SEVERAL
SEVERAL DISTRICTS ARE OUT. THAT INCLUDES DALLAS AND FORT
WORTH ISD.
WORTH ISD. WE'LL HAVE A FULL LIST
SCROLLING AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR
SCREEN.
SCREEN.
SCREEN. WE HAVE CLEO GREENE AND CHRIS
SADEGHI.
SADEGHI.
SADEGHI. FIRST, WE WANT TO TALK TO GREG
THIS MORNING.
THIS MORNING. GREG, I UNDERSTAND JUST BEFORE
5:00 WE DROPPED BELOW ZERO.
>>> YES, MINUS 1, SHATTERING
THE RECORD LOW.
+@IN DALLAS 2 ABOVE.
I+@T FEELS LIKE 2 ABOVE.
THE WINDS HAVE EASED UP.
1 ABOVE AT DFW.
MINUS 4 THE ACTUAL TEMPERATURE
IN PLANO.
IN PLANO.
IN PLANO. AS YOU GOT OUT TO DALLAS-FORT
WORTH, YOU'RE+@ AT ZERO AS WELL
MINUS 14 AS +@WE GET TO
LEWISVILLE.
LEWISVILLE. MORE SNOW AND ICE ON THE WAY.
LET'S GET OVER TO TASHARA.
>> TAKE A LOOK AT THIS VIDEO,
WHY WE'RE TELLING YOU TO STAY
INSIDE IF YOU CAN.
LOOK AT PLACES WHERE THERE ARE
NORMALLY LIGHT.
NORMALLY LIGHT. OUR COLLEAGUE CODY MARCOOM SHOT
THIS.
THIS.
THIS. THIS IS 75 NORTH AND SOUTHB+@OU
RIGHT AT PARK +@LANE.
SO TAKE IT EASY.
TXDOT ALSO DEALING WITH THE
ROTATING OUTAGES THAT MANY OF
US HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING.
+@ONE THING I LEARNED FROM TXDO
THEY HAVE ONE LANE OPEN ALONG
THE+@ METROPLEX.
THE+@ METROPLEX. MARC, OUT TO YOU.
>> LOOKING AT A TWEET FROM A
VIEW ARE WHO HAS BEE+@N WITHOUT
POWER FOR OURS AND GAS.
THIS IS A TRICKLE DOWN EFFECT.
IT'S AFFECTING SO MANY PEOPLE.
I WANT TO SAY GOOD MORNING TO
CLEO GREENE.
CLEO GREENE. WE HEARD THE WORD ERCOT, WHICH
HAS BECOME A FIVE LETTER WORD
FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WITHOUT
GAS AND RUNNING WATER.
98,000 WITHOUT POWER JUST IN
NORTH TEXAS.
NORTH TEXAS. HIGHLA+@ND PARK IS TRENDING THI
MORNING.
MORNING.
MORNING. PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHY THERE'S
NO POWER THERE.
I DID PUT IN THE ZIP CODE AND I
CAN'T EXPLAIN TH+@IS.
ERCOT IS TO BLAME FOR THAT.
ERCOT STANDS FOR TH+@E ELECTRIC
RELIABILITY COUNCIL OF TEXAS.
YESTERDAY OFFICIALS ON A PRESS
MEDIA CALL SAID THEY ARE
DEALING WITH AN ABUNDANCE OF
+@
DEALING WITH AN ABUNDANCE OF PEOPLE TRYING TO BUMP U+@P THE
THERMOSTAT+@.
THERMOSTAT+@. THEY SAID MULTIPLE GENERATING
UNITS TRIPPED OFFLINE BECAUSE
OF THE COLD TEMPERATURES.
BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY HAVE TO
PRESERVE ENERGY.
PRESERVE ENERGY. THEY+@ STARTED CONTACTING
ELECTRIC PROVIDERS.
ELECTRIC PROVIDERS. +@
ELECTRIC PROVIDERS. THEY'RE NOT PUTTING THE PLUGS
BACK.
