...  A February 2021 Biden Freeze Death Count needs to be established and updated.He and his merry band of idiots have more important matters like pointless Kangaroo Shampeachment Trials.

[libertybele]

Prayers up for those Briefers in TX!  Stay safe and stay warm.   

[mystery-ak]

Prayers up for those Briefers in TX!  Stay safe and stay warm.   

We have a lot a Texans here at TBR...please stay safe!

[roamer_1]

Yep... We feel for ya Texas. 

Up in here we went 15 below for a while there... Had to rummage around and dig out my wool socks. 

[Bigun]

27 degrees here currently and dropping into the low teens by morning.  Single digits by Tuesday morning with about 9" of snow predicted over that period. Not supposed to rise above freezing again before Friday.

The power remains on, we have a good fireplace and plenty of wood should we need it.  All is well.

[thackney]

Grid operator requests energy conservation for system reliability
http://www.ercot.com/news/releases/show/225151
Feb. 14, 2021

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is asking consumers and businesses to reduce their electricity use as much as possible Sunday, Feb. 14 through Tuesday, Feb. 16.

"We are experiencing record-breaking electric demand due to the extreme cold temperatures that have gripped Texas," said ERCOT President and CEO Bill Magness. "At the same time, we are dealing with higher-than-normal generation outages due to frozen wind turbines and limited natural gas supplies available to generating units. We are asking Texans to take some simple, safe steps to lower their energy use during this time."

Here are some tips to reduce electricity use:

- Turn down thermostats to 68-degrees.
- Close shades and blinds to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows.
- Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances.
- Avoid using large appliances (i.e., ovens, washing machines, etc.).
- Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible.
- Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.

Given the prolonged, below-freezing temperatures, conservation measures should be implemented safely and within reason....




http://www.ercot.com/

[Night Hides Not]

27 degrees here currently and dropping into the low teens by morning.  Single digits by Tuesday morning with about 9" of snow predicted over that period. Not supposed to rise above freezing again before Friday.

The power remains on, we have a good fireplace and plenty of wood should we need it.  All is well.

Currently 17 degrees in Irving. The dog was begging to go outside, as my son and grandson were having a snowball fight.

Five minutes later, she was begging to go back inside...lol. Smart dog.

[PeteS in CA]

Rotating black-outs? Texas has Enviros that need to be put down?

[mystery-ak]

Weather Warnings here in Central Il...6-10inches of snow with wind chills -20

[libertybele]

Currently 17 degrees in Irving. The dog was begging to go outside, as my son and grandson were having a snowball fight.

Five minutes later, she was begging to go back inside...lol. Smart dog.

[mystery-ak]

Hey Texans keep us updated if you can.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Joe Bastardi
@BigJoeBastardi

currently 100k without power in Texas




8:08 PM · Feb 14, 2021·Twitter Web App

https://twitter.com/BigJoeBastardi/status/1361120106806456327

[Right_in_Virginia]

Joe Bastardi
@BigJoeBastardi

MOST SEVERE WINTER WEATHER ON RECORD IN DALLAS! ITS SNOWING AT. 10 DEGREES ABOVE 0!!! MODELS 6 HOURS OUT BUSTING BY 3-5 DEGREES. UNREAL



8:01 PM · Feb 14, 2021·Twitter Web App

https://twitter.com/BigJoeBastardi/status/1361118486123192321

[Bigun]

Hey Texans keep us updated if you can.

About 20 degrees out at 9 pm with a light dusting of snow on the ground. Power is on and all is well at present.

[catfish1957]

Kind of loss in this news of this cold weather event is the impact on the petrochemical industry.  Not quire sure if we are looking at impacts as severe as 1997, 1989, or 1983, but here are some projected low NWS low temperatures for the western core of the the industry along the central and western Gulf of Mexico...

NOLA...  25
Baton Rouge-16
Lafayette- 17
Lake Charles- 14
Beaumont-11
Houston- 12
Bay City-13
Corpus Christi- 17

These areas are 45% of the nation's refining capacity.  My experience is that these types of severe and long duration cold snaps will reek havoc on these plants.  Expect the price of gasoline to rise accordingly.

[catfish1957]

About 20 degrees out at 9 pm with a light dusting of snow on the ground. Power is on and all is well at present.

29, and starting to see a slight glazing on the lines and trees. Know of no power outages in our area.

[mystery-ak]

@Victoria33 has informed me that

Governor Abbott asks for federal aid with statewide disaster declaration, warns drivers to stay home

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/local/2021/02/13/abbott-asks-federal-aid-warns-texans-stay-home-conserve-power/4477397001/

[Idiot]

I'm west of DFW it's 6 degrees at 10 pm looking for a low close to zero.  We've had 6 inches plus of snow with drifts a couple of feet high in my yard.  It's brutal!

[Victoria33]

It's 8 degrees in Denton County which is north of Dallas about 30 miles at 11:52 pm, central time.  Weather guy says on Tuesday, it will be 0 degrees here.

Power outages are happening in this greater area of Denton County and Dallas County and Tarrant County (Fort Worth area).

