A winter storm caused continued snowfall and turned roads into icy surfaces in Seattle on Feb. 13.
U.S. President Joe Biden approved a state of emergency declaration for Texas on Sunday (Feb. 14). The state has been hit by an unprecedentedly severe winter storm since Feb. 11, and so far 2 million customers have been hit by power outages amid extremely low temperatures.
More than 760 flights were canceled at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport due to the severe weather, and at Dallas Love Field Airport, the airport’s primary carrier, Southwest Airlines, nearly 200 Most of the flights were canceled on Sunday.
American Airlines said about 345 of its flights at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport were canceled by early Sunday afternoon. The airline said the storm also affected the company’s flights throughout the region, with reduced and canceled operations at airports in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
Biden responded to requests for federal assistance from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas U.S. Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn by ordering the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to supplement state and local emergency efforts. The state of emergency declaration covers all 254 counties in the state.
Texas has been hit by an unprecedented winter storm. President Joe Biden has approved the Texas state of emergency declaration.
Earlier, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), a nonprofit organization that operates the Texas power grid, warned that ERCOT may have no choice but to implement rotating blackouts in the state on Monday and Tuesday as conditions deteriorate and demand for electricity surges beyond the grid’s capacity.
A new report released Monday morning by Fox News said the unusually harsh winter storm has left more than 2 million customers in Texas without power in dangerously cold temperatures.
According to the online outage tracker, Kent County and Brazos County were the hardest hit areas, with nearly all customers hit by power outages.
Cruz said Sunday that a large number of Texans have already experienced power outages.
“We are experiencing record demand for electricity as extremely cold temperatures grip Texas.” ERCOT CEO Bill Magness said in a news release Sunday.
“At the same Time, we are dealing with higher-than-normal generation interruptions as wind turbines freeze and limited natural gas supplies are available for generating units. We’re asking Texans to take some simple, safe steps to reduce energy use during this time.”
Dan Woodfin, ERCOT’s senior director of system operations, said that about half of West Texas’ wind turbine capacity (25,000 megawatts) had “frozen” Sunday morning. In the past decade, wind power has been increasing to surpass coal generation, and in 2020, 23 percent of the energy supplied to the state’s grid will be wind power.
Woodfin said the organization expects to need to go into emergency action from Sunday night through Tuesday morning. The organization is asking consumers and businesses to use as little electricity as possible between Feb. 14 and Feb. 16.
According to the Texas Tribune, Woodfin said, “During this fairly unprecedented cold weather event statewide, electricity demand is expected to exceed the previous winter peak record we set in January 2018.” He said peak demand on Monday and Tuesday is currently forecast to meet or exceed our historic summer peak.
Woodfin noted that ERCOT can declare a Level 1, 2 or 3 Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) if electricity demand is close to reaching its maximum capacity. ERCOT is known to draw on power reserves while allowing power to be imported from other areas and asking transmission companies to provide additional power.
Temporary power outages typically last 10 to 45 minutes and would be the last option. Woodfin said the state could experience power outages on Monday and Tuesday.
According to a White House release, Biden’s emergency declaration will ensure protections are in place and provide direct federal assistance.
Texas Governor Abbott has warned people in the state to prepare for the historic winter storm, urging people to reduce energy consumption to conserve power, and has also issued the state’s Emergency Disaster Declaration (EDD).
“Every part of Texas will face freezing conditions in the coming days, and I urge all Texans to remain vigilant for the extreme severe weather that is coming.” Abbott said on Saturday.
In the release, ERCOT advised residents to set thermostats to 68 degrees Fahrenheit or lower if possible, close curtains and blinds to reduce heat loss through windows, turn off non-essential lights and unplug appliances, and avoid using large appliances such as ovens and washing machines.
“Preparations to protect Life and property should be completed as soon as possible,” the National Weather Service said Sunday in an alert for parts of southeast Texas, “Be prepared for power outages and have non-perishable Food and water on hand. Do not travel unless it is an emergency. If you must travel, keep an extra blanket, flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case you get stranded.”
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