NEWS
NEWS AT
NEWS AT 6:00 STARTS NOW. >>> AND TONIGHT A LIVE LOOK AT
+@
+@ SNOW
+@ SNOW ON THE ROADS.
MILLIONS OF TEXANS WITHOUT
POWER.
POWER.
POWER. THOSE OUTAGES COULD LAST FOR
HOURS.
HOURS.
HOURS. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR
UNPRECEDENTED WINTER STORM
COVERAGE.
COVERAGE.
COVERAGE. AND ANOTHER ROUND IS MOVING IN
OUR DIRECTION. +@
I AM CYNTHI+@A AGARRY.
>> WHAT IT DOES NOT SHOW IS
WHICH CUSTOMERS LOST POWER
BECAUSE OF STORM DAMAGE, AND
WHICH ARE THE RESULT OF ERCOT'S
SCHEDULED OUTAGES.
SCHEDULED OUTAGES. IF YOU ARE WONDERING WHY PEOPLE
HAVE BEEN WIT+@HOUT POWER FOR
HOURS AND +@OTHERS NEVER LOST I
ONCOR SAYS IT MAY COME DOWN TO
WHERE YOU LIVE.
FAMILIES MAY HAVE LITTLE TO NO
ISSUES IF THEY LIVE NEAR
CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE +@LIKE
SAY HOSPITALS, BECAUSE THE HOLE
+@
SAY HOSPITALS, BECAUSE THE HOLE POINT OF ROLLING OUTAGES IS TO
CONSERVE ENOUGH WATER TO KEEP
THE ESSENTIAL SERVICE UP AND
RUNNING.
RUNNING.
RUNNING. >>> GRAB YOUR PHONES, WE WANT
TO HEAR FROM YOU.
WHAT THE LONGEST POWER OUTAGE
YOU EXPERIENCED IN THE WINTER
WEATHER.
WEATHER.
WEATHER. GO TO WFAA.
COM/VOTE NOW, OR YOU CA+@N CLIC
ON THE VOTE NOW TILE IN OUR
WFAA APP.
WFAA APP.
WFAA APP. OK+@AY, JASON, WHITELEY IS
STARTING TEAM COVERAGE BUT
JASON,+@ RI+@GHT BEFORE WE GET
YOU, WE HAVE BREAKING NEWS.
AN EMERGENCY MESSAGE FROM THE
CITY+@ OF GRAPEVINE HAS BEEN SE
TO RESIDENTS WI+@THOUT POW+@ER.
THE CITY OF GRAPEVINE SAYS DO
NOT COUNT ON IT BEING RESTORED
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT.
+@
+@ YOU
+@ YOU SHOULD TRY TO STAY WITH +@
FRIENDS, FAMILY, IN A HOTEL, OR
GO TO THE CITY WARMING SHELTER
AT THE WRATH OF GRAPEVINE.
THIS IS TROUBLING, ONCOR HAS
TOUGH QUESTIONS TO ANSWER.
>> Reporter: IT'S NOT JUST
+@ ONCOR BUT ERCOT AND STATE
LAWMAKERS.
LAWMAKERS. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY,
ERCOT WARNED ABOUT THIS, THAT
PEOPLE COULD BE WITHOUT POWER
THROUGH TONIGHT, POSSIBLY
THROUGH ALL DAY TOMORROW, SO
DON'T BE SURPRISED IF WE HEAR
MORE MESSAGES LIKE GRAPEVINE IS
GIVING US.
GIVING US. BUT YOU KNOW, NOT A SINGLE
+@ ENERGY EXPERT WAS SURPRISED BY
ALL THIS.
ALL THIS.
ALL THIS. WE KNEW THIS WAS COMING,
DESPI+@TE THAT, +@SOME ELECTRIC
PROVIDERS SIMPLY WERE NOT
READY.
READY.
READY. AND WHATEVER STEPS THEY DID
TAKE TO WINTERIZE THE+@IR
EQUIPMENT, IT WAS NOT ENOUGH.
AND THAT IS WHAT PLUNGED 2
MILLION TEXANS INTO THE DARK
TODAY.
TODAY.
TODAY. ERCOT IS THE OFFERINGS THAT
MANAGES THE TEXAS ELECTRICAL
GRID.
GRID.
GRID. AND
GRID. AND LAST NIGHT AROUND 11:00
P.M.
P.M.
