Texans Still Struggling With Broken Pipes, Water Shortages After Deep Freeze

The chair of Texas’s power grid operator and four other board members have resigned in the wake of the energy crisis that crippled the state’s electrical system.

Electric Reliability Council of Texas Chair Sally Talberg resigned along with Vice Chair Peter Cramton and board members Raymond Hepper, Terry Bulger and Vanessa Anesetti-Parra, according to a filing.

The departures are the first high-profile resignations in the wake of last week’s blackouts that left millions of homes without heat and light and dozens of people dead during an historic cold snap. Texas Governor Greg Abbott last week called for board members and other leaders of the grid operator, known as Ercot, to step down. Some board members had received death threats as public outrage over the crisis mounted.

“When Texans were in desperate need of electricity, Ercot failed to do its job, and Texans were left shivering in their homes,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement. “The State of Texas will continue to investigate Ercot and uncover the full picture of what went wrong.”

At its peak, more than 4 million Texas homes and businesses were without power over several days of unprecedented cold. Even when electricity was restored as temperatures rose, millions remained without safe drinking water after power outages hit treatment plants and water pumps used to pressurize lines.

Texas lawmakers have scheduled hearings on the power failures for Thursday.

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[JC-tqgm]

I lived in Texas for most of my life (since the 70s) and never saw a storm like this. To say Texas should be prepared for this is a little ridiculous. It's like saying NYC should be prepared for 110+ degree summers like in Texas. It's the cancel culture era though and some one has to pay. Even if they did nothing.

[YourOldDog]

Why has no one told these Texans to shut off the water outside and then open ALL spigots/fawcets to let as much water run out of the pipes as possible??? On my motor home I even added blowiing out the lines with compressed air.

AND what the hell does Ted Cruz coming home from vacation have to do with Texan's not clearing their pipes the moment pipes started to burst????

[tweedledeetweedledum]

What did Joe do? Anything?
He sent face masks.
Are you freaking kidding
The guy needs to be out of office!

[tiffanymccoy]

Everything is melted and back to normal

[mountopia]

It hasn't been cold all week. This is old.
If you still got broken pipes then watch a YouTube video on pipe repair.

[maliksamarijones]

Texas: "don't tread on my crappy infrastructure."

[doranvee]

Where is JOKE BIDEN or Heels Up Harris? Absent and doing NOTHING!!!!

[aliddlebirdietoldme]

Oh Joe ... wake up Joe. Its time for you to pretend again. Got your ear piece?

[ryanellis]

But impeaching and banning a former president is more important than helping citizens in a natural disaster? Christ these people need help.

[rogeliosoto]

These people have no idea what they are doing. No survival skills. You pour the water into the toilet after you use it and it flushes automatically. There was enough pressure to fill up multiple gallons, buckets, and pans. Try being raised in a house with no ac or heater until 12 years old. You learn some things.

[josephcrispin]

Tough it out people! Texas was not started by wimps!

[lynngatrell]

Wouldn't you have gotten your family out if you could? He's a husband and father first. His duty to them far exceeds his obligation to Texas. Don't fault him for that. You're blaming one person for the faults and improprieties of dozens, maybe hundreds of people whose job it is to prevent this.

[christhompson]

Two weeks from now, it's hot and our swamp coolers cracked and parts are backordered.

[AW-sijh]

I'm so tried of hearing about needing empathetic government. That's what's wrong with our country now, people can't function because of "feelings". Stop depending on the government! The government is not your mommy and daddy. I learned my lesson from the last time we had more than an inch of snow. The only thing I still don't have yet is a generator. But I got portable sawyer water filter pouches, a fire place, matches, first aid kits, etc. This should be a final wakeup call for people to get their sh*t together and stop depending on anyone but yourself to survive.

[philpugliese]

If only there was a world outside of Texas, one with trucks and trains an air craft and plumbers and electrical workers. Oh wait there is.

[kansaskristi]

I remember when it was perceived that bush didn’t do enough for New Orleans during a hurricane. Now how is it not jo who’s feet are feeling the flames?

[ElectedOfficial]

This can happen anywhere and we know it!

[bryanb]

This is what happens when you move away from reliable energy sources like coal, gas, and nuclear and spend a whole bunch of money on unreliable "green" energy instead.

[thebassassin]

Snow has so much air in it that it’s pointless to use for water. The ice on top is much better to use. The part where the lady at the beginning is cutting through the ice to get the snow is pretty hilarious. Ice has SO much more water in it.

[jennapuhl]

Living in Florida with hurricane 🌀 I have 2 rainbarrels for our garden that we make sure are full for flushing toilets. As for drinking water I buy a case every week and store it since we drink water normally from our fridge. I know in this case it was rare in Texas and I am happy they are finally getting back to normalcy...