Winter storm sweeps through Texas killing two people

Governor Greg Abbott confirmed that about 7,000 power outages were reported on Tuesday.

Fotografía tomada por Alexandra Stergios para Voz Media el 1 de febrero de 2023 de Dallas mostrando una panorámica de las calles de la ciudad de Texas tras el paso del temporal de invierno. — Alexandra Stergios / Voz Media.

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1 de febrero, 2023

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Texas continues to suffer from the aftermath of the most recent winter storm. This Tuesday two people were killed and two other police officers suffered serious injuries due to slippery roads. The Los Angeles Times reported that one of the officers got trapped under a truck.

According to information provided by the Travis County Sheriff's Office, the deputy stopped to assist the driver of an 18-wheeler who had run off an icy road and ended up being hit by a second truck. He is currently undergoing surgery and is expected to survive the accident. In a statement, Sheriff Sally Hernandez asked people to stay off the roads.

I want to offer my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who responded and assisted this deputy in his time of dire need. Both his biological and TCSO family are relieved and thankful that he’s alive. Please, please don’t drive on these icy roadways. It’s not worth your life or the lives of the first responders who are literally putting their personal safety on the line.

The other injured state trooper, according to Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, was hospitalized with serious injuries after being struck hard by another driver who lost control of his car.

Recommendation: stay off the roads

The first person to lose his life Monday night was a 45-year-old man. The Arlington Police Department reported that the man died after his car slid into a slick road guardrail near Dallas and the vehicle rolled down an embankment. One day later, in Austin, another person was killed in a multi-vehicle crash. All of this prompted Governor Greg Abbott to urge caution:

The State of Texas is working around the clock to keep Texans safe and warm over the course of this severe winter weather and flooding event. Texans are urged to remain weather-aware and stay off the roads if possible. If driving is absolutely necessary, motorists can check DriveTexas.org to receive the most up-to-date road conditions. I thank all of our emergency response personnel across the state who are braving the severe weather to keep their fellow Texans safe.

7,000 power outages in Texas

The storm also caused electrical service complications. Earlier on Tuesday, Abbott claimed that more than 7,000 outages had been recorded. The Texas Tribune reported that these outages are due to factors such as ice or fallen trees, not to serious service problems.

That's why Peter Lake, chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, urged citizens to "monitor and report local power outages." However, he also reassured Texans that they were in no danger of running out of electricity:

We have an adequate supply of generation to meet the demand for electricity across the ERCOT system. We have plenty of reserves to make sure that the ERCOT grid is stable and powered throughout this weather event.

Weather conditions do not seem to be improving this Wednesday. FlightAware shows that more than 1,700 flights have already been canceled to or from the three airports located in Austin and Dallas, the most populated areas in Texas.