A rare winter storm slams the south, leaving millions in Texas without power on Monday as officials rush to respond to snow and low temperatures in states that typically have neither.
Much of the US – more than 150 million people in 25 states – faces a winter storm, winter weather, or ice storm warning, according to the National Weather Service and USA Today.
The storms and low temperatures are extending further south than usual, with single-digit temperatures recorded as far south as San Antonio, according to The Associated Press.
Southern states faced widespread power outages, with Texas seeing the most, with more than 2.8 million homes losing electricity when temperatures dropped, according to poweroutage.us.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) switched power outages Monday morning, cutting power to thousands of homes at once to keep up with high demand.
“Every grid operator and utility company is fighting to restore power right now,” Bill Magness, ERCOT’s president and CEO, said in a press release.
The weather disrupted 400,000 COVID-19 vaccine shipments expected in the state this week, delaying their arrival until at least Wednesday, the Texas Department of State Health Services told the AP.
Travel was also affected as officials warned drivers to stay off the road due to several weather-related accidents in at least Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Kentucky. More than 3,000 flights have been delayed, according to FlightAware, with more than 1,700 involved with Dallas-Fort Worth International and Bush Intercontinental Airports.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has issued a statewide disaster statement prior to the weekend in preparation for the weather event, and other states, including Oklahoma, had declared a state of emergency. The National Guard was activated to respond to the weather in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
President Biden
Joe Biden Winter storm fights South US Biden writes Valentine’s Day post to wife Biden plans to focus on coronavirus in first G7 meeting MORE approved an emergency disaster statement Sunday night for all 254 counties in Texas, allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to respond.