Texas power grid strains under pressure from icy storm sweeping the US with multiple flashes seen
For the second consecutive year, it appears an snowstorm, with ice and sleet all over, is going to put a strain on the Texas power grid as more than 40 million people have been warned to brace themselves for ice and wind chills.
At least 260,000 customers are already without power in the state, according to PowerOutage.us, with the number expected to climb even higher.
Bands of sleet and snow that brought traffic to a standstill across the nation’s midsection, canceled thousands of flights and were blamed for six deaths caused dangerous conditions for a third day Wednesday in several Southern states.
In Austin, video showed transformer explosions overnight, which have led 120,000 Austin Energy customers without power as of Wednesday morning.
Members of the Carnales Off Road Jeep club work to pull a semi-truck up an ice-covered hill on westbound I-20 near Loop 408 in Dallas Tuesday
Emergency responders rushed to hundreds of auto collisions across Texas on Tuesday and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott urged people not to drive.
Airlines canceled over 1,800 flights in the United States on Wednesday, after an ice storm hit states from Texas to West Virginia.
A total of 1,897 flights within, into or out of the United States were canceled, while 750 flights were delayed as of 8.41 a.m. ET, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.
‘This week’s winter storm is having an impact on our operations, accounting for a significant number of cancelations,’ American Airlines Group Inc said in a statement, adding that it proactively canceled flights and notified passengers.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday warned in a tweet that travelers could expect to see some snowy conditions in certain areas including Dallas, Fort Worth and Memphis, which could delay certain flights.
‘The ongoing winter storm will continue to bring hazardous impacts to North and Central Texas through at least early Thursday morning,’ The U.S. National Weather Service said in its Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area forecast discussion.
Fort Worth, Texas-based American led the cancellations with nearly 800 flights, while low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines Co followed with cancelling 501 flights.
In Austin, video showed transformer explosions overnight, which have led 120,000 Austin Energy customers without power as of Wednesday morning
More than 40 million people from Texas and Oklahoma to Kentucky and West Virginia have been warned of ice and wind chills of 50 degrees below zero
A vehicle rests on a barricade as the driver lost control and slid off Highway 6 on in Waco, Texas
Freezing rain was predicted by the National Weather Service, affecting a range of states from Texas through to West Virginia
‘The power grid itself is functioning very effectively as we speak right now,’ Abbott said on Tuesday
The latest cancellations come nearly a month after Southwest faced U.S. government backlash for canceling 16,700 flights over the holidays, as bad weather overwhelmed its crew scheduling system.
The Dallas Independent School District, with about 145,000 students, also canceled classes Wednesday.
At least six people died on slick Texas roads since Monday, including a triple fatality crash Tuesday near Brownfield, about 40 miles southwest of Lubbock, and two law officers in the state were seriously injured, authorities said.
In Arkansas, Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency Tuesday because of icy conditions. Her declaration cited the ‘likelihood of numerous downed power lines’ and said road conditions have created a backlog of deliveries by commercial drivers.
On Monday night Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced he had allocated state resources to helping Texans deal with the extreme conditions.
An icy mix covers the High Five Interchange at US 75 and I-635 on Tuesday
Bystanders and Dallas Fire Rescue personnel push a vehicle as an icy mix covers the High Five Interchange at US 75 and I-635
A man walks a dog at Lake Cliff Park on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, in Dallas
Claire Laviolette, left, 19, Jojo Kisser, center, 8, and Jaycee Kisser, 8, catch some air while sledding at Flag Pole Hill in Dallas
Drivers slowly navigate through icy road conditions on LBJ 635 Freeway
‘The State of Texas is working tirelessly to ensure Texans and their communities have the resources, assistance, and support needed to respond to winter weather impacts across the state,’ said Abbott.
The weather service said the ice would lead to ‘treacherous’ travel conditions, as well as tree damage and power outages in the hardest-hit regions.
In February 2021 Texas experienced an intense winter storm that caused a power outage and widespread blackouts. Months later the state announced that its official death toll from the storm was at least 246. Causes of death ranged between carbon monoxide poisoning and hypothermia.
However, Abbott said on Tuesday that in spite of those outages in 2021 the Texas power grid is working as intended and no problems are expected.
‘The power grid itself is functioning very effectively as we speak right now,’ Abbott said. ‘And there is not anticipated to be any challenge to the power grid in the state of Texas.’
Watches and warnings stretched from Texas to West Virginia. Several rounds of mixed precipitation, including freezing rain and sleet, were in store for many areas throughout the day, meaning some regions could be hit multiple times, forecasters said.