Texas is weathering the winter storm that blasted through the state this week without the catastrophic power failures that crippled the region in 2021, officials report, though the emergency is far from over as the state grapples with dangerous road conditions and expanding impact zones.
“The biggest thing to keep in mind whenever you have storms like this in a state like Texas, who are not used to having sub-freezing weather for multiple days, is power outages,” said Rep. Brandon Gill, a Republican representing North Texas. “Luckily in Texas, particularly in North Texas, which I represent, we have not seen widespread power outages like we did several years ago,” he added.
Expanding Emergency Declaration
Governor Greg Abbott has dramatically expanded the state’s disaster declaration, bringing the total to 219 counties affected by the winter storm. The governor stated that “Communities across the state have been impacted by this weekend’s winter weather,” explaining his decision to update the declaration “to include additional counties to help more Texans during these freezing temperatures.”
The Dallas-Fort Worth area has seen 1 to 2 inches of sleet and snow accumulation, with areas further north receiving 3 to 5 inches. Power outages have affected over 50,000 Texans, though the ERCOT grid has remained stable throughout the storm.
That stability marks a stark contrast to the 2021 Winter Storm Uri disaster, which killed at least 246 people when the state’s power grid failed during freezing temperatures.
Human Toll Mounting
But the improved power situation doesn’t mean Texas has escaped unscathed. The winter storm has caused at least 32 deaths nationwide, including a 16-year-old girl in Frisco, Texas, who died in a sledding accident.
Governor Abbott declared the state of emergency on January 21, before the worst of the storm hit. In some areas, as many as 300,000 people lost power due to ice accumulation on power lines and trees.
What’s keeping emergency officials up at night now? Road conditions that continue to deteriorate as temperatures fluctuate.
“Our concern is going to be black ice, so slippery roadways,” one meteorologist warned, as freezing conditions persist across much of the state.
State Response Continues
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has provided enforcement discretion for facilities affected by power emergencies during this crisis, according to the agency’s winter storm guidance.
Rep. Gill credits the improved response to coordination between different levels of government. “It’s a coordinated effort between federal, state, and local officials,” he explained, suggesting that lessons from past disasters have led to better emergency preparedness.
For now, officials continue to urge Texans to stay home if possible and exercise extreme caution on roads — a winter storm may not have broken the power grid this time, but it’s still proving deadly for those caught unprepared.
