Over recent weeks, Texas has undergone harsh, sub-zero conditions with widespread energy outages causing many residents to go without electricity and supplies for days.
“power plants and water facilities were ill-equipped to handle the harsh wintery conditions”
More than 70 deaths have been linked to the intensely damaging storm which swept through much of the US and hit Texas hard, causing a power outage for more than 4 million Texans at its peak. Accuweather described the torrential conditions as “one of the stormiest weather patterns in decades”.
Due to the nature of Texas’ constitutional structure and its desire to maintain autonomy over its local services, the state is unique from the rest of the country in that it has its own power grid; an energy supply that was ineffective in withstanding the harsh effects of the storm. Texas’ abundance of power plants and water facilities were ill-equipped to handle the harsh wintery conditions, rarely experiencing sub-zero temperatures on this scale before.
“At its peak, 71% of the US was covered by snow”
Scientists argue that the irregular weather patterns are a direct consequence of climate change with heating in the Arctic correlating to more unpredictable conditions elsewhere. “This can’t be hand-waved away as if it’s entirely natural. This is happening not in spite of climate change, it’s in part due to climate change”, said Judith Cohen, the director of seasonal forecasting at Atmospheric and Environmental research. She indicates that there is therefore a correlation between Arctic heat and vastly colder temperatures in the south. There is still yet to be consensus on this issue from scientists however, with more research on this topic currently being undertaken.
At its peak, 71% of the US was covered by snow, with historically low temperatures dominating the country for days on end.
“No power, no heat, no water. I have four young children. How is this happening right now?”, one Texas resident wrote on Twitter.
In their desperation, thousands of families drove in search of food, with many roads either blocked off or stores closed. Some families even resorted to using parts of their own furniture as fuel to form a fire.
The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, one of the worst localities in Texas to be affected by the storm, is home to over seven million people and many remain in a tricky situation, without access to the necessary supplies. Whilst power outages have dropped significantly, many residents are still struggling because of water shortages as a result of damaged pipes, with the problems the state is facing yet to be fixed. In the city of Houston alone, Houston Public Works received 4,900 calls last week regarding burst pipes across the city.
Until the situation is fully resolved, those living in major cities in Texas, almost half of the state’s 29 million people, have been ordered to boil their water. A mass distribution of water bottles for those who are unable to do this has also begun so that residents aren’t without supplies.
Meanwhile, Texas Senator Ted Cruz jetted off on a Cancun getaway with his family, arguing he did what any other father would do in the same position. On the 17th February, Mr Cruz fled Houston in a hastily planned trip to Cancun, in an attempt to escape the ‘freezing’ conditions. Most attacked the decision, arguing it was selfish and misjudged given the severity of the situation. Mr Sullivan, an Austin-based Republican strategist who served as chief of staff to former Texas governor Rick Perry, criticised Cruz’s decision, arguing “people expect their elected officials to be fully engaged during a crisis”. The next day, however, Cruz swiftly returned to the US to appear in the Texas Senate, stating that his trip was “obviously a mistake” and that he has a strong responsibility to fight for the state of Texas.
“It just got worse and worse every time he opened his mouth”@maitlis, @BBCJonSopel and @awzurcher explain how Ted Cruz found himself at the centre of a political storm
🎧 Listen to #Americast on @BBCSounds https://t.co/FYAzqiBep8 pic.twitter.com/R27rj8Je88
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 20, 2021
President Joe Biden visited Harris County Emergency Operations Centre in Houston, Texas on Friday to monitor recovery operations in the state. Biden thanked emergency workers, recognising “it’s a hell of an operation”. “You are saving people’s lives”, he added. The President was joined by Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a politician who has been criticized by several Democrats for his poor response to the storm.
Whilst the situation has vastly improved, millions of Texans continue to face food shortages and tremendously inflated energy bills as a result of the storm disruption. Many Texans are angry that they have ended up in this situation and feel it could have been prevented. Over the next few weeks, there will likely be a push to find accountability for the handling of Texas’ energy supply.
“it will be interesting to see how intact it remains after the incoming political storm.”
Republicans have argued that this storm was unpredictable and out of their control – a natural consequence of unpredictable weather patterns. Many will even aim to set the blame on President Biden and his predecessor, Barack Obama, for not investing in enough state resources for Texas.
On the flipside, however, critics of Republican leadership argue that the selfish nature of their fuel omissions of recent years has brought about a climate crisis which could have been averted. They also argue that the response from local officials in charge of state services was insufficient, not doing enough to support residents’ needs in a time of crisis.
Whilst Texas may currently be recovering from the effects of a meteorological storm, it will be interesting to see how intact it remains after the incoming political storm.
Lauren McGaun
Featured image courtesy of Patti Gilliam via Flickr. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.