P.M. THEY
P.M. THEY SAID MULTIPLE PLANTS
STARTED TO SHUT DOWN.
WITH LESS TRIESITY BEING
GENERATED, ROTATING OUTAGES.
SO, HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN
THOUGH IN +@THE LARGEST ENERGY
PRODUCING STATE IN THE COUNTRY?
UNLIKE OTHER STATES, TEXAS HAS
NEVER REQUIRED ELECTRIC PLANTS
TO WINTERIZE THEIR EQUIPMENT.
THAT WILL BE EXPENSIVE TO
PREPARE FOR WHAT'S RARE
OCCURRENCE.
OCCURRENCE. >> THERE ARE THINGS THAT CAN BE
DONE, BUT IT WILL COST MONEY.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHEN YOU
LOOK A THE PAST HISTORY,
WHETHER IT'S TEN Y+@EARS AGO,
2011, OR 12 YEARS BEFORE THAT,
1989, THERE'S COST TRADE-OFF.
DO YOU SUFFER EVERY TEN YEARS A
LITTLE BIT OF PAIN?
AND THEN HOW MUCH IS IT GOING
TO COST TO GO REALLY FULLY WINT
ARIZE THOSE, BECAUSE AS YOU
SAID IT'S A RARE EVENT.
>> Reporter: IT'S A RARE EVENT,
AND STATE LAWMAKERS ARE GETTING
INVOLVED, THOUGH.
INVOLVED, THOUGH. STATE REPRESENTATIVE JEFF LEECH
IS A REPUBLICAN FROM COLI+@N
COUNTY AND TWEETED ABOUT 90
MINUTES AGO S+@AYING, THIS
UNPRECEDENTED WEATHE+@R SITUATI
IS AN EMERGENCY AND THE PEOPLE
OF TEXAS DESERVE ANSWERS.
HE IS RIGHT.
IT IS OUR OBLIGATION ERIC SAID,
TO TELL THE TRUTH, EVEN WHEN IT
MIGHT BE BAD NEWS. +@
AND HE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE, +@
TECHAS DEMO+@CRATS SAYING STATE
LEADERS DROPPED THE BALL OVER
THE PAST YEARS.
THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE IS IN
SESSION RIGHT NOW, SO YOU CAN
BET THIS WILL LIKELY BE A
CENTRAL ISSUE.
CENTRAL ISSUE. HERE+@ AT THE STATE CAPITOL IN
AUSTIN.
AUSTIN.
AUSTIN. AND WE KNOW THAT EVERY
EXPERIENCE IS DIFFERENT IN ALL
OF THIS.+@
OF THIS.+@ WE WANT TO HEAR WHEN YOU'RE
GOING THROUGH AS WELL.
HOW YOU'RE COPING, WHAT WOULD
YOU TELL LEADERS?
WE OPENED A PHONE LINE FOR YOU
TO LEAVE A MESSAGE.
CALL THE NUMBER.
GRAB YOUR PHONE IT IS 977 --
972 RATHER-677-3941.
972 RATHER-677-3941. LEAVE US A VOICE MAIL, AND
CYNTHIA, WE MIGHT USE THAT ON
THE +@AIR.
THE +@AIR. >> YOU HAVE BEEN IN TEXAS
LONGER THAN I HAVE.
WE SEE MULTI+@PLE DAYS OVER 100
DEGREES IN THE SUMMER, AND THE
AC NEVER STOPS, WHAT MAKES THIS
SO DIFFERENT.
SO DIFFERENT. >> Reporter: YOU KNOW, WHAT IT
IS GEOGRAPHY.
IS GEOGRAPHY. WE ARE SO USED TO DEALING WITH
HE+@AT, WE ARE NOT USED TO
DEALING WITH FRIGID
TEMPERATURES.
TEMPERATURES. LOOK AT OKLAHOMA, IT HAS, YOU
+@
LOOK AT OKLAHOMA, IT HAS, YOU KNOW, THE WORST OF ALL THE
SEASONS.
SEASONS.
SEASONS. SO IT IS PREPARED FOR THE HEAT,
AND IT IS PREPARED FOR THE
COLD.
COLD.
COLD. AND
COLD. AND IN TEXAS, WE ARE PREPARED
FOR THE HEAT, BUT IT IS OFTEN
+@
+@ RARE
+@ RARE OCCURRENCE FOR WHAT WE ARE
GOING +@THROUGH NOW TO HAPPEN,
THAT THESE ELECTRIC GENE+@RATIN
COMPANIES ARE NOT PREPA+@RED FO
IT TO HAPPEN.
