Gov. Greg Abbott, in statewide address, promises answers on winter weather disaster
"Tragic does not even begin to describe" the suffering Texans endured, Abbott said Wednesday evening. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott spoke at a press conference about the winter storm that was approaching Texas on Feb. 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott sets May 1 special election to fill seat of late U.S. Rep. Ron Wright
Candidates have until March 3 to file, and early voting begins April 19. Full Story
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![People vote at Audelia Road Branch Library on the first day of early voting in Dallas on Oct. 13, 2020.]()
Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune -
A family is suing Texas’ power grid operator after their son died from suspected hypothermia. But ERCOT may be shielded from lawsuits.
A Conroe family is suing ERCOT and Entergy Texas for a total of $100 million after their son died inside his bed from suspected hypothermia. Full Story
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![Cristian Pavon Pineda, 11, was found dead in his family's home in Conroe after a severe winter storm plummeted temperatures below freezing.]()
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Analysis: Texas failed in a storm, again. Will we be ready next time?
State leaders will start an investigation this week to figure out why utilities in Texas were outmatched by a weeklong winter storm. They did the same thing 10 years ago, and we still weren't ready. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference regarding Texas’ emergency response to an unprecedented winter storm gripping Texas on Feb. 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott says power is almost fully restored statewide and grocery stores will soon be restocked
Abbott said power should be fully restored across the state Sunday night or Monday. Full Story
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![Volunteer Catherine Tuppen helps with the water and beverage station at Kelly Village, a supply distribution site, on Feb. 19, 2021, in Houston.]()
Credit: May-Ying Lam for The Texas Tribune -
Texas officials block electricity providers from sending bills, disconnecting utilities for nonpayment
Texans are reporting receiving exorbitant electric bills despite not having power during the storm. One Texan, according to The New York Times, received a $16,752 electric bill. Full Story
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![Snow surrounds an Austin Energy station in Austin on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021.]()
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“We are resilient people”: Texans share how they weathered the winter storm
From a new mom in Pflugerville who struggled to keep her baby warm to a Houston teacher worried about her students, listen to what some Texans endured in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast. Full Story
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![An eastbound view of East Stassney Lane in south Austin on Feb. 15, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
As Texans endured days in the dark, the state failed to deliver vital emergency information
When the lights went out this week and Texans lost access to power and clean drinking water, the Texas Division of Emergency Management failed to provide accessible and life-saving updates on outages and inclement weather. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference regarding Texas’ emergency response to an unprecedented winter storm gripping Texas on Feb. 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott says Texas is working to bring in more plumbers, help cities test their water
Abbott will be joined by emergency officials for his update from Austin. Many Texans remain without power, and water access has been disrupted for millions across the state. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference regarding Texas’ emergency response to an unprecedented winter storm gripping Texas. Feb 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Busted pipes, water damage, hotel bills: As power flickers on, costs loom for storm-weary Texans
Texans face a cascade of frustrations and expenses as the state tries to recover from the storm. Insurance companies are bracing for claims rivaling those after major hurricanes, and homeowners are trying to find plumbers and electricians. Full Story
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![Fire damage at an apartment building at The Park on Brodie Lane. Feb. 18, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: A winter storm leaves Texas with a black eye
The Texas government's failures in the face of a winter storm have been very hard on Texans, and could do lasting damage to the state's reputation. Full Story
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![From left to right, Martin Xoxa, Chelsea Pursley and Joe Williams build a fire to keep warm outside of Pursley's home in East Austin. The group has been without power since Monday evening. Feb.17, 2021.]()
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"What happened is completely unacceptable": Gov. Greg Abbott calls for winterization of Texas energy system
Abbott also blasted the Electric Reliability Council of Texas for its handling of the recent winter storm. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference regarding Texas’ emergency response to an unprecedented winter storm gripping Texas. Feb 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas leaders failed to heed warnings that left the state's power grid vulnerable to winter extremes, experts say
Texas officials knew winter storms could leave the state’s power grid vulnerable, but they left the choice to prepare for harsh weather up to the power companies — many of which opted against the costly upgrades. That, plus a deregulated energy market largely isolated from the rest of the country’s power grid, left the state alone to deal with the crisis, experts said. Full Story
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![Powerline infrastructure in San Marcos on Feb. 16, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republicans blamed green energy for Texas’ power woes. But the state runs on fossil fuels.
Green energy has been a political punching bag for Texas Republicans like Gov. Greg Abbott throughout the winter storm. Experts say that politicians never take responsibility for natural disasters when it comes to preparedness. Full Story
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![A working pump jack on the Cline Shale sits among wind turbines that cover the landscape off FM 153 south of Sweetwater.]()
Credit: Mark Graham for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott doesn’t know when suffering Texans will have water or power again
Abbott said he hasn’t been told which parts of Texas should expect power to return. Nearly 12 million Texans are also living under boil-water notices — and that number is expected to increase. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference regarding Texas’ emergency response to an unprecedented winter storm gripping Texas on Feb. 13, 2021.]()
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Texas' grid operator wants to bring relief by making power outages consistently shorter — but might not be able to Wednesday
ERCOT's CEO and president told reporters Wednesday he's optimistic that the state's grid will start to see some of the power it has lost return as temperatures warm up. Full Story
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![Matilda Street in Dallas after the winter storm that hit the area on Monday.]()
Credit: Ben Torres for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Working political angles instead of solving problems
As Texans struggle with terrible winter weather, electric utility failures affecting more than 4 million households, a pandemic and a botched vaccine rollout, a natural question arises: Do state leaders know what they're doing? Full Story
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![Snow at the Capitol in Austin on Feb. 15, 2021.]()
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“We’re in it alone”: Power outages leave millions of Texans desperate for heat and safety
Texas residents said the storm — and ensuing partial collapse of the state's power system — sapped what mental reserves they had left after eleven months of a global health crisis that has cost thousands of jobs and claimed more than 40,000 lives in the state. Full Story
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![The Blanco Vista neighborhood of San Marcos is blanketed with several inches of snow as a massive winter weather system causes power outages across Texas on Feb. 15, 2021.]()
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Gov. Greg Abbott, other top Texas officials call for resignations and investigations at electrical grid operator
“The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has been anything but reliable over the past 48 hours,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. Full Story
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![A utility structure is encased in ice on Feb. 15, 2021, in Houston. A rare snowfall blanketed the city as well as other parts of Texas.]()
Credit: May-Ying Lam for The Texas Tribune -
2 million Texas households without power as massive winter storm drives demand for electricity
Some utility companies that deliver electricity to Texans are telling customers to expect power outages through Monday night and potentially into Tuesday. Full Story
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![A northbound view of I-35 at East Stassney Lane in south Austin on Feb. 15, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune