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WFAA NEWS
WFAA NEWS AT 10:00 STARTS RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. >>> THE POWER STARTED GOING OUT
MORE THAN 48 HOURS AGO, AND WE
S+@TILL DON'T HAVE A CLEAR ANSW
WHEN IT WILL BE RESTORED TO
EVERY HOUR THAT GOES BY RINGS
MORE ANXIETY AND BIGGER.
>> NOT TO MENTION DESPERATION,
SOME FAMILIES DON'T HAVE WATER
OR A WARM MEAL.
THEY ARE ISOLATED WITHOUT
+@
THEY ARE ISOLATED WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION OR A FULLY
CHARGED ZONE.
CHARGED ZONE. >> WE HAVE A LOT TO GET TO
TONIGHT, WE WILL BE ON THE AIR
FOR A FULL HOUR.
HERE IS WHAT IS AHEAD, TEXAS
GETTING HIT WITH ANOTHER BLAST
OF WINTER WEATHER.
THE MASSIVE PO+@WER OUTAGES AND
WHY NO WINDOWS WHEN ELECTRICITY
WILL BE RESORTS.
EMERGENCIES FORCING PEOPLE OUT
OF THEIR HOMES AND INTO THE
COLD.
COLD.
COLD. WE
COLD. WE ARE ALSO SHARING STORI+@ES O
HOPE, TEXANS STEPPING UP TO
HELP WHEREVER TH+@EY CAN.
>> LET'S START WITH PETE WITH
MORE ON THIS SECOND WAVE, WHAT
CAN WE EXPECT?
+@>> WE ARE LOOKING AT SNOW,
SLEET, AND WE ARE EVEN LOOKING
AT THE FREEZING RAIN.
THE ONLY+@ POSITIVE ABOUT TONIG
IS I DON'T HAVE A RECORD LOW
LAST NIGHT OR THIS MORNING, WE
DROPPED TO TWO BELOW ZERO, WE
WILL BE ABOVE 0 TONIGHT, WE
WON'T MAKE IT OUT IN THE TEENS.
IT+@ WILL BE ANOTHER +@COLD NIG
AT LEAST WE DON'T HAVE THE 0
DEGREE TEMPERATURE
DEGREE TEMPERATURE >> SNOW FALLING ACROSS THE
DALLAS-FORT WORTH AREA, IT IS
LIGHT THIS IS THE FIRST, A
LITTLE DISTURBANCE ROLLING
+@
+@ THROUGH, SETTING THE STAGE FOR
THE BIG SYSTEM TO MOVE IN OVER
NIGHT.
NIGHT.
NIGHT. THAT IS+@ DOWN TO THE SOUTHWEST
THIS BIG AREA OF+@ PRECIPITATIO
YOU ARE SEEING, THAT IS ALL +@
FREEZING RA+@IN AND A LITTLE SLT
MIXED IN.
MIXED IN.
MIXED IN. UNFORTUN+@ATELY, THAT IS MOVING
IN OUR DIRECTION.
MY MIDNIGHT, THE SNOW HAS
RETURNED, A LITTLE BREAK IN
DALLAS-FORT WORTH RIGHT NOW,
BUT THAT THE SNOW WILL RETURN
AND IT WILL HAVE SEVERAL WAVES
OVERNIGHT, THAT IS 3:00 IN THE
MORNING.
MORNING.
MORNING. LOOK AT ALL OF THE FREEZING
RAIN AND SLEET TO THE SOUTH AT
5:00+@ TOMORROW MORNING.
STILL SEEING SNOW AT 7:00 A.M. @
TOMORROW, STILL SNOWING AS WE
HEAD DIRECT THE M+@ORNING, BUT
LOT OF FREEZING RAIN IN EAST
TEXAS AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS, EVEN
SOUTH OF THE SOUTHERN+@ SECTION
OF NORTH TEXAS AS WE HEAD THAT
TI+@MEFRAME.
TI+@MEFRAME. THE HIGHEST SNOWFALL TOTALS
WILL BE UP ALONG THE RED RIVER
@ WHERE WE WILL PICK UP 4 TO
EIGHT INCHES +@OF SNOW, DECATUR
DENTON, McKINNEY, DENTON AND
COLLIN COUNTY WILL BE SEEING 2
TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW.
