Power still out to millions in U.S. as Arctic grip continues

Howard and Nena Mamu eat dinner at their home in the Glenwood neighborhood in Hutto, Texas, Tuesday, Feb 16, 2021. Anger over Texas’ power grid failing in the face of a record winter freeze mounted Tuesday as millions of residents in the energy capital of the U.S. remained shivering with no assurances that their electricity and heat  — out for 36 hours or longer in many homes — would return soon or stay on once it finally does. (Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman via AP)
Howard and Nena Mamu eat dinner at their home in the Glenwood neighborhood in Hutto, Texas, Tuesday, Feb 16, 2021. Anger over Texas’ power grid failing in the face of a record winter freeze mounted Tuesday as millions of residents in the energy capital of the U.S. remained shivering with no assurances that their electricity and heat — out for 36 hours or longer in many homes — would return soon or stay on once it finally does. (Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman via AP)

AUSTIN, Texas -- Utility crews raced Wednesday to restore power to nearly 3.4 million customers around the U.S. who lost electricity in the aftermath of a deadly winter storm, and another blast of ice and snow threatened to sow more chaos.

The latest storm front meant more hardship to states that are unaccustomed to such frigid weather -- parts of Texas, Arkansas and the Lower Mississippi Valley -- before moving into the Northeast today.

"There's really no letup to some of the misery people are feeling across that area," said Bob Oravec, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service, referring to Texas.

More than 100 million people live in areas covered by some type of winter weather warning, watch or advisory, the weather service said Wednesday.

[UPDATE: Outages drop below 1 million in Texas; icy weather goes east » arkansasonline.com/218pow/]

More than two dozen people have died in the extreme weather this week, some while struggling to find warmth inside their homes. In the Houston area, one family succumbed to carbon monoxide from car exhaust in their garage. Another family perished as they used a fireplace to keep warm.

Record low temperatures were reported in city after city. Scientists say the polar vortex, a weather pattern that usually keeps to the Arctic, is increasingly spilling into lower latitudes and sticking around longer, and climate change caused by humans is partly responsible.

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Utilities from Minnesota to Texas and Mississippi have implemented rolling blackouts to ease the burden on power grids straining to meet extreme demand for heat and electricity. In Mexico, rolling blackouts Tuesday covered more than one-third of the country after the storms in Texas cut the supply of imported natural gas.

More than 3 million customers remained without power in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. More than 200,000 more were in the dark in four Appalachian states, and nearly that many lost service in the Pacific Northwest, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks utility outage reports.

The worst U.S. power outages by far have been in Texas, where officials requested 60 generators from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and planned to prioritize hospitals and nursing homes. The state opened 35 shelters to more than 1,000 occupants, the agency said.

Texas' power grid manager, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, said electricity had been restored to 600,000 homes and businesses by Tuesday night, though 3 million homes and businesses remained without power Wednesday. Officials did not know when power would be restored, but Electric Reliability Council of Texas President Bill Magness said he hoped many customers would see at least partial service restored by late Wednesday or today.

Magness also defended the decision to force outages "to prevent an event that would have been even more catastrophic than the terrible events we've seen this week."

Dashawn Walker, 33, was thrilled to find the power back on in his Dallas apartment Wednesday. He stayed at a suburban hotel Tuesday night after being without power since Sunday, but said he was charged $474 for one night.

"It's crazy," Walker said. "I mean why would y'all go up on the hotels in the middle of a crisis?"

The Houston mayor's office tweeted that the power outages there would "likely last another few days."

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"I understand we live in a less-cared-for neighborhood, but we're human like everyone else," said Justin Chavez, who had been living with his wife and eight children in a home without power in San Antonio for days. "The city should have been on top of this. What am I paying my taxes for?"

Austin Energy, which serves the state's capital, said its customers should be prepared to not have power through Wednesday and possibly longer. Austin's mayor, Steve Adler, had urged residents to use electricity as sparingly as possible in hopes of staving off further shutdowns, using flashlights and candles if able.

"If you have power, please try to live almost like you don't," Adler said. "If you have heat, run it low. Run it lower."

The pleas for conservation were received with grim irony by many on social media, who pointed to the stark line separating a downtown Austin still brightly lit and a powerless East Austin, a traditionally Black and Hispanic part of the city.

The strain revealed the vulnerabilities of a distressed system and set off a political fight as lawmakers called for hearings and an inquiry into the Electric Reliability Council.