IT HAPPENS EVERY TEN YEARS.
AND THEY AR+@E TO THE READY.
>> QUICKLY BEFORE YOU SIGN OFF,
WHEN WILL WE HEAR FROM ERCOT?
EAT WOULD BE GREAT TO +@HEAR FR
THE CEO AND TAKE OUR QUESTIONS.
>> Reporter: THAT HE HAD NEWS
CONFERENCE EARLIER TODAY WHERE
THEY ANSWERED REPORTERS'
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. I WAS ON THE ONE YESTERDAY, AND
THERE WERE A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE+
TODAY'S WAS PACKED.
+@ ALL KINDS OF REPORTERS FROM ALL
OVER THE STATE AND ACROSS THE
COUNTRY ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT
WHAT'S HAPPENING.
WHAT'S HAPPENING. ERCOT DID PROMISE IT WOULD HAVE
ANOTHER NEWS CONFERENCE AT SOME
POINT TO ANSWER QUESTIONS,
BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU HAVE PLENTY
OF THE+@Y AS +@DO WE, AND WE AR
WAIT AT THIS HOUR A FEW MINUTES
AFTE+@R 6:00 TO FIND OUT IF AND
WAIT AT THIS HOUR A FEW MINUTES AFTE+@R 6:00 TO FIND OUT IF AND@
WHEN THAT WILL HAPPEN.
>> WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN, WE WILL
MAKE SURE TO BRING IT LIVE TO
+@ OUR VIEWERS.
OUR VIEWERS. THANK YOU, JASON.
>>> YOU KNOW, IT'S CR+@ITICAL T
STAY WEATHER AWARE DURING THE
WINTER BLAST.
WINTER BLAST. IF YOU HAVEN'T, RIGHT NOW IS
THE BEST TIME TO GET THE WFAA
APP.
APP.
APP. WE
APP. WE MADE +@IT SUPER EASY TO DOWN
LOAD.
LOAD.
LOAD. SCAN THE QR CODE ON THE BOTTOM
RIGHT CORNER OF YOUR SCREEN
WITH YOUR PHONE'S CAMERA.
AND THIS YOU HAVE IT.
YOU CAN HEAD TO WAFA.COM/APP TO
+@
YOU CAN HEAD TO WAFA.COM/APP TO DOWN LOAD IT.
PETE, WE ARE IN FOR A
DANGEROUSLY COLD NIGHT.
HOW LOW WILL THE TEMPERATURE
GET.
GET.
GET. >>>
GET. >>> THE FOURTH COLDEST
TEMPERATURE+@ RECORDED IN THE
DALLAS-F+@ORT WORTH AREA.
THAT'S WHAT'S IN THE FORECAST.
WE ARE+@ AT 13 IN DALLAS, 10 IN
FORT+@ WORTH.
FORT+@ WORTH. AND THE WIND CHILL IN D+@ALLAS
1 BELOW AND 5 BELOW IN FORT+@
WORTH.
WORTH.
WORTH. IT
WORTH. IT WILL WORSEN TONIGHT.
SINGLE DIGITS OR BELOW ZERO
TEMPS IS WHY WE HAVE A HARD
FREEZE WARNING TONIGHT.
AND WE HAVE A WIND CHILL
WARNING IN EFFECT TONIGHT
BECAUSE WIND CHILLS TO BE THE,
CHILLS TONIGHT AND TOMORROW
MORNING WILL BE 20 OR 30 BELOW
WIND CHILLS.
WIND CHILLS. AND T+@HAN A MAJOR WINTER STORM
WILL BRING ADDITIONAL SNOW, 2
TO 8", SOMEPLACE COS SEE A+@ .1
TO .25 TO A .50" OF ICE.
WE CLOUD UP DURING THE DAY
TOMORROW.
TOMORROW.
TOMORROW. WE ARE DRY AND WE+@ ARE CLEAR
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT. SKIES CLEAR OUT, TEMPERATURES
PLUMMET TONIGHT.
PLUMMET TONIGHT. AND 6:00 TOMORROW, 6:00 P.M.,
FLURRIES DURING THE AFTERNOON.
AND THAT'S SNOW.+@
THE BLUE IS SNOW AND SO IS THE
WHITE.
