Why is Texas is closed due to Winter?

Summary

Texas faced a devastating winter storm in early February 2023, leading to widespread power outages, infrastructure damage, and hazardous conditions due to a lack of preparedness and weatherization.

Abstract

The state of Texas experienced significant disruption from a winter storm that brought ice accumulation, causing branches to snap and damage infrastructure, including the electrical grid. The event, which occurred on February 1st, 2023, affected hundreds of thousands of residents, with many enduring power outages for extended periods. The author, Skye Howell, recounts personal experiences of the storm's impact in Manchaca, just outside Austin, including close calls with falling branches and the eerie beauty of the iced-over landscape. The article highlights the broader implications of such weather events, which have become more frequent, and the inadequate preparation of Texas's legislature to invest in weatherization and grid maintenance. The lack of weatherization has also led to numerous accidents and fatalities on the roads. The storm's aftermath has left communities, particularly those historically oppressed, facing long recovery periods. The article calls for collective action to address the challenges posed by increasingly common winter weather and provides a link for those interested in supporting recovery efforts.

Opinions

The author suggests that the Texas legislature has not prioritized investments in weatherization and grid maintenance, leaving the state vulnerable to severe weather events.
The frequency of significant winter weather events in Texas has increased, transitioning from a once-in-five-years occurrence to an annual event.
The author expresses a sense of luck for having power restored quickly and gratitude towards the line crews of the Pedernales Electric Company.
There is an implied critique of the state's infrastructure, particularly its electrical grid, which is not well-maintained or connected to the National grid.
The article conveys concern for vulnerable populations, including the elderly, those with medical conditions, and historically oppressed Black and Brown communities, which are disproportionately affected by the storm's consequences.
The author emphasizes the need for a collective response to the challenges of winter weather, indicating that such weather patterns are here to stay.

Why is Texas is closed due to Winter?

Please try again in March

When Winter gets Wintery – Texas isn’t prepared for dealing with it.

What used to be a once every 5-year weather event has now become an annual occurrence.

Our legislature had not prioritized the investments in the equipment to weatherize roads and our grid isn’t well maintained (or connected to the National grid for that matter – but that’s a whole other post).

The branch that hit our power line, Image by Author

We live just outside of Austin on a few acres, in the small town of Manchaca. On February 1st, 2023 we were jolted out of bed from the sounds of crashing, snapping, buzzing, and flashing followed by a loud crack and boom – right outside our window– and then suddenly no more lights.

The fallen branch that hit the roof, Image by Author

Another limb came crashing down from about 30 ft onto the roof — shaking the house and narrowly missing the window. When we walked toward the road we found another large branch covering the driveway.

So what happened? Why will this be one of the most devastating winter storms to date?

We got a total of about a 1/2 inch of ice accumulated on our trees causing branches across Texas to snap and break after a few months of drought.

With a more apt and witty description — a local meteorologist on CBS measured the weight of the ice in full-grown Corgis, a total of 274 for all you dog lovers.

Our dog loved eating the icicles and seems to think he is a husky rather than a short-haired collie terrier mix. We won’t tell him otherwise.

The scenery was mesmerizing as we walked the dog. The sounds of branches snapping and crashing were eerie.

Walking among the creek was especially exciting — a huge oak branch snapped just a few feet away from where we were walking, sounding like an avalanche when it broke. We went back inside pretty quickly after that.

Overall, though we have a lot of cleaning up to do, we are very lucky to have our power back on. Thank you to the Pedernales Electric Company line crews!

As of 2/2/2023, almost half a million Texans were experiencing power outages, many for longer than 24 hours. Some are elderly. Some cannot just replace what is lost in the freezer or pantry. Some rely on electricity for other medical conditions. Some will recover very quickly. Some are historically oppressed Black and Brown communities that will take months or years to recover.

Due to the lack of weatherization of roads, there have been millions of accidents, injuries, and deaths.

Our kids have been out of school for four days across Central and North Texas due to the dangerous conditions and damage to campuses.

In the near future, we will have to reckon with this collectively — because the Winter weather is here to stay. For now, click here to learn how to best help Texans recover from the storm.

Skye Howell (she/her) is an Organizational Consultant with Full Humanity, Equity Advocate, Curriculum Designer, and Storyteller. If you enjoyed this article and want to read more, please consider becoming a Medium member. Your membership fee directly supports Skye Howell (she/her) and other writers you read. You’ll also get full access to every story on Medium.