TARRANT AND DALLAS COUNTY WILL
SEE 1 TO 2 INCHES OF
BUT
BUT THAT
BUT THAT IS WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE ICE WILL FALL, LOOK AT
THESE TOTALS, DALLAS, CITIES OF
DALLAS AND FT.
WORTH, A GLAZE, A COATING,
M+@AYBE UP TO A+@ 10th OF AN IN
SOUTH, +@IT TENDS TO A QUARTER,
LOOKING AT A CRITICAL ICE STORM
IN SOUT+@HEAST TEXAS, WHERE A
QUARTER TO A THI+@RD, MAYBE EVE
HALF AN INCH OF IC+@E WILL
ACCUMULATE.
ACCUMULATE. I WOULD BE BACK IN A FEW
MINUTES WITH THE TIMING, RIGHT
NOW, LET'S GO TO MATT IN
DENTON.
DENTON.
DENTON. I
DENTON. I KNOW IT HAS BEEN SNOWING,
LOOKS LIKE IT STOPPED AT THIS
POINT, WHAT DO YOU SEE THERE?
>> Reporter: WE ARE, PEOPLE ARE
COUNTING THEIR BLESSINGS HERE
IN DENTON COUNTY BECAUSE IT WAS
16 DEGREES HALF AN HOUR AGO,
NOW IT IS 80 DEGREES FROM IT
ACTUALLY IS IS KNOWN TO BE
WHITE NOT SEE IT ON THE CAMERA,
IT IS COMING DOWN A LITTLE BIT,
A LITTLE LATE TO MEDIUM
+@ FLURRIES WE ARE SEEING.
WE ARE AT THE ROCKIES HERE IN
DENTON, AS YOU+@ SAID, THE
FURTHER NORTH YOU COME UP IN
DENTON COUNTY, YOU'RE GOING TO
SEE MORE SNOWFALL, MORE
ACCUMULATION.
ACCUMULATION. WE WILL GET MORE OVER NIGHT.
THERE IS NO GAS+@ HERE AT ALL,
LOT OF PEOPLE KNEW THIS WAS
GOING TO HAPPEN, THEY CAME
HERE, FUELED UP, IT IS CAUSING
A LOT OF PROBLEMS FOR THE+@
COUNTY.
COUNTY.
COUNTY. WE WILL HAVE MORE ON +@THAT LAT
O+@N, FOR NOW, LIVE IN DENTON.
>>> FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY
WILL BE WRITING OUT A S+@ECOND
NIGHT BUNDLED UP, MAYBE
SLEEPING BY THE FIREPLACE IF
THEY E+@VEN HAVE STUFF FIREWOOD
JASON WHEELER HAS BEEN CLOSING
WATCHING THE OUTAGE MAP.
>> IT HAS BEEN HARD FOR A LOT
OF PEOPLE, WE WERE TALKING
EARLIER ABOUT THIS, WE HAVE
SEEN PEOP+@LE POSTING THAT THEI
HOUSES ON THE INSIDE OR DOWN IN
THE 20s INSID+@E, CAN YOU IMAGI
TRYING TO GET THROUGH THAT DAY
AFTER DAY?
AFTER DAY? NOT KNOWING WHEN IT IS GOING TO
CO+@ME BACK ON?
THIS WASN'T GOOD NEWS, SINCE WE
LAST TALKED AT 6:00 P.M.
TONIGHT, THIS COMING THROUGH AT
6:35 FROM ONCOR SAYING THEY
HAVE BEEN+@ TOLD BY THE STATE, Y
ERCOT, WHICH IS THE GRID
+@
+@ OPERATOR FOR THE WHOLE STATE,
TO GO AHEAD AND START KICKING
MORE PEOPLE OFF OF T+@HE ELECTR
GRID, BECAUSE IT IS SO
UNSTABLE, WE HAVE HAD THESE
GENERATORS TH+@AT HAVE BEEN
FAILING TO PRODUCE POWER.
HERE IS WHERE WE ARE, AS YOU
CAN SEE, THEY HAVE LAID IN THE
RADAR BEHI+@ND, YOU CAN SEE THE
+@
+@ PRECIPITATION MOVE THROUGH HERE
AS WE LOOK AT WHAT IS GOING ON
WITH ADAGES.
WITH ADAGES. EACH ONE OF THESE DOTS HAS A
+@
EACH ONE OF THESE DOTS HAS A NUMBER INSIDE THAT REPRESENTS
HOW MANY POWER OUTAGES+@ IN THA
AREA.
