WHY?
WHY? WE
WHY? WE ARE EXPLAINING THE PROBLEMS
CAUSED BY THE HISTORIC STORM.
>>>
>>> WELCOME AS WE FOLLOW THIS HISTORIC STORM.
HISTORIC STORM. >> WE WILL GET TO THAT BREAKING
NEWS.
NEWS.
NEWS. BUT
NEWS. BUT FIRST WE WANT TO GET RIGHT
TO TRAFFIC AND WEATHER.
>>> GOOD MORNING.
WE ARE TALKING RECORD TIME BY
THE END OF THE MORNING EVEN AT
THE AIRPORT FROM A RECORD OF
1895, 13 DEGREES HERE.
STILL, TYING THE RECORD TO 13.
5 DEGREES IN COLLEGE STATION.
JUST BITTER COLD OUT THERE.
FACTORING IN THE NORTH WIND.
FEELING A BELOW ZERO.
WE ARE FEELING DOWN TO ZERO AT
THE CONTINENTAL AIRPORT.
THAT WIND-CHILL FACTOR IS NO
JOKE.
JOKE.
JOKE. IT
JOKE. IT WILL LAST THROUGH THE
LUNCHTIME HOUR.
LUNCHTIME HOUR. SO EVEN AT NOON, 24.
NO NEW SNOW OR FREEZING RAIN.
WE STAY DRY BUT TEMPERATURES
STAY BELOW FREEZING.
I'M NOT EXPECTING 30 EVEN BY
THE AFTERNOON.
THE AFTERNOON. THE FIRST TIME EVER IN HISTORY
THAT THEY HAVE ISSUED A WIND
CHILL WARNING THAT IS HOW MAJOR
OF A ROLE IT'S PLAYING HERE
THIS MORNING.
THIS MORNING. THE NEXT WINTER STORM ON THE
WAY TONIGHT AND INTO TOMORROW.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT TRAFFIC.
>> METRO WILL CONTINUE TO
SUSPEND SERVICES AND GRADUALLY
GET SERVICE BACK AS THEY CAN.
IT IS ALL WEATHER DEPENDING.
I WANT TO GET YOU TO OUR MAP
AND SHOW YOU ONE AREA THAT IS
STILL CLOSED AT THIS POINT.
XAVIER IS JUST ONE OF MANY
CLUSTERS RIGHT NOW.
>>> LET'S GET ALL THAT BREAKING
NEWS.
NEWS.
NEWS. STARTING WITH A TRAGIC STORY.
THIS HAPPENED ON VISTA LAKE
DRIVE.
DRIVE.
DRIVE. LIVE THERE RIGHT NOW.
MICHELLE, IT IS A HEARTBREAKING
STORY.
STORY.
STORY. >>
STORY. >> Reporter: YES, AS A REPORTER,
I COVER A LOT OF SAD AND TRAGIC
STORIES.
STORIES.
STORIES. THIS MORNING IT IS ESPECIALLY
HARD.
HARD.
HARD. THIS IS THE SECOND SCENE THAT I
HAVE BEEN TO WHERE A FAMILY HAS
LOST LOVED ONES BECAUSE THEY
WERE DESPERATE TO STAY WARM.
THAT'S WHEN THEY TOLD ME THAT
THIS HAPPENED TO A FAMILY OF
FIVE OVERNIGHT.
FIVE OVERNIGHT. TRYING TO STAY WARM IN THE
HOUSE WENT UP IN FLAMES.
AS YOU CAN SEE, FIRE CREWS HAVE
MANAGED TO KNOCK MOST OF THE
FIRE OUT.
FIRE OUT.
FIRE OUT. BUT WHEN THEY GOT HERE, THIS
WHOLE HOUSE WAS UP IN FLAMES.
AND INSIDE, A DAD AND HIS THREE
KIDS ALL DIED IN THAT FIRE.
ONLY A MOM AND A FRIEND MADE
OUT.
OUT.
OUT. THEY
OUT. THEY WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL
WITH BURN INJURIES.
SUGAR LAND POLICE TELL ME THAT
THIS NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE
COUNTLESS OTHERS HAD BEEN IN
THE DARK FOR MORE THAN EIGHT
HOURS.
HOURS.
HOURS. BACK TO YOU.
>> GOT WRENCHING STORY, THANK
YOU.
YOU.
YOU. >>>
YOU. >>> THIS IS JUST ONE OF SEVERAL
HOUSE FIRES THAT THEY RESPONDED
TO.
TO.
TO. SADLY, ANOTHER ONE ON THE
NORTHEAST SIDE.
