Students, faculties, and alumni affected by the recent Texas power outages share their experiences during the crisis.
Allison Park ’21 was waking up to a bright, snowy landscape on Presidents’ Day baking brownies and playing outside with her cousin when the house suddenly went dark. When she learned that Texas was facing a nationwide blackout, her uncooked brownie batter and melting snow creations were the least of her concerns.
“We saw reports of an incoming snow storm, but no one took it seriously,” said Park. “On Sunday we had snowball fights and made snowmen. The next morning our power went out and did not come back for four days. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was shocking and scary because you never knew what was going to happen next. “
When severe winter storms caused record lows in early February, Park, along with over four million Texans, experienced power outages, food and water shortages, and extreme temperatures that affected the state. Icy and unsafe road conditions prevented many from driving, frozen and burst pipes caused flooding, and many residents were forced to find ways to get access to drinking water, e.g. B. melting snow or boiling water from the tap. Although the exact death toll is unknown, sources like The Hill estimate the crisis at around 70 deaths.
Chloe Zoller ’17, a college senior currently enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin, said while she was not in immediate danger, the conditions she faced during the “snow calypse” were like her and hers Classmates they had shaped, completely unprecedented.
“Having no other food than what was left in our freezer and having no running water was something I never expected, especially in Texas,” Zoller said. “On the third day, there was definitely panic. Bottled water was almost out of stock in every market and we couldn’t get in a car and go anywhere else. Three of our pipes burst and flooded the building where 500 students live. We used pool water to flush our toilets and towels and to cleanse our bodies. However, we were definitely fortunate in what we experienced compared to other people in Texas. “
When Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency on February 12 for his state of 29 million people, people were at a loss as to how they were going through an isolated crisis of such magnitude, according to eight school community respondents. Texas Interconnection’s electrical network, managed by the private agency Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), has been outside the legal jurisdiction of the federal government for over 50 years. According to the Texas Tribune, ERCOT has come under fire for poorly managing the situation and failing to update infrastructure to withstand extreme weather conditions. The publication states that many Americans, not just Texans, are angry and demanding responses from the company, which sparked multiple investigations conducted by lawmakers and the federal government.
History teacher Lilas Lane, who has a family in three cities across Texas, failed to connect with her sister, who lost both electricity and water during the crisis. She said the overall situation was frustrating, especially given the privatized power system that could not guarantee basic needs.
“The way the state is handling its electrical system is ridiculous,” Lane said. “I believe in regulation and nationalization of utilities. It was problematic for me in the 80s when they deregulated and privatized all of these public utilities. Everyone should have access to electricity and water. It’s just a basic human right. “
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the frequency of extreme temperatures continues to increase due to the effects of climate change. After February, it was unclear why the state wasn’t prepared for the winter storm and why the utilities weren’t strong enough to withstand the temperatures. Max Silver ’20, who had to be evacuated from his building at Southern Methodist University after numerous burst pipes and floods, said he was enraged at both his school and the state’s ineffective response to the winter storms.
“It was an accumulation of idiocracy,” said Silver. “The government didn’t do the right thing for the people, [it] was selfish and many people were hurt. There were easy ways to get around all of this without harming people. There are cold winters everywhere. “
Panicked, people sought procedural and emotional guidance from their elected officials, said Chronicle Staff Writer Natasha Speiss ’23, who was in Texas at the time of the blackouts. However, Speiss said the failure of the Texas power grid turned into a partisan problem to the dismay of the people when Abbott used the situation as an opportunity to publicly blame renewable energy and denounce the Green New Deal in a series of tweets and interviews with Fox News. Texas Senator Ted Cruz has also been publicly admonished by many liberal media outlets such as CNN and MSNBC for flown to Cancun, Mexico while the people he represents are stuck in the confines of their dark and ice-cold homes.
Sadye Lackman ’22, who has multiple grandparents affected by the crisis, said she was disappointed with the priorities of many politicians and lawmakers as they tackled the state’s crisis.
“It just felt really impersonal,” said Lackman. “Nobody acknowledged that people were suffering from it, and it seemed like all they needed was one problem to be held responsible [the crisis] on. There comes a point where politics is irrelevant and the problem is more pressing than party lines. “
Although power has returned for many, Texas will continue to deal with the effects of the storms for months due to the billions in damage. Speiss said that the crisis had not only proven to be central to Texan politics and the discussion about the role of state governments, but also highlighted the threat posed by climate change.
“I think the people of Texas, regardless of party or political views, now distrust their elected officials to do what is best for the citizens,” Speiss said. “Texas can no longer afford to use its own power grid. The state must join forces with other states instead of being its own island. Overall, this event demonstrated the formidable enemy of climate change that we all face, not just Texans. “
Comments are closed.