2.5 million without electricity in Texas as a blanket of snow and ice in the southern plains
More than four and a half million customers across America continue to suffer from power outages as a brutal winter storm that swept through much of the country to the northeast on Tuesday.
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An overwhelming proportion of those power outages have been seen in Texas, which remains under a federal declaration of emergency, with the state bearing the brunt of inclement weather and freezing temperatures.
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The storm, which has seen an estimated 200 million people put under some sort of weather alert, has brought extreme conditions to a number of states that are not acclimatized to harsh conditions.
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Twenty-five people are believed to have died in weather-related crashes since freezing temperatures gripped the country, including a stack in Fort Worth, Texas that has left six people dead.
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Seven cities in the central United States and the southern plains had their coldest mornings in decades, with morning troughs falling below zero in some hard-hit areas.
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Parts of the Chicago area have also been covered in up to a foot and a half of snow, forcing schools to close as officials urged residents to stay away from snow-covered roads.
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Elsewhere, residents of Brunswick County, North Carolina, are still reeling from a tornado that struck overnight, killing at least three people and injuring many more.
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Hello and welcome toThe independent continued coverage of snowstorms currently hitting much of the United States.
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Louise roomFebruary 16, 2021 12:10
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Four million customers still without electricity in Texas
More than four and a half million customers across the United States continue to be without power as of Tuesday morning as harsh weather conditions continue to sweep through large parts of the country.
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More than four million of those blackouts are in Texas, which remains under a winter storm warning after record lows in the state on Monday.
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“For those who have lost power, I know you are frustrated, I know you are miserable, I know you are uncomfortable,” said Lina Hidalgo, Harris County’s top public officer on Monday. , in Texas.
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The official added that “things are likely to get worse before they get better” before difficult conditions ease in the state in the coming days.
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Louise roomFebruary 16, 2021 12:26 PM
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Wind turbines freeze in Texas amid ‘unprecedented’ storm
Frozen wind turbines have taken nearly half of Texas’ wind generation capacity offline amid an “unprecedented storm”.
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Texas wind farms typically generate a total of 25,100 megawatts of power, but by Sunday the 12,000-megawatt turbines had iced up.
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Louise roomFebruary 16, 2021 12:31
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Frigid weather sparks oil prices soar as storm pushes demand
Frigid weather in parts of the United States has caused energy prices to soar as the winter storm pushes demand and poses risks to production, according to a report.
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West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 62 cents, or 1%, to $ 60.09 a barrel on Monday, while Brent, the international benchmark, climbed 1.4% to 63, CNBC said. , $ 33.
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“The winter storm and the blast of arctic cold heading south to Houston could have serious repercussions on the oil industry,” oil analyst Andy Lipow wrote over the weekend.
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“The freezing weather means that many oil wells can be closed. Water is produced with petroleum, this water can freeze equipment, ”he added. “Cold air affects oil production in Canada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas and elsewhere.”
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Louise roomFebruary 16, 2021 12:49 PM
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Harsh weather makes ‘the straight line’ for eastern Canada as new storm breaks out in southern plains
However, the agency warned that it won’t be until bad weather causes heavy snowfall and freezing rain in parts of the eastern Great Lakes and New England.
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“Several additional inches of snow are possible in eastern Great Lakes and northern New England, while ice totals of up to a quarter of an inch are possible in central New England,” said the NWS.
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Showers and thunderstorms can be expected over southern Florida where marginal risks of severe weather and flash flooding are in place.
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Elsewhere, the service noted that a new winter storm emerging in the southern plains on Tuesday will move towards the south-central on Wednesday.
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Snow accumulations of more than six inches are expected in Oklahoma which will become “the epicenter of the heaviest accumulations until Tuesday evening” before snow accumulations of more than 6 inches spread into Arkansas on Wednesday .
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Louise roomFebruary 16, 2021 1:11 PM
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Electrical sparks cross power lines after transformer blow in Louisiana
Massive electrical sparks were recorded flying through power lines in Louisiana following a reported transformer blow as brutal weather conditions swept through the state on Monday.
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The state governor urged residents to “stay off the roads, safely heat your homes, and heed the warnings from your local news and officials.”
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Louise roomFebruary 16, 2021 1:27 PM
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At least 15 people have died in weather accidents over the past week
At least 15 people are believed to have died in weather-related accidents since freezing temperatures gripped the country last week, CNN reported.
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In Texas alone, nine people died Thursday in a series of crashes statewide, the broadcaster said. Six people died in a massive crash across Interstate 35 in Fort Worth.
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According to the broadcaster, one person died in Oklahoma on Sunday, while three people were killed in Kentucky, including two in separate traffic accidents on Monday.
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Authorities in Tennessee attributed two deaths Monday to the storm, but have not released any details of the deaths, according to the reports.
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Louisianna reported her first winter storm-related death on Monday after a 50-year-old man died after slipping on the ice and hitting his head on the ground.
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Los Angeles State Police have warned that soldiers have investigated more than 75 weather-related accidents and have asked people to stay off the roads.
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Louise roomFebruary 16, 2021 1:58 PM
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Twenty-five people killed in weather-related deaths, report says
According to the broadcaster, most of the deaths have been reported in Texas, which is still under a federal declaration of emergency as more than four million customers in the state suffer from power outages.
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The Associated Press reports that law enforcement reported two men were found dead along roadsides in the Houston area, which was particularly affected by the cold.
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An adult and a child also died of carbon monoxide poisoning after a car was used to generate energy for heating, Houston police said.
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Louise roomFebruary 16, 2021 2:28 PM
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Winter storm and power outages upset US vaccination plan against Covid
The coronavirus vaccination rollout in the country is disrupted by winter storm Uri as clinics are forced to close and vaccine deliveries are blocked.
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Vaccine appointments in some of the worst-hit states, including Kentucky, Texas and Alabama, have been canceled or postponed as officials brace for more snowfall.
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Amid Monday’s storm and power outages, health officials in Harris County, Texas rushed to administer 5,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine before it expired.
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Louise roomFebruary 16, 2021 2:37 PM
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The agency noted that most of the record high temperatures would occur in the south-central United States “where daily anomalies vary between 35 and 45 degrees below normal.”
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In a social media post, the service said, “It’s so cold in the central United States that even our satellite images contain ice cubes!” Before warning Americans to stay warm.
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The wind chill warnings and advisories cover a “vast area” from the Canada-US border to the US-Mexico border on Tuesday.
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Louise roomFebruary 16, 2021 2:52 PM
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