As a major winter storm swept across large parts of the country, President Joe Biden on Sunday approved a proclamation on emergency disasters in Texas.
The statement recommends federal aid to supplement state and local storm response efforts, according to a White House statement.
“The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts aimed at alleviating the distress and distress caused by the local population and to provide appropriate assistance to “requires emergency measures, under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and protect property and public health and safety, and to reduce or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all 254 Texas counties,” the statement of the White House.
As of 9:30 p.m., Texas has more than 140,000 customers without power, and government officials have warned the number could rise.
Texas has told residents that they need to save power due to frozen turbines and equipment. According to ABC Dallas’ US subsidiary WFAA, a little less than half of all its installments were frozen or could not work due to 6 p.m.
“There is definitely a possibility that we could do turn interruptions,” Dan Woodfin, senior director of systems operations at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the agency that oversees the state’s electrical network, told WFAA. “We believe we may have to [Monday] and Tuesday. This is a little more likely. ‘
ERCOT set a new record for peak demand in winter on Sunday, reaching 69,150 MW between 6pm and 7pm, the council said in a statement. It is said that the number is more than 3 200 MW higher than the previous winter peak determined in January 2018.
ERCOT asked residents to close their blinds, take off unused appliances, wait a few days to do laundry and put on warm clothes, and set the heat at 68 degrees.
According to the National Weather Service, many parts of the state will experience a dangerously cold temperature on Sunday night and until Monday when there will be a wide cold fever of -10 to -20 degrees.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo told a news conference Sunday that the ‘window to prepare for this historic storm is closed because it’s time to search’. Hidalgo has approved a disaster announcement for the country, which includes Houston.
She and Sylvester Turner, mayor of Houston, encouraged people to stay home and stay off the roads. “… it is very, very important. People stay off the roads so that we do not cause a disaster,” officials said on Sunday.
According to the ABC station KTRK in Houston, the coldest weather in 122 years enters the city.
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said police are working on 134 traffic accidents across the city. “Please avoid traveling until this severe weather happens,” he tweeted.
In nearby Oklahoma, a state of emergency remains in effect for all 77 provinces due to the storm. A live winter storm warning for heavy snow and dangerous wind chills remains in effect.
According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, it responded to 56 collisions without injuries, 24 collisions and 116 bystanders during the winter storm. There are more than 3,000 customers without power in the Sooner States Sunday night.
There are widespread power outages elsewhere, including Oregon, with more than 249,000 customers without power, 166,000 in Virginia, 37,000 in North Carolina and 11,172 in Kentucky.