BACK.
BACK. HERE'S A LOOK AT ERCO+@T'S POWE
OUTAGE MAP.
OUTAGE MAP. ANYTHING YOU SEE IN THE ORANGE
OR RED COLORS, PEOPLE ARE NOT
DOING GOOD.
DOING GOOD. ANYTHING +@IN BLUE, PEOPLE STIL
HAVE POWER BUT IT'S A BIG
ISSUE, ESPECIALLY HERE IN
DALLAS, THESE HIGHLY POPULATED
CITIES.
CITIES.
CITIES. MARC, THE BIG QUESTION IS WHEN
WILL PEOPLE GET THEIR POWER
BACK.
BACK.
BACK. YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS SPOKING TO
+@
+@ THE
+@ THE FORBES THEY SAID THEY DON'T
HAVE A TIMETA+@BLE ON WHEN PEOP
WILL GET THEIR POWER BACK
BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO FIX
PART OF THE GRID.
MARC?
MARC?
MARC? >>
MARC? >> THE QUESTIONS I'M HEARING A
LOT OF PEOPLE ASK, WHY AM I NOT
GETTING MORE INFORMATION FROM
MY ENERGY PROVIDERS AND WHY IS
THIS HAPPENING IN GENERAL.
YOU HAVE THE STATE OF TEXAS
THAT PRODUCES MORE ENERGY THAN
ANY STATE IN THE COUNTRY, +@MOR
THAN MANY COUNTRIES THEMSELVES.
RADCHRIS SADEGHI JOINS US.
>> Reporter: THERE'S A LOT OF
PEOPLE ACROSS THE STATE SITTING
IN THEIR FREEZING HOMES.
THEY SEE WE HAVE OUR OWN POWER
GRID.
GRID.
GRID. THEY SEE WE PRODUCE MORE ENERGY
THAN ANY STATE IN THE COUNTRY
AND WONDER HOW THIS HAPPENED.
THEY WERE NOT WINTERIZED OR
PREPARED FOR A STORM LIKE THIS.
YOU KNOW HOW WE TELL PEOPLE TO
MAKE SURE TO WINTERIZE YOUR
HOMES AND PROTECT YOUR PIPES,
THE POWER PLANT WAS NOT
PREPARED.
PREPARED.
PREPARED. THE THING THAT HELPS TRANSMIT
POWER FROZE.
POWER FROZE. IT LEFT THE POWER SUPPLY 34,000
MEGAWATTS SHORT.
MEGAWATTS SHORT. JUST ONE MEGAWATT CAN POWER 500
HOMES+@.
HOMES+@.
HOMES+@. TO MAKE UP FOR IT, ERCOT, THE
COMPANY THAT OVERSEES IT DIPPED
INTO RESERVES AND THEN ASKED TO
VOLUNTARY SHUT DOWN.
THE NEXT STEP WE+@RE THE ROTATI
OUTAGES WHICH THEY INITIALLY
THOUGHT WOULD LAST 15 TO 45
MINUTES LAST+@ED OUR FOR SOME.
WE HAVE A DEREGULATED SYSTEM IN
TEXAS WHERE PRIVATE COMPANIES
ARE THE ONES OPERATING THE
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM. GOVERNOR ABBO+@TT SAID WITH STA
LAWMAKERS CURRENTLY IN
LEGISLATIVE SE+@SSION, THAT
SYSTEM WILL GET A CRITICAL
LOOK.
LOOK.
LOOK. >>
LOOK. >> WHAT WE HAVE IN TEXAS IS A +@
DEREGULATED SYSTEM WHERE YOUR
VIEWERS HAVE +@A CONTRACT WITH
POWER COMPANY AND THAT POWER
COMPA+@NY WILL RELY ON A POWER
GENERATOR.
