Blackouts Cascade Beyond Texas in Deepening Power Crisis

[wunksta]

The seasons. Spring is the windiest in TX, followed by Fall, then Winter and Summer. In that order. The percentage is misleading. Spring in Texas is when the weather is mild and the electricity demand is low. So in Spring, wind power is a bigger percentage of the overall power supply.

The damage so far - over 1,000,000 homes with broken water lines.

Houston branch of Roto-Rooter Plumbing and Water Clean Up have 1,300 jobs on backlog and growing.

I think it's much bigger than people realize right now. Once the water is back on and flowing into pipes, the full extent of the damage will become apparent.

'The Insurance Council of Texas, a non-profit state insurance trade association, said the number of claims due to frozen and burst pipes will be "unlike any event the state has experienced."'

[Edge-]

'The Insurance Council of Texas, a non-profit state insurance trade association, said the number of claims due to frozen and burst pipes will be "unlike any event the state has experienced."'

Texas is gonna need some serious help, financially and otherwise, to get through the back-end of this. I hope the "secession" nonsense is finally well and truly dead as they realize that their not quite as independent as they thought they were.

And I genuinely hope they get it, millions of people shouldn't suffer just because some of them voted in incompetent leadership. It's gonna be a long rebuild, and I imagine folks who were still trying to rebuild after the hurricane are going through hell right now : (

[wunksta]

People are using their grills, cars and generators to heat their homes -- and carbon monoxide poisonings are spiking because of it. As of Tuesday, at least 300 cases and two fatalities related to carbon monoxide were reported in Harris County

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/18/us/ca...rnd/index.html

[Rasulis]

'The Insurance Council of Texas, a non-profit state insurance trade association, said the number of claims due to frozen and burst pipes will be "unlike any event the state has experienced."'

I can imagine. Assume $ 5,000 per home and we have 1,000,000 homes time 5,000 and we have $5 billion? I saw a video of an building with water gushing out of every balconies. That is going to be a lot more than $5,000.

[wunksta]

Texas is gonna need some serious help, financially and otherwise, to get through the back-end of this. I hope the "secession" nonsense is finally well and truly dead as they realize that their not quite as independent as they thought they were.

And I genuinely hope they get it, millions of people shouldn't suffer just because some of them voted in incompetent leadership. It's gonna be a long rebuild, and I imagine folks who were still trying to rebuild after the hurricane are going through hell right now : (

This is like a self-inflicted hurricane. It's entirely on Abbot and the PUC he appointed for allowing ERCOT to get away with this. And there's nothing that can really be done since Abbot can't be recalled.

- - - Updated - - -

I can imagine. Assume $ 5,000 per home and we have 1,000,000 homes time 5,000 and we have $5 billion? I saw a video of an building with water gushing out of every balconies. That is going to be a lot more than $5,000.

Some people are comparing it to Harvey, so around 125 billion in damages. I mean, there was over 2 million people without power, over 12 million without water. This is a disaster.

[Edge-]

This is like a self-inflicted hurricane. It's entirely on Abbot and the PUC he appointed for allowing ERCOT to get away with this. And there's nothing that can really be done since Abbot can't be recalled.

Yes, and I hope Texans realize this and vote the idiots that thought that an independent, unregulated energy grid that can deliver insanely cheap energy in ideal circumstance but falls apart against extreme weather ISN'T MAYBE A GREAT IDEA.

But that's the political aspect of this, right now the human tragedy takes precedent.

I dunno why, but I keep getting the feeling that the US is like, just the wealthiest and most powerful third world nation in the world.

[Vankrys]

Republicans : "We'll believe in climate change when Texas freeze over. "

[Edge-]

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-w...vernor-has-not

So...is the state government even doing anything? Sounds like the White House is calling folks at some of the bigger cities, but outside of Abbott blaming solar, wind, ERCOT, and anyone else he can, I haven't seen any significant movement from the state government? Or have I just missed it all?

[Draco-Onis]

Texas is gonna need some serious help, financially and otherwise, to get through the back-end of this. I hope the "secession" nonsense is finally well and truly dead as they realize that their not quite as independent as they thought they were.

And I genuinely hope they get it, millions of people shouldn't suffer just because some of them voted in incompetent leadership. It's gonna be a long rebuild, and I imagine folks who were still trying to rebuild after the hurricane are going through hell right now : (

If only there was a bill we can call it a stimulus package of 2 trillion dollars that someone from Texas not vacationing in Mexico could vote and support that has funding for states.

[Edge-]

If only there was a bill we can call it a stimulus package of 2 trillion dollars that someone from Texas not vacationing in Mexico could vote and support that has funding for states.

Amusingly, if there is a bill the same people routinely voting against aide for other states because "they should have prepared better" will be voting to receive tax dollars from taxpayers in those other states.

[Poopymonster]

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-w...vernor-has-not

So...is the state government even doing anything? Sounds like the White House is calling folks at some of the bigger cities, but outside of Abbott blaming solar, wind, ERCOT, and anyone else he can, I haven't seen any significant movement from the state government? Or have I just missed it all?

