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NotYou007 t1_j1hf1oc wrote

I'm in Maine and a tad over 248,000 are still without power. Didn't help we had excessive winds which prevented linesmen from doing their jobs. Thankfully I never lost power but 2 miles down the road it is a different story.

A lot of people in Maine have generators and wood stoves but a lot of others do not and right now it is 20 degrees and the high for today is 21 with a low of 12 and we won't get above freezing till Thursday so for some, this could become a life threating situation.

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asdaaaaaaaa t1_j1hfiup wrote

>A lot of people in Maine have generators and wood stoves but a lot of others do not and right now

It's probably going to become as "normal" as a fridge or HVAC in housing for some areas in the future. Climate's changing, and expected temperatures/extremes are changing. Not much else someone can really do when you effectively know you're going to get weather like this and the infrastructure isn't going to handle it anytime soon. I know many people who already had their own large generator/solar installed to their houses due to that, many people know it's going to be something they want and don't want to wait until everyone's rushing to have theirs installed.

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TheodoeBhabrot t1_j1ho0yt wrote

These big outages are cyclical in New England, we have a ton of trees and above ground lines, the power companies trim them the best they can in the summer but a big enough storm comes through and nature culls the ones they didn’t get to, causing these outages.

Then it’s usually a few years before the trees get to a state where they’re susceptible to this again, at least from pure wind.

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mant12 t1_j1hpx7h wrote

Wood stoves have always been common in Maine, might see more generators but the issue with those is cost. This has been a problem in Maine as long as I’ve been alive. Heavily wooded landscape does not bode well when there are high winds or lots of snow.

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SadElkBoy t1_j1idg0q wrote

Yeah southeast Idaho doesn’t seem to have the same issues with widespread outages, but a big part of that is that the snake River plain doesn’t have a ton of trees

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jdjvbtjbkgvb t1_j1jto2d wrote

Free idea for the people in charge: dig the power wires underground

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fragnoli t1_j1juh75 wrote

They do, but it’s a lot of extra work to secure them properly. Lots of concrete and need special (more expensive) wire. Then something eventually happens, but they have no way to track down exactly where the issue is. It ends up being cheaper to run new poles and lines over the underground ones than to fix.

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jdjvbtjbkgvb t1_j1jz3tb wrote

Sure, I quess it's more expensive to do it, until you count all the death and destruction you get with the cheap option.

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pzerr t1_j1l9rjt wrote

Not really. Say it would cost a trillion dollars to bury them all. Put that money towards new hospitals and you would save factors more people.

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jdjvbtjbkgvb t1_j1laf9k wrote

Until the hospitals run out of power... What kind of comparison is that?

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pzerr t1_j1lbb26 wrote

Hospitals have generators. Nearly every one of them.

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jdjvbtjbkgvb t1_j1lbt33 wrote

Yes I agree you need hospitals. You also need reliable power infrastrucrure. You can put part of it underground, some parts overground, make back-up lines. Reliable power infra is possible to achieve. And you do not have to give up your hospitals.Yet you do not seem to want changes to the infrastructure? I am at a loss.

I am quessing that 1) the infrastructure is actually privatized 2) even the hospitals you speak of are privatized. And in that case, sure, you can just calmly count the dollars and say stuff like that. Hospitals have generators...

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pzerr t1_j1mhjs3 wrote

Anything is possible to change with enough money and labor. What industries do you take that labor from that doesn't hurt us in other ways?

0

Fun-Gap4015 t1_j1hrnv6 wrote

Mainers are doing just fine thanks, we've had a winter or two

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holyhellsteve t1_j1ibab1 wrote

Missing the good old days like the ice storm in 98. Three family's staying in our little two bedroom for 12 days because we had the furnace plugged into the neighbors generator.

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Fun-Gap4015 t1_j1ii92x wrote

I'm hoping to get enough maine girls over for a full set of teeth. THEN we can cuddle for warmth

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flaccidcolon t1_j1ibgxw wrote

We had a terrible winter storm a few years back and nearly froze. Because of this, we installed a wood stove in our house. Now I don't worry nearly as much during the cold months.

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asdaaaaaaaa t1_j1ibonn wrote

Yep, been hearing the same in a lot of places. Either a stove, or the fancy people getting entire backup-generators. They don't help much if the infrastructure (specifically gas, in their case) goes up though. I think some people are confused and think I meant only in Maine, where most people already have some form of backup heat. Plenty of places don't though, although people are learning quite quick it seems.