We are okay at this time.  I expect people to die in the days of this week due to this weather.

[thackney]

ERCOT calls for rotating outages as extreme winter weather forces generating units offline
http://www.ercot.com/news/releases/show/225210
Feb. 15, 2021

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) entered emergency conditions and initiated rotating outages at 1:25 a.m. today.

About 10,500 MW of customer load was shed at the highest point. This is enough power to serve approximately two million homes.

Extreme weather conditions caused many generating units – across fuel types – to trip offline and become unavailable.

There is now over 30,000 MW of generation forced off the system....

[thackney]

20 degrees here south of Houston

So far the pipes have not frozen.  I filled extra tubs of water for the horses and cows and used an air compressor to push the water out of the barn.

[Elderberry]

Lost power around 2AM. 19 Deg. SE Houston Hobby Area

[Gefn]

Prayers for all in Texas. Stay warm and safe. ❤️

[Victoria33]

@Gefn

Denton County, north of Dallas, 8:03 a.m., Monday, 5 degrees.  Wind chills, -16. Still have power.

[thackney]

WINTER STORM UPDATE: More than 2 million Texans are without power
https://ktrh.iheart.com/content/2021-02-15-winter-storm-update-ercot-starts-rotating-power-outages/

...We are seeing some outages around the area; in fact more than 2.3 million Texans have no power as of 8am. ERCOT has declared an "energy emergency alert three," that means there are rotating power outages. Electric demand is very high and supplies can't keep up....

[240B]

No power
8 degrees
Wind chill -15
More snow coming
Plenty of heat food booze tobacco and emergency light
No real issues so far
Should last most of this week

[Victoria33]

No power
8 degrees
Wind chill -15
More snow coming
Plenty of heat food booze tobacco and emergency light
No real issues so far
Should last most of this week

@240B

Where in Texas are you?

[240B]

Could really use just a little of that Global Warming right now.

Hope Al Gore and Gretta are freezing their asses off!

[mystery-ak]

Half of Texas Wind Turbines Freeze, Hurting Electricity Output
https://www.breitbart.com/environment/2021/02/15/half-of-texas-wind-turbines-freeze-hurting-electricity-output/

[Ghost Bear]

Woke up to 8 degrees and about 7 inches of snow that fell overnight. Hearing about rolling blackouts happening around the area but haven't had one here yet (knock on wood). Currently it's sunny, but the temperature isn't expected to go above freezing until later in the week (Wednesday maybe?)  So, the snow will stay on the ground (and the roads) for several days. My location is just north of Austin (in what used to be a little town named Round Rock).

[Victoria33]

All:

There is a website for our large subdivision.  I do not post on it but read posts some time.  Due to the weather, I punched on it to see what people around us were doing.

This lady should have considered preparing her pool last week before we were socked in by ice/snow/5 degrees.  Here is her post - do you guys have an answer to what she should do NOW, or is she stuck in limbo with her pool?  (This is our subdivision and she says there are blackouts - we have not had blackouts.)

"Swimming Pool during Rolling Blackouts. I need some advice on what to do during the rolling blackout with my pool.  I know I am not the only one so I need some kind of reassurance so I can stop the worry.  I called CoServ which told me that the time for the Blackouts have now been increased to 30 to 45 minutes instead of the 15 minutes when they first started them.  worried."

[Victoria33]

Woke up to 8 degrees and about 7 inches of snow that fell overnight. Hearing about rolling blackouts happening around the area but haven't had one here yet (knock on wood). Currently it's sunny, but the temperature isn't expected to go above freezing until later in the week (Wednesday maybe?)  So, the snow will stay on the ground (and the roads) for several days. My location is just north of Austin (in what used to be a little town named Round Rock).

@Ghost Bear

Been to Round Rock many times in my life.  Dell Computer Co. was in Round Rock, imagine they are still there.  I went there one time and had them build a computer for me.  So, they dumped the name "Round Rock" - did not know that.

Temps in Texas will not have above freezing temp. until this coming Friday.  Some people in our area saying they are having rolling blackouts but we have not had one - yet.

[Bigun]

Day one is behind us with no apparent damage.  11 degrees for a low this morning and about 6" of snow on the ground.  All is well so far.

[Elderberry]

There was a nice family in my neighborhood growing up that had a pool. After being flooded too many times by  Sim's Bayou they let it go natural. Kids would fish in it, after asking for permission first.

[libertybele]

No power
8 degrees
Wind chill -15
More snow coming
Plenty of heat food booze tobacco and emergency light
No real issues so far
Should last most of this week

As long as you are able to stay warm is a good thing -- glad things are going well so far for you.

[Idiot]

It’s 4 degrees at 10 am.  All of our local tv stations are off the air.  We are now having rolling blackouts.  My electricity has stayed on so far.

[libertybele]

Continued prayers for fellow TX Briefers.  I can't believe the cold you are getting.  I visited my brother when he lived in Irving many years ago in Dec., and there was a cold snap that lasted for a couple of days, but this is crazy cold!