WHITE.
WHITE. THE PINK IS FREEZING RAIN.
LOOK AT THIS.
MIDNIGHT TO+@MORROW NIGHT, THAT
SNOW IN DALLAS, AND FORT WORTH.
FREEZING RAIN TO THE SOUTH.
AND FREEZING RAIN AND SNOW HE
AT 3:00 IN THE MORNING,
FREEZING RAIN AND SNOW AT 5:00.
7:00 IN THE MORNING ON
WEDNESDAY, AND IT'S SNOWING,
FREEZING RAIN AND ALSO SLEET
+@
FREEZING RAIN AND ALSO SLEET ACROSS THE AREA.
ALL OF THAT IN THE FORECAST.
THE HIGHEST SNOW TOTALS WILL BE
+@
+@ IN
+@ IN NORTHEAST TEXAS, 5 TO 8
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. AND DALLAS-FORT WORTH FROM AN
ADDITIONAL 2 TO 5" OF SNOW WITH
THIS NEXT SYSTEM.
LOWER AMOUNTS TO THE SOUTH 1 TO
2 IN HILLSBOROUGH AND LESS THAN
1 "I IN WACO.
HERE'S PROBLEM.
HERE'S PROBLEM. YOU'RE LESS THAN 1" IN SNOW OR
AN INCH OR TWO IS NOT A BIG
DEAL.
DEAL.
DEAL. THIS IS A MAJOR DEAL.
THIS WILL BE A MAJOR ICE STORM
FOR THIS PART OF THE STATE OF
TEXAS.
TEXAS.
TEXAS. DALLAS FORT WORTH COULD SEE A
COVERING, A GLAZE, UP TO .10
JUST TO THE +@SOUTH, CLEBURNE,
WAXAHACHIE COULD SEE .10 TO.25.
AND THIS IS CRIPPLING ICE RIGHT
HERE ACROSS THIS PART OF THE
STATE.
STATE.
STATE. AND IF THE FLUFFY SNOW WE HAD
HAS CAUSED PROBLEMS WITH -- I
KNOW THE LACK OF POWER PLANTS
IS OUR PROBLEM OR POWER PLANTS
THAT ARE NOT PREPARED TO DEAL
WITH THIS COLD, NOW WHEN+@ YOU
FIGURE IN ICE ON THE POWER
LINE+@S, WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT.
I MEAN, WE HAD A GLAZE OR A
COATI+@NG+@ HERE OR THIS.+@
BUT IT WAS FLUFFY SNOW.
NOW YOU FIGURE IN THIS ICE,
THAT'S WHY I BELIEVE FOR THE
NEXT SEVERAL DAYS, WE WILL HAVE
MORE PROBLEMS AHEAD.
I WILL BE BACK WITH MORE
DETAILS.
DETAILS.
DETAILS. >>> SEVERA+@L OF YOU DEALT WITH
HOURS AND HOURS OF POWER
OUTAGES.
OUTAGES.
OUTAGES. SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS ARE
REALLY SUFFERING DOING ANYTHING
TO STAY WARM BECAUSE THEIR HOUR
HAS BEEN OUT FOR HOURS UPON
HOURS.
HOURS.
HOURS. YETTA HOWARD +@AND HER CHILDREN
H+@AVE BEEN WITHOUT POWER SINCE
YESTERDAY AFTE+@RNOON.
YESTERDAY AFTE+@RNOON. W+@ITH NO WAY TO STAY WARM, SHE
AND HER CHILDREN ARE STAYING
BUNDLED UP ON THE COUCH, BEST
THEY CAN.
THEY CAN.
THEY CAN. AND AS IF THE POWER GOING OUT
WAS NOT BAD ENOUGH, HER G+@AS
WENT OUT, TOO.
>>> MUCH OF THE STATE IS
BLANKETED BY ICE, SNOW AND KIND
OF BITTER COLD TEMPERATURES
THAT CAUSES PIPES +@TO BURST.
THAT'S WHY RED CROSS VOLUNTEERS
ARE LOADING UP COTS AND
BLANKETS FROM THE WAREHOUSES
+@
BLANKETS FROM THE WAREHOUSES AND PLAN TO TAKE THEM TO
WARMING SHELTERS ACROSS THE
STATE. +@
STATE. +@
STATE. +@ ONCE AGAIN, DOING ANYTHING THEY
CAN TO HELP KEEP TEXANS SAFE.
