Houstonians woke up to piles of snow outside their homes on Monday morning. Followed by a brutally cold wind chill plunging temperatures among teenagers, the state was left without power in most areas.
National Weather Service forecasters extended the winter storm warning for the Houston area to 6 AM, Thursday.
President Joe Biden approved the Texas Emergency Disaster Proclamation. The statement orders federal assistance to complement state and local storm response efforts.
“ERCOT and PUC are working tirelessly to restore power. The state has also deployed resources to help Texans without power and to help essential workers keep doing their jobs”, Gov. Greg Abbott said.
The statement is due to less power supply and high demand due to extremely low temperatures during the winter storm that swept through the state. To help save energy, ERCOT asked residents to close their blinds, unplug unused appliances, wait a few days to do laundry, and wear warmer clothes, among other things.
Brutally cold wind chill readings of -10 to 10 degrees will be likely through Tuesday morning. Authorities are asking residents to stay off the roads if they can.
Large shops, schools are closed until Tuesday morning, depending on the weather. ExxonMobil, citing shortages of cold and natural gas, closes its refinery in Baytown.