[Idiot]

@Ghost Bear

Been to Round Rock many times in my life.  Dell Computer Co. was in Round Rock, imagine they are still there.  I went there one time and had them build a computer for me.  So, they dumped the name "Round Rock" - did not know that.

Temps in Texas will not have above freezing temp. until this coming Friday.  Some people in our area saying they are having rolling blackouts but we have not had one - yet.

They need to put anti freeze in their pump leaf filter and surge the pump a couple of times to get it in the filter as well.

When they start the pool back in warmer weather then start the pool by flushing it all down the waste/drain.

[Victoria33]

All:
@Gefn

10 am, Denton County, Dallas County, Tarrant (Fort Worth area).
Saw some power outages and grabbed these, 241,000 in Dallas, no power; 305,000 in Fort Worth, no power.  14 below wind chill.

Reporters are staying in a hotel on northside of Fort Worth and water line in hotel broke, lobby is full of water and no power.  This is the first report I have seen about significant water pipes breaking.  Sure there will be more today and tomorrow.  Don't see how these pipes could be fixed quickly - not going to happen.

Gefn:  I put Prissy's warm sweater on her so she is warm in the house during the day.  She is so little her body is close to the floor and it is colder on the floor so the sweater keeps her body warm.  She sleeps with us all the time, so she will not get cold during the night.  When we opened the back door, she barked because the ground was white, not it's usual darker color.  She would not walk on that white stuff called snow.

[corbe]

[Victoria33]

They need to put anti freeze in their pump leaf filter and surge the pump a couple of times to get it in the filter as well.

When they start the pool back in warmer weather then start the pool by flushing it all down the waste/drain.

@mrpotatohead

Thank you; I will get that on the subdivision website.

[libertybele]

All:
@Gefn

10 am, Denton County, Dallas County, Tarrant (Fort Worth area).
Saw some power outages and grabbed these, 241,000 in Dallas, no power; 305,000 in Fort Worth, no power.  14 below wind chill.

Reporters are staying in a hotel on northside of Fort Worth and water line in hotel broke, lobby is full of water and no power.  This is the first report I have seen about significant water pipes breaking.  Sure there will be more today and tomorrow.  Don't see how these pipes could be fixed quickly - not going to happen.

Gefn:  I put Prissy's warm sweater on her so she is warm in the house during the day.  She is so little her body is close to the floor and it is colder on the floor so the sweater keeps her body warm.  She sleeps with us all the time, so she will not get cold during the night.  When we opened the back door, she barked because the ground was white, not it's usual darker color.  She would not walk on that white stuff called snow.

Thanks for the reports @Victoria 33.  This reminds me of the time when we lived in MI and visited FL during Easter.  We came back to an ice storm and we had no power for a couple of days.  Luckily we had a wood stove to keep us nice and warm and wound up putting some of the food outside to keep cold.

Prissy sounds like a character...too funny. What kind of dog is she?  Even in FL my daughter's puppy (8 mos. old) hates the colder temps and she won't go outside without her sweater -- and she sleeps under the blankets.

[Ghost Bear]

@Ghost Bear

Been to Round Rock many times in my life.  Dell Computer Co. was in Round Rock, imagine they are still there.  I went there one time and had them build a computer for me.  So, they dumped the name "Round Rock" - did not know that.

Temps in Texas will not have above freezing temp. until this coming Friday.  Some people in our area saying they are having rolling blackouts but we have not had one - yet.

Yes, Dell is still here, and the town is still called Round Rock.  But the town isn't little any more. 

[Victoria33]

Thanks for the reports @Victoria 33.  This reminds me of the time when we lived in MI Prissy sounds like a character...too funny. What kind of dog is she?  Even in FL my daughter's puppy (8 mos. old) hates the colder temps and she won't go outside without her sweater -- and she sleeps under the blankets.

@libertybele

Prissy is 7 lb. Yorkie.

[catfish1957]

Not hearing about any power outages in my area.  18F, still a few flurries, and about a half inch of sleet/snow mix.  Maybe an 1/8 inch of ice. Really big news and worry, is we may be seeing single digits here tonight for the first time since 1989.

Just got a call that Entergy may be enacting rolling black outs here as well due to energy demands.

[Right_in_Virginia]

https://poweroutage.us/area/state/texas

Updated in real time 

[mountaineer]

Texans Forced To Cut Open Cattle With Lightsabers And Climb Inside For Warmth
February 15th, 2021

HOUSTON, TX—Texans are struggling to keep warm amid a cold snap that has brought arctic temperatures to the region. Left with no other options, many Texans are being forced to cut open cattle with lightsabers and crawl inside to stay warm.

One rancher and his ranch hand were forced to take these drastic measures when temperatures approached the level of springtime in Ohio and his horse froze before he reached the first marker.

"This steer really smells bad kid," said the rancher to his shivering ranch hand. He then cut open the cow's carcass and encouraged his employee to crawl into the warm, steamy entrails. "But it'll keep y'all warm until I get the shelter up." ...

Babylon Bee