Oklahoma's largest electric utility reported no outages Wednesday, a day after rolling blackouts in and around Oklahoma City stopped electric-powered space heaters, furnaces and lights in minus-8 degree weather. But Oklahoma Gas & Electric warned customers of the potential for more short-term service interruptions during the extreme cold and high demand for natural gas.

Nebraska also avoided another round of rolling power outages as subzero temperatures started to ease.

Entergy imposed rolling blackouts Tuesday night in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and southeast Texas at the direction of its grid manager, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, "as a last resort and in order to prevent more extensive, prolonged power outages," according to a statement from the New Orleans-based utility.

The Southwest Power Pool, a group of utilities covering 14 states, said the blackouts were "a last resort to preserve the reliability of the electric system as a whole."

The weather also caused major disruptions to water systems in the Texas cities of Houston, Fort Worth, Galveston, Corpus Christi, and in Memphis, and Shreveport, where city firetrucks delivered water to several hospitals, and bottled water was being hauled in for patients and the staff, KSLA News reported. In Houston, residents were told to boil their water -- if they had power to do so -- because of a major drop in water pressure linked to the weather.

In Abilene, Texas, firefighters were hampered by low water pressure as they tried to extinguish a house fire, the Abilene Reporter News reported.

"They had to watch that house burn," City Manager Robert Hanna said Tuesday at a news conference.

Travel remains ill-advised in much of the United States, with roadways treacherous and thousands of flights canceled. Many school systems delayed or canceled face-to-face classes.

But even staying home can be hazardous in places without power.

Authorities said a fire that killed three young children and their grandmother in the Houston area likely was caused by the fireplace they were using to keep warm. In Oregon, authorities confirmed Tuesday that four people died in the Portland area of carbon monoxide poisoning.

At least 13 children were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth, and one parent died of the toxic fumes, hospital officials said.

"We're fully expecting that when things start to thaw out and people start checking on each other that we're going to find some more people who didn't make it through the storm," said Jason Spencer, a spokesman for the Harris County sheriff's office in Texas.

Stories of kindness emerged from the crisis.

In Clinton, Miss., Army veteran Evelyn Fletcher has been cooking and delivering meals to sidelined truck drivers, travelers and people staying at hotels after losing power at home.

"They're stranded, they're isolated -- people are in need of support right now," Fletcher said.

On Monday, Fletcher made 85 meals. On Tuesday, she made 30 plates, while a local restaurant, T'Beaux's Crawfish and Catering, cooked 75 plates of shrimp and gumbo that she and other volunteers delivered. And on Wednesday, Fletcher was cooking a pot of turkey noodle soup, hoping to deliver another 70 meals.

"People are worried about more snow," she said. "We are going to keep people fed and keep them feeling hopeful."

Information for this article was contributed by Paul J. Weber, Jill Bleed, Julie Walker, Isabel DeBre, Darlene Superville and Tammy Webber of The Associated Press; and by Will Wright and Campbell Robertson of The New York Times.

