Things Are Very Bad In Texas

[appalachiablue]

Daily Kos, Tues., Feb 16, 2021, 11:47 PM.

First off this isn’t localized or even limited to big or even medium sized cities. There are rural areas that don’t have power either. This is a classic cascade failure. It is worse than a hurricane.

1. It started with ERCOT misprediction of energy demand by about 30%.

2. Sunday demand spiked to new historic winter levels. A full 10 MW higher than the previous Winter peak. Texas runs on electric heat. Virtually no one has fuel oil heaters. Fireplaces are things you have for ambiance.

3. Then it froze. The whole state in one night. That sounds not weird to most people but south of say San Antonio it hardly ever freezes. It barely ever snows. Like once every hundred years. But this was a deep freeze. Our normal once a decade freezes are it goes in the high twenties for a few hours overnight. This was a freeze that lasted two days. Lots of people just don’t have clothing to deal with this either.

4. So the roads shut down because of wrecks. We have trucks that the highway department can lay salt with or sand. But we had enough to cover those overnight type events on major bridges. Nothing like the ground freezing. People got stuck where they were. Freezing rain quickly washed the little salt and sand we had away.

5. Then the power went out. They said at first they would be rolling blackouts but when it went out it virtually never came back on. For my city the blackouts started around 2am Monday morning.

6. Since we never had a ground freeze they hastily told everyone to keep our taps dripping overnight so the pipes wouldn’t freeze. But we don’t have insulated piping. So many pipes froze and many burst.

7. Monday during the day the roads were still closed so you couldn’t get out. Heat was ok for many since houses could retain some heat.

8. Tuesday is when the shit hit the fan. Without power all the water infrastructure was hobbled. Pumps are non operable since entire sections of the city are blacked out.

9. With lines broken & pumps out and people dripping faucets water pressure has dropped to a trickle or none at all.

10. City orders a boil water notice because of this but large segments of people have no power to boil water with...

Read More + comments,
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/2/16/2016516/-Things-are-very-very-bad-in-Texas
_______________

- Blackout Continues In Texas As Republicans Blame Everything But The Real Problem, Feb. 17, 2021,

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/2/17/2016551/-Blackout-continues-in-Texas-as-Republicans-blame-everything-but-the-real-problem

- Tens of Thousands of Texas Homes May Be Worthless Soon, Daily Kos, Feb. 17, 2021,

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/2/17/2016615/-Tens-of-Thousands-of-Texas-Homes-May-Be-Worthless-Soon

- Texas mayor tells residents to fend for themselves.. 'Only the strong will survive,' Wash. Post,
https://democraticunderground.com/10142697089

[DUgosh]

1. I'm in the hill country - northwest of San Antonio

It’s all true. We might get snow and it might freeze but the temps always climb back up in the fifties before the day is over. Even in 85 when we got 20 inches of snow it melted quick because the ground wasn’t cold enough. The power surges from the rolling blackouts blew our power box to the well so we haven’t had running water since Monday. We have a wood stove and plenty of wood but that’s rare out here and we only have it because that’s how my husband was raised. So many folks are in trouble. It’s going to snow again tonight.

[appalachiablue]

2. Thanks for the update: glad you have a woodstove

and an experienced mate. My heart goes out to you, hang tight & hope it gets better.

[Karadeniz]

4. I think we're in the same general area. We, too, are on a well and so far it's working when the

Electricity is on. But, the little town has water trouble. Some part on the city supply went out and there's a replacement in Brownwood. The town won't have water until tomorrow afternoon, they hope. We get about an hour of electricity, then it's off for about three hours. That works well.

[appalachiablue]

3. Blackout Photos: Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/photography/interactive/2021/record-setting-cold-snow-ice-paralyze-region/

[BigmanPigman]

5. Half the photos are really fun...

People skiing and playing and the blanket of fresh snow is what Winter is about. The other half, freezing on the streets or in shelters is pure misery. It is like night and day.

[appalachiablue]

6. The Two Americas, as some say