>>> OFFICIALS ARE ADVISING
+@
>>> OFFICIALS ARE ADVISING 100,000 PEOPLE IN NORTH FORT
WORTH TO BOIL WATER.
THE AREA COULD BE WITHOUT
FRESHWATER THROUGH THE END OF
THE DAY TOMORROW.
EAGLE MOUNTAIN WATER PLANT LOST
POWER AND IT HAS NOT COME BACK
ON.
ON.
ON. THE
ON. THE PLANT HAD MULTIPLE BLITZ OF
NO POWER DUE TO THE ROLLING
OUTAGES.
OUTAGES.
OUTAGES. SO IF YOU LIVE IN NORTH FORT
WORTH, BOIL WATER.
>>> TOMORROW+@ AND WEDNESDAY MA
DISTRICTS SAY IT CLOSING TO
CONSERVE POWER.
CONSERVE POWER. WE HAVE A LIST OF CLOSURES AT
THE BOTTO+@M OF THE SCR+@EEN.
KEVIN REECE IS LIVE IN
RICHARDSON.
RICHARDSON. WHAT IS THAT DISTRICT'S PLAN?
>> Reporter: A LOT OTHER
REASONS FOR THE CLOSURES.
FIRST, NO ONE WANTS TO PUT
SCHOOL BUSES ON ROADS THAT LOOK
LIKE THIS.
LIKE THIS. AND EVEN IF THEY DID RELY ON+@
VIRTUAL LEARNING, THERE'S NO
GUARANTEE THE STUDENT AT HOME
OR TEACHERS HERE AT THE JESS
HARBEN ELEMENTARY WOULD +@HAVE
CONSISTENT POWER.
CONSISTENT POWER. SO SCHOOLS IN RICHARDSON ISD,
LIKE OTHER SCHOOLS SHALL , WILL
BE CLOSED, MA+@KING THE NEXT
DECISIONS DAY BY DAY.
WITH OUTAGE KNOCKING OUT THE
WEBSITE AND OUTAGES AFFECTING
+@
+@ SCHOOL
+@ SCHOOL BUILDINGS, RICHARDSON
CANCELED ALL IN-PERSON AND
VIRTUAL SCHOOL ON TUESDAY.
>> WE ARE ANTICIPATING POSSIBLY
TRYING TO GO TO VIRTUAL AT SOME
POINT, BUT,+@ AGAIN, THE ROLLIN
BLACKOUTS AND INTERMITTENT
POWER OUTAGES AND HOW THAT IS
IMPACTING TECHNOLOGY IS
IMPACTING ANY LONG-TERM
DECISION BEYOND A DAY TO DAY AT
THIS POINT.
THIS POINT. >> Repo+@rter: AND EVERY OTHER
TEXAS SCHOOL DISTRICT IS UP
AGAIN THE SAME.
DALLAS ISD AND FORT WORTH ISD
ANNOUNCING NO CLASSES AT LEAST
THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
THROUGH WEDNESDAY. PLANO ISD HAD TOMORROW PLANNED
AS A STUDENT HOLIDAY.
AND CEDAR HILL WILL BE CLOSED
TOMORROW.
TOMORROW.
TOMORROW. AND LOUISVILLE ISD AND
DUNCANVILLE ISD CLOSED THROUGH
WEDNESDAY.
WEDNESDAY. SMALLER DISTRICTS LIKE AILETTEO
DECIDED TO CLOSE AT LEAST
THROUGH THURSDAY.
THROUGH THURSDAY. AND FOR ALL, OF+@ THE SAME
REASONS.
REASONS.
REASONS. >> WE JUST WANT A TO MAKE SURE
THAT OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR
FAMILIES AND, OF COURSE, ALL OF
OUR NEARLY 5500 EMPLOYEES ARE
SAFE, AND WARM.
>> Reporter: BECAUSE SURVIVAL
IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON
+@
IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. WE CAN GET TO THE REST OF THE
SYLLABUS WHEN THE BIG FREEZE IS
OVER.
OVER.
OVER. IN
OVER. IN RICHARDSON, I AM KEVIN RE HE
ECE.
ECE.
ECE. >>>
ECE. >>> PEOPLE ARE FINDING A LOT OF
WAYS TO KEEP WARM, BUT WE HAVE
TO +@WATCH OUT FOR CARBON MONDA
OBJECTIONIZE POISONING.