AREA.
AREA. 50
AREA. 50 PLUSES ACROSS THE BOARD,
MANY, MANY PEOPLE HERE, 900,
ALMOST 919,000 CUSTOMERS JUST
IN NORTH TEXAS WITHOUT POWER.
THINGS LOOKED SO GOOD EARLIER
IN THE DAY, AROUND, BETWEEN
1:00 AND 2:00.
THIS ORANGE LINE IS HOW MUCH
POWER IS AVAILABLE, IT SHOT WAY
UP, THAT IS THE BEST WE HAVE
SEEN IN A COUPLE OF DAYS.
WE WERE THINKING THIS LOOKS
GOOD, SINCE THEN, IT HAS BEEN
STEADILY COMING DOWN BUT WE
WERE TOLD+@ AT ABOUT 3:30 THIS
AFTERNOON, TWO TO 3 MILLION
TEXANS WERE WITHOUT POWER.
THIS IS +@THE TIME WE WERE TOLD
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. IF
THAT. IF YOU LOOK ACROSS YOUR, MORE
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KICKED OFF
SINCE THE+@N, THAT WAS 2 TO 3
MILLION, WE HAVE ONLY GONE
DOWN, THERE IS MORE PEOPLE WHO
HAVE BEEN KICKED OFF OF POWER
TONIGHT ON A FRIGID NIGHT
ACROSS TEXAS.
ACROSS TEXAS. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ALL
THOSE IMAGES ON THE MAP TELL
YOU ONE THING, THAT IS A WHOLE
LOT OF TEXANS STRUGGLING TO
STAY WARM.
STAY WARM. CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO WE
RECEIVED WAS THE AUSTIN.
>> YOU CAN SEE MY BREATH.
INSIDE THE HOUSE.
THERE IS, WHERE DID IT GO?
ALL OF THE CONDENSATION ON THE
CEILING, FOR SOME REASON, HAS
NOW BECOME ICICLES, I DON'T
EVEN KNOW HOW IT ENDED UP ON
+@
EVEN KNOW HOW IT ENDED UP ON THE CEILING.
THE CEILING. >> IF THAT IS NOT PROOF, CAN
YOU BELIEVE WHAT WE ARE SEEING
IN DALLAS, T+@HOSE ARE ICICLES
THE CEILING FAN.
THOMAS S+@ENT US THIS PICTURE I
UPTOWN, IT LOOKS MOR+@E LIKE TH
INSIDE OF A FREEZER.
HE TOLD US, AS A TEXAN, IT IS
CERTAINLY NOT BUILT FOR THIS.
THOMAS, NOT MANY PEOPLE ARE.
+@>>> WE HAVE SEEN IT TIME AND
AGAIN, FROM HURRICANE HARVEY TO
THE PANDEMIC, TEXANS COMING
TOGETHER. TERESA WOODARD BRINGS
US A BIT OF LIGHT DURING A TIME
OF LITERAL DARKNESS.
>> TEXAS, WE HAVE A PROBLEM.
>+@> Reporter: AS AWFUL AS THIS
IS --
IS --
IS -- >>
IS -- >> WE HAVE BEEN WITHOUT POWER
FOR CLOSE+@ TO 30 HOURS AND WE
ARE TOLD WE WON'T EVEN+@ HAVE
ELECTRICI+@TY TONIGHT, NOR
TOM+@ORROW.
TOM+@ORROW. >> Reporter: AS ANGRY AS YOU
FEEL.
FEEL.
FEEL. >>
FEEL. >> I AM JUST DISGUSTED AT HOW
TEXAS HAS BEEN SO PREPARED.
>> Reporter: AS COLD AS YOU +@A
--
--
-- +@>>
-- +@>> WE CAN LITERALLY SEE OUR
BREATH WHILE TALKING IN THE
HOME.
HOME.
HOME. >>
HOME. >> Reporter: WHEN WE FACE
CRISIS --
CRISIS --
CRISIS -- >> WE HAVE HAD NO LIGHT SINCE
3:00.
3:00.
3:00. >>
3:00. >> Reporter: TEXANS DO WHAT
TEXANS DO, OR FRUSTRATION
+@ BREEDS INNOVATION.