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flaccidcolon t1_j1ibx1y wrote

Yeah I'm in the pnw and it does snow a little here but our entire city was without power for days and days. Even the hotels were powerless. So we invested in the woodstove and I'm glad we did!

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pzerr t1_j1laabw wrote

It is pretty rare to lose gas. Being buried as it is. I recall speaking with a technician in my area about this. Wondered what happened if we lost a major compressor. He stated there was enough capacity between distribution and feeder lines to last three colder days and that there was multiple compressors that needed to fail for this to happen. Worst is a line break normal due to digging but that typically effects few people.

I can't think of a single instance where we last gas in my 50 years. Do recall days of no power. Mind you that is pretty rare now.

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AdorableTrouble t1_j1k94dz wrote

We've got a couple of kerosene heaters and always keep some fuel for them on hand. One thing about power out in the winter is not usually worrying about our outside freezer.

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pzerr t1_j1l9m1x wrote

Solar does not help in a power outage. Have solar installed myself. Batteries are not viable in any way but for a few hours.

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[deleted] t1_j1i3s4k wrote

[deleted]

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Desner_ t1_j1i89ik wrote

There was a push of hot air in the north, in Québec we got snow yesterday morning, then a bunch of rain before it turned to snow again. Meanwhile Texas was freezing. Pretty odd indeed.

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Azudekai t1_j1iclif wrote

Maine isn't that cold, mostly wet and windy from coast proximity.

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VyrPlan t1_j1hgfzc wrote

deep woods of northern Wisconsin here, and last few hours it warmed up nearly twenty degrees...to -30°f

how y'all doin?

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rpbanker t1_j1hm2cu wrote

Minnesota here. Our power didn't even flicker. I'm going in to work today.

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LanN00B t1_j1hpfxh wrote

At work now in MN. I wish we would just shut down.

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minneapple79 t1_j1hzxxq wrote

Born and raised in Minnesota. It used to take like three feet of snow to get school closed for ONE DAY. Or the time we had the -70 windchill and the governor closed the schools.

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zNNS t1_j1ief6g wrote

I think the ability to have distance learning makes it an easier case to close schools. After 2 busses flipped over in Waconia, it seems like a safer choice if they're prepared for it.

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No_Policy_146 t1_j1ib8uf wrote

I don’t recall long power outages in the winter in Minnesota. Pretty sure the plumbing would freeze. I’m guessing you shut main line water. Open faucets, flush toilets. Eventually drain water heater. Am I missing anything?

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rpbanker t1_j1iw4am wrote

Maybe if you live in a trailer. For the rest of us it’s just “Tuesday”. Most everything works, roads are cleared quickly, and supplies come in the next day.

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No_Policy_146 t1_j1juo2y wrote

How long can your water line stay above freezing if it’s high of -5 and you don’t have power for a day and a half. I’m in a nice 4,000 sq ft house and the electricity went out for about 5 hours in the winter and it got down to the 50’s.

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rpbanker t1_j1lmlbl wrote

I really don't know. That's not something that I've faced up here in 53 years. We don't really lose power for a day and a half; at least, not in the winter.

I guess drain the whatsis and turn off the whoozis as that other person said. Anyway, I live in an apartment, so pipes bursting is not my problem.

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ArrrGaming t1_j1hr7gg wrote

40 F (up from 17 F yesterday) here in the PNW - and now we’re under flood watch.

I’m pretty sure we’ll be okay where I live specifically but I’m worried for people here in general.

Stay warm and we’ll try to stay dry!

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crestonfunk t1_j1i70tj wrote

Venice CA here. We’ll be lucky if we crack 68F today.

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Vegabern t1_j1hyxjz wrote

It's up to 5 with a -16 windchill in Milwaukee. But I own a husky so I'm getting ready to take her to the dog park.

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jaytrade21 t1_j1hqz0s wrote

I guess I should be grateful I'm at 8 degrees here huh?

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hamsterpookie t1_j1iug40 wrote

Los Angeles checking in. We have a high of 76 today, so all in all, pretty reasonable. Might go out in short sleeves. Should I take a light jacket?

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EvlMinion t1_j1j0h3a wrote

It's a positively balmy 23 here in TN. We'll even get above freezing by Monday!

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WontArnett t1_j1hzddg wrote

Well, you do live in the middle of nowhere in Wisconsin

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Starkid1987 t1_j1jfll1 wrote

High of 70 here in Phoenix. Going well good luck up there. My fam is in KC and it’s 19 there for a high…

0

dzastrus t1_j1hhrrp wrote

I wonder what the toll will be on the livestock.