GENERATOR. ALL OF THAT IS OPERATED THROUGH
THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT WITH THE
LEGISLATURE IN SESSION RIGHT
NOW, THEY WILL BE LOOKING INTO
A BACKUP SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE IN
POWER COMPANIES LOSE POWER,
+@
POWER COMPANIES LOSE POWER, THERE WILL BE ANOTH+@ER SOURCE
POWER AVAILABLE TO THEM
>> Reporter: SO WE HAD ROLLING
OUTEDGES IN 1989 AND 2011.
AFTER 2011, THE PUBLIC
UTILITIES COMMISSION, NOW THAT
WE'RE IN THE MOMENT
EXPERIENCING THE PAIN, IT SEEMS
LIKE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A
RATH+@ER EASY DECISION.
CARA BACK TO YOU.
>> THANK YOU, CHRIS.
>>> INITIALLY WE THOUGHT THE
OUTAGES WOULD LAST A FEW
MINUTES.
MINUTES.
MINUTES. THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TOLD.
MANY HAVE LOST+@ POWER FOR A DA
OR LONGER.
OR LONGER. JOINING US THIS MORNING CRYSTAL
SMITH WITH THE AMERICAN RED
CROSS.
CROSS.
CROSS. YOU KNOW PEOPLE AT THIS POINT
ARE JUST TRYING TO STAY WARM IN
THEIR HOMES.
THEIR HOMES. WHAT TIPS DO YOU HAVE FOR
PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN IN
THIS SITUATION?
THIS SITUATION? >> THIS IS HAD CHALLENGING
SITUATION.
SITUATION. WE ARE NOT USED TO THESE
EXTREME TEMPERATURES.
EXTREME TEMPERATURES. IT'S IMPORTANT TO TAKE SOME
SIMPLE PRECAUTIONS IF YOU HAVE
POWER AND IF TH+@E POWER GOES O
TO TAKE STEPS.
YOU WANT SHUT ALL THE DOORS IN
YOUR HOME TO TRY TO CONSERVE
ENERGY AND COPE THE HEAT IN
CERTAIN ROOMS.
CERTAIN ROOMS. AS YOU PUT TOWELS UNDER THE
DOORS, IT WILL HELP ANY OF THE
HEAT ESCAPING.
HEAT ESCAPING. YOU WANT TO WEAR LOTS OF
+@
YOU WANT TO WEAR LOTS OF +@LAYERS.
+@LAYERS.
+@LAYERS. ALL OF THESE STEPS WILL HELP TO
MAKE SURE YOU CONSERVE AS MUCH
HEAT AS POSSIBLE.
>> PEOPLE ARE WATCHING ON THEIR
APP AND ARE SAYING I NEED SOME
HELP.
HELP.
HELP. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO PROVIDE
NECESSITY FOR PEO+@PLE.
>> RIGHT NOW THE AMERICAN RED
CROSS IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH
OUR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO
HAVE WARMED UP WARMING CENTERS
THROUGHOUT THE METROPLEX.
+@ THEY ARE WORKING ON PROVIDING +@
RESOU+@RCES, BLANKETS, WATER AN
SNACKS AND WE'RE ALSO
+@ CONTINUING TO RESPOND TO ALL
THE HOME FIRES THAT ARE
HAPPENI+@NG+@ AS PEOPLE TRY TO
THEIR HOMES
THEIR HOMES >> WELL, WE APPRECIATE YOUR
HELP.
HELP.
HELP. THANK YOU FOR LETTING US KNOW +@
WHAT'S HAPPENING.
WHAT'S HAPPENING. WE'LL CHECK BACK IN WITH YOU AT
+@
+@ SOME
+@ SOME POINT.
SOME POINT. LET'S GO BACK OVER TO GREG
WHERE IT FELL BELOW ZERO.
WE HAVE MORE PRECIP ON THE WAY.
>>> MORE PRECIP.
THE T+@EMPERATURES HAVE DROPPED
BELOW ZERO.