BREEDS INNOVATION. >> WE HAVE RESULTED TO USING
TERRA-C+@OTTA PARTS WITH CANDLE
IN THE TO TRY TO PRODUCE CALM
SID+@E OF HEAT.
>> Reporter: WHEN WE SEE NEED,
WE GIVE TO MAC
>> WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO ALL
THE NEIGHBORS PERMIT
>> Reporter: AIR FORCE VETERAN
CAN, 82, MARRIED FOR 62 YEARS,
LATE BUNDLED UP IN BLANKETS
WITHOUT HEAT, WITHOUT THE
BREATHING MACHINE KEEPING HIM
+@ALIVE.
+@ALIVE.
+@ALIVE. HIS SON-IN-LAW POSTED ON
FACEBOOK --
FACEBOOK -- >> GENERATORS SHOWED UP.
>> Reporter: THE DONATED
GENERATOR BROUGHT THE BREATHING
MACHINE AND HEAT PAC+@K ON.
>> WE HAVE ABOUT 20 GALLONS OF
WHOLE MILK.
WHOLE MILK. >> Reporter: A COFFEE HOUSE
GIVEAWAY MILK TO FAMILIES
WITHOUT POWER.
WITHOUT POWER. TEXANS ARE HUDDLING UP,
BUNDLING UP, SNUGGLING UP
TOGETHER, BECAUSE +@TEMPERATURE
+@
+@ INSIDE
+@ INSIDE ARE FALLING DOWN, WAY
DOWN.
DOWN.
DOWN. >>
DOWN. >> 36 DEGREES INSIDE THE HOUSE
@ AND OUTSIDE, IT IS ONLY ONE
DEGREE.
DEGREE.
DEGREE. >> Re+@porter: WHEN THEIR STRUGE
, WHEN THERE IS FEAR, TEXANS
LEAN +@ON FAITH.
>> I PRAY FOR THOSE WHO ARE
ELDERLY WHO DO NOT HAVE FAMILY
TO CHECK ON THEM.
>> Reporter: SOMEHOW, WE WILL
SURVIVE.
SURVIVE.
SURVIVE. >> WHOEVER SENT OUR VETERAN THE
GENERATOR, GOD BLESS YO+@U.
>>> THE GOVERNOR IS+@SUED AN
EXECUTIVE ORDER FOR LAWMAKERS
TO INVESTIGATE ERCOT AND MAKE
SURE TEXANS NEVER GO THROUGH
SOMETHING LIKE THIS AGAIN.
EARLIER TODAY, CHR+@IS AND I
SPOKE WITH THE GOVERNOR AND I
ASKED HIM THE QUESTION WE ALL
NEED INSERT GENTLEMAN, WHEN IS
THE POWER COMING BACK ON?
>> THAT IS PRECISELY WHAT I WAS
TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, THAT IS
THE +@QUESTION THAT I AM ASKING
AND THE PUBLIC NEEDS AN ANSWER
TO FROM ATMOS ENERGY, ERCOT IS
THE ORGANIZATION +@ THAT IS
OPERAT+@ING THE TRANSMISSION
ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY OF
TEXAS, ERCOT HAS NOT BEEN
TRANSPARENT ABOUT THIS, WE,
ALL OF US, NEED ANSWERS AND
TRANSPARENCY FROM ATMOS ENERGY
TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE GET THE
ANSWERS THEY NEED, MORE
IMPORTANTLY, GET THE POWER
THEY NEE+@D.
THEY NEE+@D. >> THAT IS NOT WHAT ANY OF US
WANTED TO HEAR, IT BEGS THE
QUESTION, HOW DID THIS+@ HAPPEN
IN THE FIRST PLACE?
HERE IS JASON WHITELY.
>> Reporter: EVEN IN THE DEPTHS
OF THIS DISA+@STER, DISCUSSION
HOW TO AVOID IT AGAIN IS
ALREADY UNDER WAY.
WHAT IN THE WORLD SHOULD BE
DONE TO PREVENT THIS FROM EVER
HAPPENING AGAIN?
HAPPENING AGAIN? IS THIS DUMPING THE LEGISLATURE
NEEDS TO STEP I+@N ON?
>> THIS S+@TORM HAS BEEN
EXTRAORDINARY.
EXTRAORDINARY. SO, WE ARE SEEING A WHOLE LOT+@
OF UNITS COMING OFF FOR REASONS
TO DO WITH THE WEATHER.