Abbottt is like a teenage boy seeing a naked woman for the first time. He knows he should DO SOMETHING, but he's so far out of his depth he does nothing.
I'm not excusing Abbott the dickhole, but there probably isn't a lot he is able to get done.
Almost no one. NO ONE knows what to do in this instance in any position of power in the local/state government. How many Texas EMTs, plumbers, cops etc know how to handle Cheektowaga weather? Not "I know not do stomp the breaks.", but real world experience dealing with it.
Shitloads of snow beastfucking an anorexic infrastructure? This is the same state the PRAYED for rain during a drought in the 2000s if I recall. Not sought physical help. Fucking prayed.
Ironically, few months later the prayer was answered with wildfires. But that's not the point.
Until they get some professionals who know how to unfuck this *chuckles in Yankee* they're probably a menace and will only make shit worse.
This is totally on him for letting it get this bad. Has he reached out to other knowledgeable people "Muh state dun frozed, stonks in shitter, how make liquid liberty go brrr through pipes?" Has he asserted Texas Independence and figured God will save him? He's sought socialist help but in what form? Money? Bitches? Engineers?

[Zan15]

If only there was a bill we can call it a stimulus package of 2 trillion dollars that someone from Texas not vacationing in Mexico could vote and support that has funding for states.

So think maybe blue states should remember Sandy?
Democrats were better people when they approved money for Harvey even after Sandy....

The representatives, and Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, all voted against a $50.5-billion relief package for victims of 2012’s Superstorm Sandy when it came before them in January 2013

But Cruz had no problem supporting funding for Harvey

[Zig Zug]

I was really talking about the people who don't have a say, but your point is well taken.

[Edge-]

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/18/u...rm-cancun.html

Text messages sent from Ms. Cruz to friends and Houston neighbors on Wednesday revealed a hastily planned trip. Their house was “FREEZING,” as Ms. Cruz put it — and she proposed a getaway until Sunday. Ms. Cruz invited others to join them at the Ritz-Carlton in Cancún, where they had stayed “many times,” noting the room price this week ($309 per night) and its good security. The text messages were provided to The New York Times and confirmed by a second person on the thread, who declined to be identified because of the private nature of the texts.

Yo, did Ted Cruz just use his preteen daughters for political cover because his wife just wanted to go party in the warm sun of Cancun while Texas freezes?

Because it like, sure seems like that.

- - - Updated - - -

https://twitter.com/timjhogan/status...49731004710913

And apparent receipts of some of the group text messages, with names/numbers blocked out (sans Heidi Cruz).

This is pretty "let them eat cake" to me.

[Crissi]

Abbottt is like a teenage boy seeing a naked woman for the first time. He knows he should DO SOMETHING, but he's so far out of his depth he does nothing.
I'm not excusing Abbott the dickhole, but there probably isn't a lot he is able to get done.
Almost no one. NO ONE knows what to do in this instance in any position of power in the local/state government. How many Texas EMTs, plumbers, cops etc know how to handle Cheektowaga weather? Not "I know not do stomp the breaks.", but real world experience dealing with it.
Shitloads of snow beastfucking an anorexic infrastructure? This is the same state the PRAYED for rain during a drought in the 2000s if I recall. Not sought physical help. Fucking prayed.
Ironically, few months later the prayer was answered with wildfires. But that's not the point.
Until they get some professionals who know how to unfuck this *chuckles in Yankee* they're probably a menace and will only make shit worse.
This is totally on him for letting it get this bad. Has he reached out to other knowledgeable people "Muh state dun frozed, stonks in shitter, how make liquid liberty go brrr through pipes?" Has he asserted Texas Independence and figured God will save him? He's sought socialist help but in what form? Money? Bitches? Engineers?

Well, Abbot had an entire report to read that was made after the 2011 snowpocalypse but noooo, neither he nor his predecessor Perry did shit to get winterization done. So of course hes not doing much. Not doing much is Republican's MO.

[Draco-Onis]

So think maybe blue states should remember Sandy?
Democrats were better people when they approved money for Harvey even after Sandy....

The representatives, and Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, all voted against a $50.5-billion relief package for victims of 2012’s Superstorm Sandy when it came before them in January 2013

But Cruz had no problem supporting funding for Harvey

Insurrectionist Ted Cruz keeps proving again and again why he is a shit human being.

[Dead Moose Fandango]

Maybe the money for the repairs and such should come out of Cruz and Abbot's salaries. Or their hides. Fuck those two and their traitorous, hypocritical asses.

[Rasulis]

Not related to power.

Over 800 water mains damaged throughout TX. TX pecan, grapefruit and citrus crops total wipeout. TX can't get a break right now.

[Rustedsaint]

Well atleast the various plumbing/construction business down there are gonna be having a great time.

[szechuan]

Greedy ERCOT giving Texans Higher Electricity Bills during a Crisis.



https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/16/busin...ank/index.html