NORTHEAST SIDE. FIREFIGHTERS SAW HEAVY FLAMES
AND RAN TO RESCUE A 70-YEAR-OLD
COUPLE.
COUPLE.
COUPLE. BUT SADLY, THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT
OUT.
OUT.
OUT. >>>
OUT. >>> FLAMES DESTROYED THIS HOME
NEAR THE TANGLEWOOD AREA.
THEY SAY THAT THE POWER WAS OUT
AND RESIDENTS WERE AT HOME
HAVING DINNER.
HAVING DINNER. THANKFULLY THEY DID ALL MAKE IT
OUT.
OUT.
OUT. MORE
OUT. MORE BREAKING NEWS, TWO PEOPLE
ARE DEAD DUE TO CARBON MONOXIDE
POISONING.
POISONING. IT HAPPENED IN SOUTHWEST
HOUSTON.
HOUSTON.
HOUSTON. THEY WENT TO DO A WELFARE CHECK
AFTER SOMEBODY CALLED 911 THEY
FOUND TWO ADULTS, TWO CHILDREN
SUFFERING FROM CARBON MONOXIDE
POISONING.
POISONING. A WOMAN AND CHILD DIDN'T
SURVIVE.
SURVIVE.
SURVIVE. THE OTHERS WERE HURT.
WE HAVE BEEN SEEING THESE
POWDER OUTAGES LEADING TO VERY
DANGEROUS SITUATIONS.
DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. WE WILL KEEP YOU POSTED ON
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. >>> POWER IS SLOWLY BEING
RESTORED.
RESTORED.
RESTORED. BUT MILLIONS ARE STILL IN THE
DARK.
DARK.
DARK. SO
DARK. SO WHY IS THAT STILL OUT FOR SO
MANY?
MANY?
MANY? AND
MANY? AND WHY DOES IT SEEM LIKE NOBODY
CAN DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
LET'S BREAK IT DOWN.
IT'S MADE UP OF FOUR PARTS,
ELECTRICITY GENERATORS,
ELECTRICITY GENERATORS, TRANSMISSION LINES AND FINALLY,
YOU COST THE CUSTOMER.
THE ELECTRIC RELIABILITY COUNCIL
MANAGES THE FLOW OF ELECTRICITY.
THINK OF IT LIKE AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROLLERS.
CONTROLLERS. THEY MAKE SURE THAT THEY LAND
SAFELY BUT THEY DON'T ACTUALLY
ON THE PLANES.
THEY HAVE MORE THAN 46,000
MILES OF TRANSMISSION LINES AND
HUNDREDS OF PLANTS.
BUT IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY OWN
NOTES OR MAKE THE ELECTRICITY.
SO WHEN IT STARTS PILING UP,
THE MAN SURGES.
THE GRID COULDN'T HANDLE IT.
THAT SENT SOME POWER PLANTS OFF-
LINE AND WHEN THERE'S NOT
ENOUGH POWER TO SEND OUT, THE
LOCAL PROVIDERS CAN DO ANYTHING
ABOUT IT EITHER.
AND WHILE THEY'D HOPE TO DO
ROLLING OUTAGES.
ROLLING OUTAGES. INSTEAD THEY WERE STUCK WITH A
POWER GRID STRETCHED TO THE
LIMIT AND PROVIDERS WERE STUCK
WITH BIGGER OUTAGES LEADING
CUSTOMERS STILL WITHOUT POWER.
>>
>> AND
>> AND POWER ISN'T THE ONLY ISSUE.
ISSUE.
ISSUE. CELL PHONE SERVICE ALSO TAKING
A HIT.
A HIT.
A HIT. >>
A HIT. >> YES, PEOPLE RELYING ON THE
CELL PHONES TO KEEP THEM
CONNECTED.
CONNECTED. HAVE YOU NOTICED SPOTTY SERVICE?
WELL, HE SAID THAT CELL PHONE
SERVICE IS STARTING TO BREAK
DOWN OVER THE REGION AS BACKUP
GENERATORS ARE FREEZING OR ARE
RUNNING OUT OF FUEL OR BOTH.
AT&T TWEETED THAT THEY ARE
AWARE AND ARE WORKING ON IT.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE T-MOBILE HAS
FIXED A LOT OF THE ISSUES
ALREADY.
ALREADY.
ALREADY. VERIZON SAYS THERE SERVICE IS
HOLDING PRETTY STRONG.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SERVICE LIKE
WHAT'S APP WHICH RELIES ON WI-
FI, IT MIGHT BE A GOOD TIME TO
GO AHEAD AND DOWNLOAD IT.
