Texas power grid strains under pressure from freezing storm sweeping across US with multiple flashes seen

For the second year in a row, it looks like a blizzard, with ice and sleet everywhere, will put pressure on the Texas power grid, as more than 40 million people have been warned to prepare for ice and chills. .

At least 260,000 customers are already without power in the state, according to poweroutage.usand the number is expected to increase further.

bands of sleet and snow that paralyzed traffic in the middle part of the nation, canceled thousands of flights and was blamed for six deaths that caused dangerous conditions for a third day Wednesday in several southern states.

In Austin, video showed transformer explosions overnight, which have knocked out power to 120,000 Austin Energy customers as of Wednesday morning.

First responders rushed to respond to hundreds of car collisions in Texas on Tuesday and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott urged people not to drive.

Airlines canceled more than 1,800 flights in the United States on Wednesday after an ice storm swept through states from Texas to West Virginia.

A total of 1,897 flights within, to or from the United States were canceled while 750 flights were delayed as of 8:41 a.m. ET, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.

“This week’s winter storm is having an impact on our operations, accounting for a significant number of cancellations,” American Airlines Group Inc said in a statement, adding that it proactively canceled flights and notified passengers.

The Federal Aviation Administration warned in a tweet Tuesday that travelers could expect to see some snow conditions in certain areas, including Dallas, Fort Worth and Memphis, which could delay certain flights.

“The ongoing winter storm will continue to bring dangerous impacts to north and central Texas through at least early Thursday morning,” the US National Weather Service said in its Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area forecast discussion.

Fort Worth, Texas-based American led in cancellations with nearly 800 flights, while budget carrier Southwest Airlines Co followed with 501 flight cancellations.

In Austin, video showed transformer explosions overnight, which have knocked out power to 120,000 Austin Energy customers as of Wednesday morning.

More than 40 million people from Texas and Oklahoma to Kentucky and West Virginia have been warned of 50-below freezing wind and ice.

A vehicle rests on a roadblock when the driver lost control and ran off the 6 Freeway in Waco, Texas.

The National Weather Service forecast freezing rains that affected several states, from Texas to West Virginia.

“The power grid itself is working very effectively as we speak right now,” Abbott said Tuesday.

The latest cancellations come nearly a month after Southwest faced backlash from the US government for canceling 16,700 flights over the holiday as bad weather overwhelmed the crew’s scheduling system.

The Dallas Independent School District, with about 145,000 students, also canceled classes Wednesday.

At least six people died on slippery Texas roads since Mondayincluding a triple-fatal crash Tuesday near Brownfield, about 40 miles southwest of Lubbock, and two law enforcement officers in the state were seriously injured, authorities said.

In Arkansas, Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency Tuesday due to frost. Her statement cited the “likelihood of numerous downed power lines” and said road conditions have created a backlog of deliveries by commercial drivers.

On Monday night, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that he had allocated state resources to help Texans deal with the extreme conditions.

An icy mix blankets the High Five Interchange at US 75 and I-635 on Tuesday

Bystanders and Dallas Fire Department personnel push a vehicle as icy mix covers the High Five Interchange at US 75 and I-635

A man walks a dog at Lake Cliff Park on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023, in Dallas.

Claire Laviolette, left, 19, Jojo Kisser, center, 8, and Jaycee Kisser, 8, get some air while sledding on Flag Pole Hill in Dallas

Drivers slowly navigate through icy roads on the LBJ 635 highway

“The State of Texas is working tirelessly to ensure that Texans and their communities have the necessary resources, assistance and support to respond to winter weather impacts across the state,” Abbott said.

The weather service said the ice would lead to “treacherous” travel conditions, as well as damage to trees and power outages in the hardest-hit regions.

In February 2021, Texas experienced an intense winter storm that caused widespread power outages and blackouts. Months later, the state announced its official death toll from the storm was at least 246. Causes of death ranged from carbon monoxide poisoning to hypothermia.

However, Abbott said Tuesday that despite those outages in 2021, Texas’ power grid is operating as intended and no issues are expected.

“The power grid itself is working very effectively as we speak right now,” Abbott said. “And there are not anticipated to be any challenges to the power grid in the state of Texas.”

Watches and warnings stretched from Texas to West Virginia. Several rounds of mixed precipitation, including freezing rain and sleet, were expected in many areas throughout the day, meaning some regions could be hit multiple times, forecasters said.