A release posted on the website of the Office of the Texas Governor on Thursday announced that Texas Governor Greg Abbott has issued a disaster declaration for 134 counties “to ensure that every necessary resource is made available to Texans”.
A letter of transmittal, which accompanied the release, noted that Abbott issued “a proclamation declaring a disaster due to severe winter weather in a number of Texas counties”.
“I, Greg Abbott, Governor of the State of Texas, do hereby certify that severe winter weather poses an imminent threat of widespread and severe property damage, injury, and loss of life due to prolonged freezing temperatures, heavy snow, icy conditions, and freezing rain in several counties,” Abbott stated in the original proclamation, which was attached to the letter.
In a statement sent to Rigzone late Thursday by the AccuWeather team, AccuWeather said “a massive winter storm is forecast to unleash extreme freezing rain, damaging ice and heavy snow impacts across much of the southern, central, and eastern United States beginning Friday, followed by repeated waves of bitter cold”.
“More than 200 million people could be affected, with impacts expected to cascade nationwide through widespread power outages, travel shutdowns, and business operations grinding to a halt,” the statement warned.
In that AccuWeather statement, the company’s Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said, “this winter storm will shut it all down”.
“This storm will have a variety of dangerous and life-threatening hazards. The combination of freezing rain, ice and heavy snow, followed by a deep freeze, increases the risk of widespread travel shutdowns, extended business and commerce disruptions, and interruptions to daily life,” he warned.
The AccuWeather statement noted that significant to severe freezing rain and ice impacts are forecast to begin in Texas on Friday, then extend across the South into the Carolinas over the weekend.
In a “winter weather outlook” notice to oil and gas and pipeline operators posted on its website on January 20, the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) highlighted that the National Weather Service was predicting “a significant winter weather event in Texas beginning Friday and continuing through the weekend”.
“Heavy winter precipitation is possible, with the first round expected late Friday as a strong cold front moves into the state. Much colder air will spread from north to south overnight, with the greatest impacts expected across the central half of Texas,” the RRC warned in its notice.
“Many areas may experience lows in the teens and single digits, with wind chill values dropping into the single digits across much of the state. Similar conditions are expected to continue through the weekend,” it added.
“The Railroad Commission of Texas advises all operators under the RRC’s jurisdiction in areas of potential impact to take the following actions: monitor local, state and national weather reports for updates on potential severe weather impacts; heed all watches, warnings and orders issued by local emergency officials; secure all personnel, equipment and facilities to prevent injury or damage; and monitor and prepare operations for potential impacts, as safety permits,” it continued.
In its notice, the RRC also advised all operators to monitor road conditions during the weather event.
In a release posted on its website on January 21, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT) announced that it had issued a weather watch from January 24-27 “due to forecasted below-freezing temperatures with the possibility of frozen precipitation, higher electrical demand, and the potential for lower reserves”.
“Grid conditions are expected to be normal during an ERCOT weather watch,” ERCOT highlighted in its release.
“ERCOT is monitoring weather conditions closely and will deploy all available tools to manage the grid, continuing a reliability-first approach to operations,” it added.
“In anticipation of the extreme cold weather, ERCOT is coordinating preparation efforts with the Texas Energy Reliability Council, the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the Texas Division of Emergency Management, and other state agencies, as well as with market participants,” it continued.
ERCOT noted in its release that an ERCOT weather watch is “an advance notification of forecasted significant weather with higher electrical demand and the potential for lower reserves”.
“At this time, grid conditions are expected to be normal, and there is no current expectation of an energy emergency,” it pointed out.
In a release sent to Rigzone by the American Red Cross Texas Gulf Coast Region (ARC) on Thursday, ARC urged “community readiness ahead of weekend winter weather”.
“As our community prepares for this weekend’s winter storm, the American Red Cross – together with the City of Houston Office of Emergency Management, Harris County Office of Emergency Management, and local jurisdictions – is working around the clock to support extreme cold‑weather operations,” ARC said in its release.
“Our top priorities are keeping people safe, ensuring sheltering resources remain available, and staying ready to expand support as conditions change,” it added.
“Teams are staffing emergency operations centers, assisting shelters and warming centers, and making sure families – and their pets – have access to essential services. The Red Cross remains deeply committed to standing alongside our government and community partners to help protect lives during this winter weather event,” it continued.
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