EVEN IF YOUR SERVICE GOES OUT,
IT SHOULDN'T IMPACT YOUR WI-FI.
BUT WITHOUT POWER, HOW DO YOU
KEEP THE PHONES CHARGED?
OKAY.
OKAY.
OKAY. SO,
OKAY. SO, IF YOU HAVE A LAPTOP AND
THAT'S CHARGED, YOU CAN STEAL
POWER FROM THAT.
YOU CAN STILL MAKE CALLS IN
CASES OF EMERGENCY.
ALSO, CHECK YOUR GLOVE BOX.
DO YOU HAVE A JUMP STARTER,
MANY OF THOSE HAVE OUTLETS AND
WILL ALSO CHARGE YOUR PHONE.
YOU CAN USE YOUR CARD TO CHARGE
IT BUT JUST MAKE SURE THAT THE
ENGINE IS ON AND THAT YOU ARE
NOT PARKED IN THE GARAGE.
MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE OUTSIDE.
AND WHILE YOU ARE CHARGING IT,
BUT IN AIRPLANE MODE.
IT WILL TAKE LESS POWER.
AND I KNOW THAT FOR SO MANY
PEOPLE, THIS COULDN'T END SOON
ENOUGH.
ENOUGH.
ENOUGH. >> THAT'S THE TRUTH.
MY HUSBAND HAD TO GET OUT AND
CHARGE HIS PHONE.
SO, WE UNDERSTAND IT IS SO
IMPORTANT.
IMPORTANT. IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO LAST
OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
TAKE HEED OF THESE WARNINGS.
THIS IS THE NEXT SYSTEM ON THE
MOVE.
MOVE.
MOVE. I
MOVE. I WENT TO STORM WHEN HE TAKES
EFFECT TONIGHT AT 6:00 P.M.
REMEMBER, NO ADDITIONAL
MOISTURE.
MOISTURE.
MOISTURE. SO, HOW THIS TRANSITIONS, AT
THIS POINT IT LOOKS MORE LIKE
FREEZING RAIN.
FREEZING RAIN. THIS WILL BE THE BIGGEST AT
MIDDAY.
MIDDAY.
MIDDAY. LET ME PUT THIS INTO A FORECAST
TRACK FOR YOU.
NOTICE THIS ACCUMULATION.
THIS MOVES AN OVERNIGHT
THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE DAY
TOMORROW.
TOMORROW.
TOMORROW. NOTICE HOW IT'S REALLY AREAS
NORTH OF TOWN.
TALKING ABOUT THE ICE.
SOME OF THIS WANTS TO
TRANSITION SLIGHTLY FURTHER
WEST AND NORTHWEST.
TODAY WE KEEP IT DRY.
THIS IS STARTING TO SET UP
ACROSS THE AREA.
TEMPERATURES ARE ABOVE
FREEZING.
FREEZING.
FREEZING. I THINK WE WILL SEE THAT THE
TREND. THAT'S WHERE WE SEE THAT
ICE ACCUMULATION.
ICE ACCUMULATION. GOING TO BE RIGHT AROUND THAT
BORDER.
BORDER.
BORDER. IT IS A COLD RAIN ACROSS THE
AREA.
AREA.
AREA. PORTIONS OF THIS COULD BE
FREEZING RAIN AS THE SKIRTS
ALONG THE COASTLINE.
GOING TO TARGET ALONG WITH IT.
PROBABLY AT ABOUT 4:00 P.M., WE
GET SLIGHT WRAPAROUND MOISTURE
THROUGH THAT.
THROUGH THAT. THAT'S WHY THE DRIVING
CONDITIONS MAY STAY TREACHEROUS
EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.
CONTINUING TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
I WILL SEND IT BACK TO YOU.
>>> AND SPEAKING OF THOSE
DRIVING CONDITIONS.
DRIVING CONDITIONS. WE ARE GOING TO TALK TO THE
COUNTY AND TALK ABOUT THE
FREEWAY AND OTHER ISSUES.
WONDERING IF THEY WILL KEEP THAT
CHUNK CLOSED FOR THE NEXT
COUPLE OF DAYS.
LET'S GO TO OUR MAPS NOW.
I WANT TO SHOW YOU ONE THING OF
NOTE.
NOTE.
NOTE. WE
NOTE. WE DEFINITELY KNOW THAT IT IS
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. THIS INCLUDES 99 YESTERDAY.
THERE WERE PORTIONS HERE AND
THERE THE PARKWAY THAT WERE