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I want to hear your stories (those of you who don't mind disclosing your approximate locations: don't dox yourselves). Is the media blowing winter storm nonsense up our asses or are there really millions of people on the brink of an icy death?

I want to hear your stories (those of you who don't mind disclosing your approximate locations: don't dox yourselves). Is the media blowing winter storm nonsense up our asses or are there really millions of people on the brink of an icy death?

(post is archived)

[–] 11 pts

Well considering no one from Texas has commented. I would say it is

[–] 0 pt

Maybe they don't want to dox themselves on the state they live in. OP should have posted in if he wanted Texans' responses.

[–] 0 pt

Way to over react on a sarcastic reply.

[–] 9 pts

From what I've seen:

  • small % - never lost power. (Shared a substation with a hospital or other emergency center.)
  • large % - had power 75% of the time Monday - Wednesday. Lots of people being cycled 2 hrs on, 30 minutes off, etc. (>4 million people were in this category.)
  • small % - lost power 98-100% of the time Monday - Wednesday.

We were in the % that lost power completely for 3 days, but because we aren't idiots and we are rural - we flipped a few switches and took our whole property off the grid.

There will be 100,000 homes with some level of water damage from broken pipes just because they don't build houses in Texas for heavy freezes.

All that to say: The media LOVES to make Texas look bad because Texas is conservative. So, take everything you hear with a grain of salt.

[–] 2 pts

I'm one of those without power for going on 72 hours now. I've buried things from the refrigerator in the snow at this point. Had to deal with outside pipes freezing, and now the water is unsafe to drink without boiling.

Some people I know don't even have water or gas (hot water, stove to heat water). Others I know have had power the whole time.

I haven't tried to start cars yet, don't want to waste battery. Apparently stores have long lines and are cleaned out.

This has been difficult, mostly because there's no warm place to recharge and relax, other than a hot shower and in bed.

[–] 0 pt

Thanks. Sorry to hear that, but I'm glad you have a generator.

[–] 8 pts (edited )

Central Texan chiming in. We have entire cities and towns down here that do not have any water. Not, "boil your water before use"...(we have those, too). No. Water. Millions across the state still without power into the foreseeable future. Heads need to roll. ERCOT heads, specifically. None of this had to happen the way it's happening. Failure to require power providers to maintain a modicum of sound infrastructure. Failure to winterize the grid. Failure to accept responsibility. Fucking Failure after Failure after Failure.

Every weather forecast has been wrong. The frozen precip and cold just keep on comin'.

Texas has our own grid and is the single largest producer of energy of all 50 states and we can't keep the goddamn lights on? And Fuckwits are trying to blame frozen wind turbines in Big Springs and Sweetwater for this? There are functioning wind farms in Antarctica, so go fuck yourself with the "it's too cold" horseshit. I would hope that with The State Lege being currently in session that substantive changes will be made. But I doubt it. Time will tell.

Not to worry. The Texas Public Utility Commission had an emergency meeting night before last and arrived at the conclusion that energy costs need to reflect current demand so power providers are to jack up their prices forthwith.

Shady election, an inability to maintain the most basic architecture and infrastructure of a functioning civil society and government sanctioned price gouging.

These things should disabuse anyone still suffering under the delusion that the Political Class gives a solitary fuck about the citizenry of continuing to harbor such antiquated and quaint notions.

Move over, Third World. Big Dog's movin' in.

[–] 1 pt

Damn, so it's worse than the media is letting on. I haven't read a single source saying some people had no water.

[–] 3 pts

I haven't had water all day. We have reserves so we're ok, but nothing is coming out of the pipes. I'm semirural pineywoods

[–] 2 pts

hope your situation gets better soon.

[+] [deleted] 3 pts
[–] 3 pts

The entire city of Abilene is without water. Whole swaths of areas of Houston and Burbs in Austin have no water. I got out and about yesterday just to see what I could see. Grocery stores operating under reduced hours and denuded stocks with lines of folks wrapped around the building like a Bulgarian Bread Line circa '72. The thin veneer of civilization has frozen and cracked like an uninsulated water main. More frozen storms headed in tonight and tomorrow.

[–] 1 pt

Wow, that really, really sucks.

[–] 1 pt

This has really given me some experience to draw on to be prepared better in the future. I don't know how bad this will get. There's no indication it won't last another week, or weeks.

[–] 3 pts

Dad has a friend in Austin and they didn't/don't have water either.

Texas doesn't entirely have it's own grid either. I'm from ND and they're taking towns off line here so Texas can have power. It's only -6 here so I can see why Texas needs it more thou.

[–] 0 pt

Damn are you serious? If i had my power off for a Texan, I'd be pissed.

[–] 0 pt

we had scheduled rolling blackouts here too... total bullshit, but at least we still have water, and the power came on after a couple hours

[–] 7 pts

It's Biden's fault.

[–] [deleted] 5 pts

Yeah it's pretty bad. I've kept power I'm thinking only because of my vicinity to a hospital or firehouse. Everyone I've talked to has had no power for an extended period of time or has been dealing with rolling blackouts. Some got power back on for an hour or 2 after being out for over 24 hours then lost it again for another 12 or so. Pipes breaking everywhere. My neighborhood streets are basically a solid sheet of ice. I hear the main roads aren't quite as bad from people who have been out and about. Grocery stores were open for a limited time and literally had lines wrapped around the store.

[–] 0 pt

Damn. People saw that storm and didn't stock up, huh?

[–] [deleted] 2 pts

Are you surprised? I've seen people asking for firewood, water, food and baby formula. Admittedly I'm not 100% prepared but at least had the common sense to get some extra food and water last week and will be ok until things warm back up.

People have let food rot in their fridge instead of just putting it outside. People don't know where their water shut-off for their house is. People have had absolutely no idea how prepare their home for the cold or what to do if something goes awry. Literal NPCs coasting through life that can't function if their life doesn't go according to plan.

[–] 1 pt

People have let food rot in their fridge instead of just putting it outside.

What the fuck...

>Literal NPCs coasting through life that can't function if their life doesn't go according to plan.

Yeah, that does describe a large fraction of people.

[+] [deleted] 1 pt
[–] 3 pts

it is pretty bad. No power whatsoever on Monday, power is come and go Tuesday, no anticipated time for when everything will be back to normal. most stores and restaurants closed, the few that are open have huge lines, grocery store shelves are empty. It also varies. some places are more affected than others. Some people have no service disruption, some people have had nothing since Monday, some people have gas, some don't. It's definitely far worse than the past few hurricanes that have hit Texas. The weather was bad on Monday, Tuesday not as cold, it's supposed to start getting warmer. The power loss is out of proportion to the weather situation. As some posts mentioned on poal, the major energy suppliers are trying to push out the competition by bankrupting the small retail providers that have to provide energy to consumers at contract rates. In the end, we won't have dozens of retailers to choose from, the major suppliers are forming a cartel to fix the price of energy

[–] 0 pt

Energy cartel; what could possibly go wrong?

[–] 1 pt

Why are there rolling blackouts? Have power plants gone offline or been cut off from the grid?

[–] 1 pt

(((green))) energy can't even into nature

[–] 0 pt

From what i've read TX uses a lot of wind power and the turbines are frozen shut. Then the storm also shut down coal and natural gas plants. Power lines are down to compound the issue and they probably just don't have enough infrastructure to deal with it.... but you should really ask a Texan, as that's just what I've read.

[–] 1 pt

The local stand-a-lone Emergency Rooms have closed due to no water. Closet ER is 30 miles, they are having the local fire dept bring in water tankers and pumps to keep the hospital open.

5 pm Houston news reports that 2 million people without power and advise those with running water to boil it first. Hard to do with no power. And how are they getting the notices out to people with now power for TV? Another front is coming, so some areas may be without power until Sat/Sun/Mon?

[–] 1 pt

Damn that sounds grim. Lots of people from Houston here. I'm not very familiar with the city, but Colin Flaherty says you have a hell of a nigger problem. I imagine it's localized like in most cities.

[–] 1 pt

My co worker in San Antonio has been out of power and water since Monday.

[–] 0 pt

AND water? Shit.

[–] 1 pt

They probably have enough shit...

[–] 1 pt

There's burst water pipes all over the place. Personally know about 30 people with no water, rolling blackouts suck but not too bad to deal with if you have a generator.

[–] 0 pt

Damn. Hope you have both.

[–] 1 pt

I have a busted water pipe, but no flooding so it could be worse, overall it's not too bad, but thats my experience.

[+] [deleted] 1 pt
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