• Travel on Interstate 35E north and south had some danger, but at least one lane on each side of the highway was drivable by Monday afternoon.
    Travel on Interstate 35E north and south had some danger, but at least one lane on each side of the highway was drivable by Monday afternoon.
  • Some aisles in the Red Oak Walmart looked as if people were readying for the apocalypse. According to a source, if the supply chain is interrupted, most supermarkets will be empty in less than two days.
    Some aisles in the Red Oak Walmart looked as if people were readying for the apocalypse. According to a source, if the supply chain is interrupted, most supermarkets will be empty in less than two days.
  • Shopping carts outside the Walmart in Red Oak were a first come first serve, grab it from the parking lot situation Monday afternoon.
    Shopping carts outside the Walmart in Red Oak were a first come first serve, grab it from the parking lot situation Monday afternoon.
    RITA COOK / News Editor

    ELLIS COUNTY – As the sirens are rumbling up and down the road in front of my street in Dallas, not far from Ellis County, I know that this same scenario is happening locally everywhere and around the state due to the extreme weather that many Texas residents know nothing about.

    Blankets of snow, sheets of ice and a Texas landscape that residents have never experienced while living here has blanketed this tiny piece of earth we call Texas and left us like the scenarios I remember on my coldest days in Alaska and above the Arctic circle.

    While it might be a good time to make the rare snowman or even snow ice cream, there are people who have been without water and power for over 24 hours.

    And that is a serious situation.

    In fact, COVID-19 couldn’t even keep me indoors quite like this sheet of ice on the roadways has these last few days. Ice driving is a serious situation. 

    Below freezing temperatures on the roadways – a serious situation. 

    Power outages and people with health issues that are too cold – all happening here right now and more arctic cold weather is expected in the days ahead. 

    It is no surprise that the power outages are occurring. 

    However, let’s take a look at why and what is happening with the rolling outages and outages that are lasting longer than just a few hours.

    As of early Tuesday morning there were as many as 4,375,245 customers in Texas without power according to PowerOutage.us. 

    Ferris City Manager Brooks Williams put out a statement Monday said, “The situation with Electric Reliability Council of Texas is very serious and unprecedented. 

    “If our conservation efforts and rolling blackouts are not successful, it is possible that control of the grid could be lost. 

    “Oncor is working closely with local and county governments and emergency managers across the DFW and North Texas area.”

    Williams explained Oncor cannot guarantee a maximum amount of time a resident’s power may be out. 

    “I have advised them that we have populations that require electricity for medical needs and that our municipal infrastructure is at a critical point,” he said. 

    “I have requested, to the fullest extent possible, critical infrastructure and public safety facilities remain on line. 

    “I have also requested the loss of power be tracked and consideration given to the fact that we are limited on options for assisting residents who are without power and/or a means to warm their home.”

    Apparently the Peaker Plants a series of older, expensive and inefficient plants are even being woken up to come on line to help. 

    “They operate when there is extreme need,” Williams said of Peaker Plants. “Some have come on line, others are planned to be brought on line to meet the demand. 

    “Our city is in constant communication with Oncor and we are working hard with them to get your power back on and limit the time of rolling blackouts.”
    OnCor released a statement Monday adding, “We are doing everything possible to respond to each of these power emergency events. 

    “We remain in close coordination with ERCOT and we appreciate everyone’s patience as we protect the integrity of the Texas grid.”

    In another release by OnCor it noted rotating outages typically last 15 to 45 minutes in each area, but may vary. 

    “These outages have been proven effective at protecting the electric grid during times of incredibly high electric demand and low supply,” the release said. 

    “Some customers may experience longer outages if power surges cause equipment failure during the restoration process.”

    As a note, potential power surges can be minimized by turning off appliances, lights and other equipment, except for one task light to determine when power has been restored.  

    “Oncor recognizes how unsettling rotating outages can be to our customers, especially in the face of this severe winter weather, and we will work hard to minimize the impact of these outages as much as possible,” Connie Piloto, Oncor Director of Communications concluded. 

    “We ask customers to please continue to conserve what they can. We’ve heard firsthand from many of our customers about the conservation efforts they have made and we greatly appreciate everyone’s continued participation.” 

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