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korean2na t1_j1hug58 wrote

Damn I hadn't considered the effect it would have on livestock. I hope they're okay for both their sake and the sake of not having meat prices soar.

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ThatOtherGuy_CA t1_j1icoiz wrote

Kind of depends on the livestock, cattle can survive these colds easily so long as farmer throw out extra hay and straw, they produce a ton of heat when they eat and they just huddle up when it’s this cold.

Worst I remember seeming on the farm was their ears freezing off. And that was during a week of -40.

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korean2na t1_j1ie16i wrote

Thank you for the insight, that is some relief to hear. I imagine the fowl don't fare as well, but hopefully they have some ways to accommodate the bird buds.

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Majestic_Grocery7015 t1_j1ja8nn wrote

Chickens are pretty hardy actually. As long as they have a ventilated, but not drafty space out of the wind they handle it well.

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sunflowerastronaut t1_j1k4rrz wrote

Sometimes their snot can freeze over their nose and mouths and they suffocate. Farmers I know usually have to go out there once or twice and wipe their faces

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DIYThrowaway01 t1_j1hxdee wrote

Livestock doesn't use electricity, so this doesn't really affect them.

The temperatures are fairly normal

−55

Businessfood t1_j1i65hz wrote

And if we didn't use electricity we'd be freezing as well

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princevegeta951 t1_j1jrpi8 wrote

Northern Michigan here, my chickens and ducks are crazy resilient to cold temps with extra bedding and food in the coop. They definitely have not left the coop for the last 3 days lol

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GuybrushBeeblebrox t1_j1igops wrote

I wonder what the toll will be on the homeless

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robbviously t1_j1j3tbl wrote

Atlanta has opened a total of 3 warming shelters. We have countless churches in this state. I’m curious as to how many of them have opened their gymnasiums or community centers or chapels to allow the homeless a warm place to sleep for the night and how many are giving their annual Christmas show priority.

Tis’ the season.

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blackesthearted t1_j1js3uv wrote

My area has some warming centers, and they're announcing them regularly on social media and the local news, but not everyone's able to get one.

I work in an ER, though I've been off since yesterday and don't go back until Monday. I've heard from friends/co-workers working yesterday and today, though, that we've had several homeless people come in with frostbite or freezing injuries - such as an arm or leg froze to a surface, like the ground, and the skin and tissue was damaged when the person moved.

And mind, we haven't gotten hit as badly in my area of MI as many other areas. Having been homeless, my heart breaks for them.

There's a guy I see every so often when I go to my aunt's to run errands for her, and I managed to get him to accept a winter coat and some gloves I got him. I wanted to get him some good boots, but he actually had some really decent ones he said he got from a charity a few weeks ago. There's a shelter I called that would take him, but he didn't want to go. (Unfortunately you can't force help on everyone; again, I've been in that place years ago.) I really, really hope he's okay.

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Triphin1 t1_j1hc5wa wrote

This is when they think - dam, shoulda got some of those pizza buckets

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BoyTitan t1_j1jgo4j wrote

Buffalo NY here expect higher number when people can get outside to confirm deaths.

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sharlayan t1_j1juvm2 wrote

In Atlanta. We have a ton of places with pipes bursting because the sprinkler systems aren't built to withstand this sort of cold, so people are just getting their apartments destroyed all over.

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Jillredhanded t1_j1iqu05 wrote

Good time to get into the woodstove business.

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platitood t1_j1jqsnc wrote

I live in Seattle and I am so glad we managed to get our brush with freezing rain completed before the actual holiday began. My sympathy to everybody who is in the middle of it or has it looming over them.

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LaLucertola t1_j1kcsa8 wrote

In SE Wisconsin, my power stayed on (stray outages across the state), but the real fear was a natural gas shortage last night. Supply dropped something like 30% due to a pipeline problem and our energy company asked us all to conserve and turn the heat down. On a day where it didn't get above 0°F, the thought of a cascading, regional heat failure was terrifying.

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Song_Spiritual t1_j1ihypy wrote

Why did CNN use a pic of Chicago?

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RidCyn t1_j1jfa06 wrote

Still better off than most of Ukraine.

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shady8x t1_j1jwigv wrote

Well yea. It's a snow storm, not a genocidal invasion of a stronger neighboring country that wants to wipe us out because it's blitzkrieg plan didn't work.

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pneumatichorseman t1_j1i6t5g wrote

Misleading title. No one is without bitter cold...

−8

Boxthor t1_j1icimk wrote

In California we're debating between light and medium jackets

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Aggravating_Depth_33 t1_j1jt424 wrote

In San Diego, sitting outside in the sun right now I'm hot in a thin sleeveless top.

