3.8M homes without power after frigid winter storm roils Texas

Numerous Texas cities reported subzero temperatures on Monday morning, including minus 10 in Amarillo, minus 9 in Dalhart, minus 5 in Farwell, and minus 4 in Childress. Temperatures below zero have also been observed in Wichita Falls and San Angelo, and the warmest weather in the state was in Brownsville, with 24 degrees.

“Every part of the state will face freezing conditions over the coming days, and I urge all Texans to remain vigilant against the extremely harsh weather that is coming,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement on Saturday. “Stay off the roads, take conscious steps to conserve energy, and avoid dangerous practices like bringing generators indoors or heating homes with ovens or stovetops. Our emergency response to this winter weather requires a collective approach between state agencies, local officials, and Texans throughout our communities to ensure the safety and security of the Lone Star State.”

Power providers have urged residents to keep their thermostats at 68 degrees or lower, turn off lights and other unneeded electric sources, avoid oven use, and close blinds to reduce heat loss.

The city of Austin announced Monday morning that its 311 system and website were both offline.

“Due to power outages and technical issues, the City’s website and Austin 3-1-1 call lines are down,” the government body wrote. “We are working to get these issues fixed as quickly as possible. Please monitor the news and City social media channels for more information.”

The Washington Examiner verified the outages shortly before noon EST.

Texans, many of whom have been without power for hours, have been largely left in the dark about when they can resume heating their homes.

“There is no definitive answer as to WHEN you will get power again,” KUT journalist Claire McInerney tweeted, citing a call with ERCOT authorities. “If it is a planned or unplanned outage, it might be off for a while.”

The outages, coupled with frigid temperatures, have also increased the possibility of “carbon monoxide poisoning” from complications with ovens, stovetops, and generators. Abbott activated 34 warming centers throughout the state and deployed approximately 3,000 National Guard troops to mitigate damage.

On Sunday, the White House approved a Federal Emergency Declaration for all 254 counties in the state.

“I thank President Biden for quickly issuing a Federal Emergency Declaration for Texas as we continue to respond to severe winter weather conditions throughout the state,” Abbott said. “This disaster declaration provides Texas with additional resources and assistance that will help our communities respond to this winter weather.”

On Monday morning, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport canceled all arriving and departing flights due to 6-inch snow accumulation in some areas. On Sunday, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport nixed upward of 700 flights, and Southwest Airlines terminated 85% of its flights scheduled to Austin.

The winter weather has caused road hazards throughout Texas and neighboring Oklahoma.

On Sunday, a large collision on an icy Oklahoma highway sent multiple people to the hospital. The crash, which involved tractor-trailers, saw some vehicles on fire as emergency personnel, including the National Guard, responded to the scene.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Washington Examiner.

On the same day, 15 cars, including three semitrucks, collided on Interstate 10 between El Paso and Fort Davis in Texas. No deaths were reported at the time.

The crash follows a 133-vehicle pileup in Fort Worth last week in which six people died and 65 people were injured, some of whom were trapped in their cars.