You may have read on prepper-blogs about a “grid-down” situation. This usually refers to something like the end of civilization, where all modern society is broken. Last year, folks in Texas were treated to a small taste of what that might mean when winter storms coupled with energy imbalances knocked out the state’s power grid.
Many of the state’s residents lost their natural gas as well, something Your Survival Guy is unfortunately very familiar with. When the temperature in your house is dropping fast, and your family and pets are slowly getting colder in sub-freezing weather, it’s no joke. You’re either prepared, or you’re in trouble.
Now another blast of cold air is headed for Texas, and residents of the Lone Star State are hoping to avoid another disaster. Bloomberg reports:
Texas is facing an Arctic blast this week that threatens to leave Dallas blanketed in snow, freeze oil and natural gas production areas and will test the state’s power grid.
The cold will whip temperatures in Dallas from a high of 67 degrees Fahrenheit (19 Celsius) Monday to a low of 20 Thursday night, with ice and snow starting late Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures in Midland — business center of the Permian Basin — will drop to 15 degrees Wednesday and then plunge further Thursday night.
“Combined with the ice and snow, unseasonable cold temperatures will impact the region,” the weather service said. “Temperatures will fall below freezing Wednesday and may not rise above freezing until the weekend.” Wind chills will make temperatures feel below zero for much of the area.
The weather will challenge the state’s energy infrastructure, though it currently looks less likely to lead to a repeat of last February’s cold snap that took down scores of power plants, triggering catastrophic blackouts that left more than 200 people dead.
Natural gas production has dipped twice already in January because of freezing temperatures. On Jan. 20, output fell 6.2%, according to preliminary BloombergNEF data based on pipeline flows. A cold blast also disrupted supplies to start the year. Production shut-ins can happen across Texas in cold weather.
A winter storm watch was issued for parts of central and eastern Texas. The weather is part of a larger storm set to sweep across the central and eastern U.S., which has prompted additional watches from Oklahoma to New York’s Lake Ontario coastline. Parts of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and northwest Ohio may get as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) of snow.
Action Line: If you’re not prepared for a winter storm, there is no better time than now. Here’s some good advice on winter storm survival. If you’re serious about getting prepared, but you keep letting inertia hold you back from actually doing what it takes, click here to sign up for my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter. I’ll keep you motivated, and help you achieve success. But only if you’re serious.
