Photo courtesy of Unsplash.
One of Texas’s main personality traits is its lack of varied weather. The Lonestar State’s weather consists of very long droughts and brief, devastating hurricanes. Having lived in Texas for 18 years, I only saw skimpy snow on a few rare occasions. This “snow” was more akin to a wintery mix of sleet and would conveniently melt as soon as it touched the ground. Texas is not built for inclement winter storms, because history has taught it not to be. Last week, a severe winter storm hit Texas and most of the South, and no one was prepared for its tumultuous and long lasting effects.
A few days before the storm hit, the temperatures dropped. The roads froze, another event unfrequented in Texas. Because Texas doesn’t salt its roads, and drivers are unaware of the need for salt, there were many multi-car pile ups. One in Fort Worth involved over 120 vehicles. This was just the prelude to a long week for Texans. In the middle of last week, the snow began to fall. My Instagram feed was instantly flooded with my friends and family member’s fun snow days. College kids used anything and everything to sled, primarily being pulled by very big trucks (how very Texas of them). Little kids found excitement in the white flurrying substance that they only ever saw on vacations to Colorado. At first, the snow was refreshing and a fun break from the marathon of 2020.
Then came the power outages and rolling blackouts. Another “unprecedented” event, Texans got their finger pointers ready and searched for the culprit responsible for their freezing, dark homes. Conservatives immediately started posting news threads blaming sustainable energy for their lack of power. Historically against wind turbines due to personal ties to gas and oil companies, Rupert Murdoch is partially the puppeteer behind this “fake news.” He adamantly denies climate change and pushes for fossil fuels. Influenced by Murdoch and their own political agenda, Fox News and other sources attacked the “frozen” wind turbines in West Texas, and how they had drastically failed the state. This erroneous news spread quickly across social media platforms. Although the wind turbines were exposed to the harsh elements of the storm, they weren’t entirely to blame. Placed in the Texas desert, the plants are exposed to all the elements. Wind turbines can be equipped to deal with freezing temperatures using heated blades, but it made no economic sense to implement these devices in Texas. Professor Sovacool of the University of Sussex, says, “Operators in Texas didn’t invest in the usual weatherization or ice protection techniques because generally they didn’t expect it to become so cold.” This erroneous news, that sustainable energy was the sole offender, spread quickly across social media platforms.
Eventually, the truth was uncovered: ERCOT, Texas’s exclusive source for power, was to blame. Texas is unique in the fact that it hosts its own power grid. The rest of the United States is divided between two highly connected grids: the Eastern Interconnection and Western Interconnection. By not being part of the continental power grids, Texas avoids regulation with interstate electricity trading. Texas’s “independence” allows them to evade federal regulations and skimp on routine maintenance—ultimately causing their downfall. When temperatures dropped, Texans cranked up their heaters and other electrical appliances. Wind, coal, and natural gas generation all plummeted the first night of the winter storm. It was simple supply and demand: Texas’s power plant couldn’t keep up with the state’s large demand for heat and energy.
People became desperate and found other ways to be warm. Desperately, people used barbeque pits, charcoal grills, and campfire stoves. In extreme cases, portable generators and running cars were used to spark warmth. All of these appliances release carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas that inflicts brain damage or death in minutes. Over 300 cases of carbon monoxide poisonings took place in Houston alone.
Millions of people were left with no heat, power, and eventually no running water. Austin and other cities diverted to a “boil water notice;” irony was found in this, as there was neither flame nor water for the chemistry of boiling. Grocery stores and gas stations quickly sold out of water and food, reminding people of the toilet paper shortage a year prior. My friends described it as apocalyptic: no water, power, and empty grocery stores and streets.
Texas college students found their long lost spring break in this wintery natural disaster. Most state schools cancelled classes for the entire week, due to unsafe driving conditions and power outages. It was all fun and games until burst water pipes flooded dorms and college dining options were closed. A friend of mine posted on her story, asking if anyone had food, because there was nowhere to eat. People filled up bathtubs, pots, pans, anything with circumference and depth, as water became scarce.
The power outages became controversial in themselves, especially in Austin, Texas. Downtown Austin, a predominantly wealthy area, held power almost throughout the entire storm; while East Austin, a historically impoverished area, was left to their own poorly charged devices in multiple blackouts. Is there something to be said here? Those who could afford to have their basic needs met were served, while those in need suffered for days?
Needless to say, this storm weathered this state in more ways than one. Lives were lost to housefires, carbon monoxide poisoning, and hypothermia. It was a grim week in Texas, but their populations’ resilience has already begun to shine. Restaurants have been feeding communities, power and water has been restored to a large portion of the state, and college kids have returned from their “impromptu spring break.” The week was difficult for many—including myself. I have been privileged and fortunate enough to never worry if I or my family would be without heat or water, but I learned that fear recently. For many Texans, this snow-pocalypse will not be soon forgotten. They will also not forget how their government, state, and leaders left them cold and alone in the dark.
Whether we like it or not, the climate is changing. There is a desperate need for leadership to “winterize” the power plants and ensure this devastation isn’t repeated.
