Background
Dangerously low temperatures and extremely cold weather are seen for the first time ever in Texas. Millions of people are without electricity, travel is shut down, and hazardous ice and snow are expanding outside of Texas. Temperatures have hit below freezing in the entire state on Monday and snowfall has hit a record high in some cities. Residents are urged to stay inside as there are “impossible driving conditions and hundreds of vehicle accidents” on the road.
Living Conditions amid the Storms
Electric companies are forcing longer power outages due to these temperatures. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, says “Extreme weather conditions caused many generating units — across fuel types — to trip offline and become unavailable. About 30,000 megawatts of electricity generation have been lost due to the cold and snowy conditions… Every grid operator and every electric company is fighting to restore power right now.” In some homes, families are suffering from a loss of water also through frozen pipes.
But officials fear that people will resort to catastrophic methods to keep warm. As temperatures fall inside homes and there is no electricity, people may use their ovens to produce heat. However, this may cause fires and carbon monoxide issues. The misuse of generators may also cause carbon monoxide poisoning. On the other hand, hypothermia becomes a threat to individuals without electricity suffering from extreme cold.
The Effects
The weather has put a hold on the distribution of Covid-19 vaccinations in Texas. Shipments are delayed and clinics have canceled appointments until travel conditions are safe again.
Businesses are closing: “The largest oil refinery in the US in Port Arthur, Texas, is shutting down due to the freezing weather.” Agriculture is suffering an economic expense of about a billion dollars from the weather conditions.
But, the cold is not just apparent in Texas. These low temperatures are affecting about 30 states. Oklahoma City starts the day at -5 degrees only to reach a high temperature of 4 degrees. Kansas City records winds of -32 degrees. Houston and Galveston, even along beaches, have experienced thundersleet and snow, with “more lightning in the last hour than [during] most of the summer.”
Conclusion
Officials hope that weather conditions recover soon so schools can open back up, roads can become safe again, power can be restored, etc. But, the question stands, what caused these drastic weather changes? Some researches look at climate change. As the Arctic starts to melt even more, it could change weather patterns in the Northern Hemisphere. However, the research is still developing. Americans watch and hope that the chaos in Texas and surrounding states will resolve quickly.
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