Carlos Mandez waits with others in freezing rain Wednesday in Houston to fill propane tanks as Texans deal with power outages caused by overwhelming demand on the electricity grid. More photos at arkansasonline.com/218texas/.
(AP/David J. Phillip)
Carlos Mandez waits with others in freezing rain Wednesday in Houston to fill propane tanks as Texans deal with power outages caused by overwhelming demand on the electricity grid. More photos at arkansasonline.com/218texas/. (AP/David J. Phillip)
People wait in line to fill propane tanks Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Houston. Customers had to wait over an hour in the freezing rain to fill their tanks. Millions in Texas still had no power after a historic snowfall and single-digit temperatures created a surge of demand for electricity to warm up homes unaccustomed to such extreme lows, buckling the state's power grid and causing widespread blackouts. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
People wait in line to fill propane tanks Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Houston. Customers had to wait over an hour in the freezing rain to fill their tanks. Millions in Texas still had no power after a historic snowfall and single-digit temperatures created a surge of demand for electricity to warm up homes unaccustomed to such extreme lows, buckling the state's power grid and causing widespread blackouts. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A woman walks past the front desk at a Gallery Furniture store which opened as a shelter for those in need of food, water and heat Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Houston. Millions in Texas still had no power after a historic snowfall and single-digit temperatures created a surge of demand for electricity to warm up homes unaccustomed to such extreme lows, buckling the state's power grid and causing widespread blackouts. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A woman walks past the front desk at a Gallery Furniture store which opened as a shelter for those in need of food, water and heat Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Houston. Millions in Texas still had no power after a historic snowfall and single-digit temperatures created a surge of demand for electricity to warm up homes unaccustomed to such extreme lows, buckling the state's power grid and causing widespread blackouts. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Icicles form on a the frozen helmet of a Tulsa Firefigther working the scene of a 3 alarm fire on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021 in Tulsa, Okla. Temperatures hovered in the single digits. (Mike Simons /Tulsa World via AP)
Icicles form on a the frozen helmet of a Tulsa Firefigther working the scene of a 3 alarm fire on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021 in Tulsa, Okla. Temperatures hovered in the single digits. (Mike Simons /Tulsa World via AP)
Michelle DeFord bundles up in a blanket to stay warm outside the warming shelter at the George R. Brown Convention Center, where she is staying during the frigid cold weather Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, in Houston. Temperatures stayed below freezing Tuesday. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Michelle DeFord bundles up in a blanket to stay warm outside the warming shelter at the George R. Brown Convention Center, where she is staying during the frigid cold weather Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, in Houston. Temperatures stayed below freezing Tuesday. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Joecyah Heath, left, Morning Day, center, and Jenesis Heath rest in recliners at a Gallery Furniture store which opened as a shelter Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Houston. Millions in Texas still had no power after a historic snowfall and single-digit temperatures created a surge of demand for electricity to warm up homes unaccustomed to such extreme lows, buckling the state's power grid and causing widespread blackouts. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Joecyah Heath, left, Morning Day, center, and Jenesis Heath rest in recliners at a Gallery Furniture store which opened as a shelter Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Houston. Millions in Texas still had no power after a historic snowfall and single-digit temperatures created a surge of demand for electricity to warm up homes unaccustomed to such extreme lows, buckling the state's power grid and causing widespread blackouts. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
People line up to enter Costco in Pflugerville, Texas, Tuesday morning, Feb 16, 2021. Anger over Texas’ power grid failing in the face of a record winter freeze mounted Tuesday as millions of residents in the energy capital of the U.S. remained shivering with no assurances that their electricity and heat  — out for 36 hours or longer in many homes — would return soon or stay on once it finally does. (Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman via AP)
People line up to enter Costco in Pflugerville, Texas, Tuesday morning, Feb 16, 2021. Anger over Texas’ power grid failing in the face of a record winter freeze mounted Tuesday as millions of residents in the energy capital of the U.S. remained shivering with no assurances that their electricity and heat — out for 36 hours or longer in many homes — would return soon or stay on once it finally does. (Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman via AP)
Avett Archibad, 8, helps his brother Sanders, 6, and sister Luella, 10, built an igloo in their front yard of their home in the BlackHawk neighborhood in Pflugerville, Texas, Tuesday, Feb 16, 2021. Most homes in the area were without power for nearly 24 hours. Atmos Energy and other power companies were performing rotating outages to protect the electric grid. (Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman via AP)
Avett Archibad, 8, helps his brother Sanders, 6, and sister Luella, 10, built an igloo in their front yard of their home in the BlackHawk neighborhood in Pflugerville, Texas, Tuesday, Feb 16, 2021. Most homes in the area were without power for nearly 24 hours. Atmos Energy and other power companies were performing rotating outages to protect the electric grid. (Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman via AP)
Snow and ice grips a neighborhood in East Austin on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. Day six of the statewide freeze and still millions of Texans are without power. (Bronte Wittpenn /Austin American-Statesman via AP)
Snow and ice grips a neighborhood in East Austin on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. Day six of the statewide freeze and still millions of Texans are without power. (Bronte Wittpenn /Austin American-Statesman via AP)
Juan Guerrlo, center left, waits in line to fill his propane tanks Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Houston. Customers had to wait over an hour in the freezing rain to fill their tanks. Millions in Texas still had no power after a historic snowfall and single-digit temperatures created a surge of demand for electricity to warm up homes unaccustomed to such extreme lows, buckling the state's power grid and causing widespread blackouts. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Juan Guerrlo, center left, waits in line to fill his propane tanks Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Houston. Customers had to wait over an hour in the freezing rain to fill their tanks. Millions in Texas still had no power after a historic snowfall and single-digit temperatures created a surge of demand for electricity to warm up homes unaccustomed to such extreme lows, buckling the state's power grid and causing widespread blackouts. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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