>> Reporter: THE REASONS ARE
+@
>> Reporter: THE REASONS ARE SIMPLE, 70 TO 80 POWER PLANTS
IN TEX+@AS SIMPLY WERE NOT READ
FOR THIS WINTER STORM.
THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE, WHAT
STEPS THEY TOOK WERE NOT ENOUGH.
BILL MAGNUS IS THE CEO OF ATMOS
EN+@ERGY, THE MANAGER OF THE
STATE'S POWER G+@RID, AND TOOK
OUR QUESTIONS IN THIS EXCLUSIVE
INTERVIEW.
INTERVIEW. IS THERE A CHANCE THIS COULD BE
OVER WITH THURSDAY OR FRIDAY,
OR ARE WE LOOKING AT THIS
OUTAGE IS EXTENDING TO THE
WEEKEND?
WEEKEND?
WEEKEND? >> I THINK WE CAN SEE THOSE
CUSTOMERS GETTING MORE AND MORE
SERVICE DURING THE COURSE OF
THIS WEEK, IT JUST DEPENDS ON
HOW THE WEATHER TURNS AND HOW
MUCH OF THE POWER SUPPLY WE CAN
MAKE SURE IT'S SECURE.
>> Reporter: ARE MEDICAL ERCOT
TOLD US 34,000 MEGAWATTS OF
ELECTRICITY WERE OFF-LINE IN
TEXAS.
TEXAS.
TEXAS. TODAY, ERCOT SAYS THAT NUMBER
+@
TODAY, ERCOT SAYS THAT NUMBER IS AT 45,000 MEGAWATTS.
FOR CONTEXT, A SINGLE MEGAWATTS
+@
FOR CONTEXT, A SINGLE MEGAWATTS CAN POWER 200 HOMES. LOOKING AT
THE NUMBERS, THE SITUATION
LOOKS LIKE IT IS+@ GETTING WORS
>> THAT IS THE NUMBER WE HAVE
GOT TODAY, AND I GUESS I WOULD
HAVE TO SAY, I DON'T THINK IT
IS, WE HAVE HAD SOME THAT HAVE
COME ON AND ON OFF, SOME HAVE
RETURNED, I DON'T THINK WE WE
ARE SEEING IT IS A CONTINUATION
+@
+@ DOWNWARD, BUT SNAPSHOT IN TIME,
WE HAVE HAD SOME UNITS THAT
WERE ON, BUT HAVE COME OFF,+@
SOME OF THOSE MAY BE COMING ON
VERY SOON.
VERY SOON. >> Reporter: THE ONE THING THAT
MIGHT HELP IS WHAT SUNK TH+@E
SYSTEM IN THE FIRST PLACE.
THE TEMPERATURE.
THE TEMPERATURE. AS THE WEATHER WARMS ABOVE
SINGLE DIGITS, POWER GENERATING
+@EQUIPMENT IS EXPECTED TO COME
+@
+@EQUIPMENT IS EXPECTED TO COME BACK ONLINE, MEAN+@ING YOU+@R
LIGHTS ARE LIKELY TO FOLLOW.
>> WE CAN'T WAIT FOR THAT, SO,
WHAT SPECIFIC+@ALLY NEEDS TO BE
>> WE CAN'T WAIT FOR THAT, SO, WHAT SPECIFIC+@ALLY NEEDS TO BE@
DONE TO KEEP THIS FROM
HAPPENING AGAIN?
HAPPENING AGAIN? >> Reporter: JUST FOR CONTEXT,
KEEP IN MIND, 90% OF THE POWER
PLANTS ARE WORKING FINE, 10%
WERE OFF-LINE ARE CAUSING THE
MASS.
MASS.
MASS. A
MASS. A CONSTANT I AM HEARING FROM
ENERGY EXPERTS IS THERE NEEDS
TO BE A SINGLE STANDARD FOR
BEST PRACTICES TO +@WINTERIZE
THEIR EQUIPMENT, BECAUSE IF 90%
ARE DOING A FINE, CLEARLY YOU
CAN TAKE WHAT THEY+@ ARE DOING
AND APPLY THAT TO EVERYONE
ELSE, BUT IT HAS TO BE A
REQUIREMENT, NOT JUST SOMETHING
PEOPLE CAN OR