Texas catastrophe from their own voices

The lady with the disabled husband had me in tears. I really hope their power comes back soon!
 
Thankfully it looks like the government gave the okay for FEMA to head in today. Nearly a week after it happened.
 
The first time I went to Texas was 09 December 1980, the day after John Lennon was killed. When we took off from Toronto, it was 36°F outside. When we landed in Fort Worth, it was 43°F outside. When I asked one of the project people (we were visiting General Dynamics on Carswell AFB) about how we could fly south 1100 miles and get almost the same weather, he said, "There's nothing between Fort Worth and the North Pole but a barbwire fence." Still, I liked what I saw of Texas winters - the morning starts off a few degrees above freezing but by the afternoon, it was in the mid 60's F.

Some egregious mistakes were made in Texas. Its power grid is completely independent - it is not connected to any other grid. Here in Ontario, if we have a shortfall, we can buy power from Hydro Quebec or Manitoba or New York. Texas can't do that.

A lot of Texas power comes from wind turbines and they can be optioned to work in any climate. Texas didn't buy the gearbox heater option or the rotor blade de-icing options and you can't turn a rotor if there are unbalanced ice loads or the vibration would tear the bearings right out of the gearbox.

Since power is off to a lot of houses, water pipes have frozen and once the thaw comes, there will be a huge mess of burst pipes to clean up.

There have been a number of fatalities from carbon monoxide poisoning due to people trying to get fireplaces working or run generators inside the house.
 
It might be in sensitive to joke about it but... wonder how all of those Californias that moved to Texas are feeling right about now?
 
Have friend who moved to Austin for school. Weird to think of Texas with bunch of snow! They're just happy to have power back.
 
I live in the Houston, TX area.
We were without power from 6:30pm Monday through Wednesday at 2pm. Fortunately, we have a gas fireplace and gas cooktop in the kitchen.
We had no running water until yesterday but now have 6 leaks from burst pipes in the ceiling. Plumbing supplies are scarce as everyone with leaks, need the same pieces. We have ordered from out of state and hope it arrives Saturday.
Also, still waiting for our plumber to add us to his long list of appointments.
Remiscent of the Harvey storm aftermath in 2017.
I asked myself “What would Buffy do? but then remembered she flooded her basement🤣
 
HowiMetdaSlayer
HowiMetdaSlayer
good luck!!
Taake
Taake
Hoping it goes well!
I never realised Texas was as far south as it was, I always thought it was in the middle of the states, not bordering Mexico. Does it normally get snow?
 
DeadlyDuo said:
I never realised Texas was as far south as it was, I always thought it was in the middle of the states, not bordering Mexico. Does it normally get snow?
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Not as much as this, it does snow there, but it's usually a lot less and not often. Unlike the more northern states, they don't have the same preparations for it. Kinda like the UK really!
 
nightshade said:
Not as much as this, it does snow there, but it's usually a lot less and not often. Unlike the more northern states, they don't have the same preparations for it. Kinda like the UK really!
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Until the beast of the east 3 years ago, we hadn't had a decent level of snow for about 20 years. Scotland gets it all the time, but down south we hardly see any.
 
DeadlyDuo said:
Until the beast of the east 3 years ago, we hadn't had a decent level of snow for about 20 years. Scotland gets it all the time, but down south we hardly see any.
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I'm in the South, but the little we do get we are not prepared for.
 
DeadlyDuo said:
I never realised Texas was as far south as it was, I always thought it was in the middle of the states, not bordering Mexico. Does it normally get snow?
Click to expand...
No, snow is rare in the Houston area, and when it does snow it never lasts more than a day. I think the last time was 2008?
 
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