BELOW ZERO. EARLIER AT DFW MINUS 1. MINUS 2
IN DENTON AND DECATUR ALONG
WITH WAXAHACHIE.
WITH WAXAHACHIE. THOSE TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN
PLUNGING EVER SINCE.
SO RIGHT +@NOW WE'RE OFFICIALLY
AT 1 ABOVE OUT AT THE AIRP+@ORT
IT'S WARMED UP JUST A BIT.
WE'RE GOING TO STAY COLD AND WE
WON'T BE ABOVE FREEZING TODAY.
YOU +@CAN SEE THE YOU OURS TOTA
AS WE GO THROUGH THE DAY WE'LL
BE RIGHT PARTICIPATED ZERO,
ONLY GETTING INTO THE LOWER
20s.
20s. +@
20s. +@ NOW AS WE HEAD L+@ATE INTO THE
DAY, THAT'S WHEN WE'LL SEE +@TH
NEXT ROUND OF WINTER PRECIP.
THAT COULD CAUSE SIGNIFICANT
PROBLEMS AS FAR AS THE ROADS
ARE CONCERNED, SO W+@E'LL TALK
MORE ABOUT THAT COMING UP.
LET'S GET BACK TO TASHARA WITH
TRAFFIC.
TRAFFIC.
TRAFFIC. >>> DON'+@T FORGET TONIGHT INTO
TOMORROW MORNING YOU'RE STILL
GOING TO HAVE QUITE A FEW
ISSUES ON THE ROADWAY.
I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY INCIDENTS
REPORTE+@D, ANY ACCIDENT,+@ SO
@ THAT'S THE GOOD NEWS I WANT TO
REMIND YOU, YOU'RE DEALING+@ WI
MANY DARK ROADWAYS.
YOU'RE DEALING WITH SNOW AND
ICE.
ICE.
ICE. THE
ICE. THE ICE YOU PROBABLY WON'T SEE
IT UNTIL YOU GET TOO CLOSE TO
REACT.
REACT.
REACT. EVEN THOUGH I'M SEEING MORE AND
MORE OF YOU ON THE ROADS IT
DOES APPEAR THAT MANY OF YOU
ARE TAKING IT SLOW, SO REMEMBER
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. IN
THAT. IN YOU TAKE PUBLIC
TRANSPORTA+@TION, DARK BUSES WI
CONTINUE TO OPERATE ON THAT
SATURDAY SCHEDULE.
SATURDAY SCHEDULE. ONE OF THE THINGS I DID NOTICE
LAST NIGHT THAT THEY UPDATED US
ON WHEN ROAD CONDITIONS GET
WORSE, +@THEY ENDED UP CANCELIN
SERVICES LAST NIGHT AROUND
10:00.
10:00.
10:00. SO
10:00. SO KEEP THAT IN MIND THAT THEY
ARE GOING TO BE OPERATING BUT
+@
ARE GOING TO BE OPERATING BUT THEY COULD WRAP THOSE SERVICES
UP AT ANY POINT CARA, OVER TO
+@
UP AT ANY POINT CARA, OVER TO YOU.
YOU.
YOU. >>
YOU. >> FOR THE LATEST ON THE
OUTAGES, HEAD OVER TO OUR
WEBSITE.
WEBSITE.
WEBSITE. WE'LL PUSH OUT ALERTS.
>>> AND ARE YOU WITHOUT POWER
RIGHT NOW?
RIGHT NOW? HOW ARE YOU COPING?
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU.
LEAVE A VOICE MAIL.
972-677-3941.
972-677-3941. HERE'S HOSPITALIZE WHAT ONE HAD
TO SAY.
TO SAY.
TO SAY. >> THIS I+@S THE WORST SITUATIO
+@
>> THIS I+@S THE WORST SITUATIO +@I'VE EVER BEEN IN.
WE CAN'T DRIVE TO GET FOOD.
WE CAN'T COOK FOOD.
+@
+@ SOMEONE NEEDS TO ANSWER