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Woody_Harryishson t1_j1j37ht wrote

SoCal here, it's been 60-70 all month. I'm outside I'm shorts and a tshirt washing my car right now.

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westviadixie t1_j1jqp44 wrote

southern oregon reporting in...our lows are in the high 40s. it's almost 60 degrees right now.

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DMMMOM t1_j1is7t3 wrote

So what's the thinking? Jesus punishing gays? Allowing abortion to continue in some states? Stock market profiteering? Or a random meteorological phenomena?

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Wheres_that_to t1_j1iu235 wrote

Only the superstitious would attempt that rational,

It's just an extreme weather event, one of many to come, as the climate crises gains momentum.

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pinkwonderwall t1_j1jsqk2 wrote

The government using their weather machine to control the masses. Their weatherinator, if you will.

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[deleted] t1_j1h9zu6 wrote

[deleted]

−14

Kurshuk t1_j1hac5b wrote

You're taking about a populace that decimated toilet paper at the slightest bump in the road. If something really breaks they're not making it.

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Soronir t1_j1ibdn5 wrote

Technically anyone that stockpiled enough toilet paper and hand sanitizer had something to burn for warmth.

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[deleted] t1_j1hajv8 wrote

[deleted]

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burningcpuwastaken t1_j1himw9 wrote

You're probably being downvoted because your comment is about as useless as someone from the US criticizing European states for not having air conditioning as standard.

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Kurshuk t1_j1hb4n4 wrote

Well? It is the Internet. It's easy to be loud and wrong. Sometimes I think it's good because it gives people space to practice social engineering but that attitude afield tends to make some issues. You can keep pretending you're right on the internet, but when you're shitting yourself because the water seemed clean the only person you're trying to convince is yourself.

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Emotional-Hunt-5000 t1_j1hbnas wrote

I wanted to yell and say OUR WATER IS CLEAN! But I don't live to far from flint michigan so I'll just go away now

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Kurshuk t1_j1hcdz8 wrote

Nah, not suggesting municipal water is unsafe, the pretty vast majority is pretty good. Just saying people who live in the internet tend to do poorly doing things like backpacking. I've watched people just go rub raw water from the stream in their eyes and cup their hands to drink a bunch. Watched a lot of people with a high standard of living suffer doing outdoors stuff over the years.

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sonic_tower t1_j1hbyu2 wrote

American here.

You would think all the "preppers" would be ready for a snow storm. But they were too busy buying guns and researching bunker mansions online.

You can't shoot your way out of cold weather. A real prepper would have traded their guns for blankets, firewood, and potatoes.

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mOdQuArK t1_j1jwxd4 wrote

> A real prepper would have traded their guns for blankets, firewood, and potatoes.

And lots of hard liquor - better than gold in an apocalyptic situation :-)

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thetasigma_1355 t1_j1hue40 wrote

If you live in rural Maine where outages could be days? Sure.

But the large large majority of people do not need a second source of heat. Why should a hundred million people spend money on secondary sources of heat they won’t need?

There are way more people who need primary sources of AC for heatwaves than need a secondary source of heat.

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ParticularRiver8064 t1_j1iz87z wrote

Lighting a fire inside an unventilated house is extremely dangerous. A lot of houses and especially apartments just aren’t built for that, and it is too expensive to retrofit them. A lot of deaths due to power outages are due to people lighting fires inside to keep warm.

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MortimerDongle t1_j1igokd wrote

Fireplaces (wood or gas) are already pretty common in the northeast. It's usually not enough to make an entire house comfortable, but it can keep your pipes from freezing.

0

autotelica t1_j1i2cep wrote

I do not have a fireplace, a heating oil tank, or a propane heater for my house. And thank goodness for that, because these things would all be wasted on me. My power hasn't gone out for longer than 15 minutes in the 7 years I have lived here.

If my power went out right now, I would just pull out my old kerosene heater and go get some kerosene. And crack a window.

−11

CuttingTheMustard t1_j1i4pqb wrote

For what it’s worth - don’t expect anyone to have kerosene in stock if that happens. Normally sold out the day before a big freeze.

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autotelica t1_j1i53ux wrote

I guess in that case I would find a hotel or Air BnB.

−8

ParaNormalBeast t1_j1ierhc wrote

So everyone mocks Texas but then it happens to them and they’re silent.

−17

BasroilII t1_j1imdc3 wrote

There's a gigantic difference though.

The outages in Tesas were less because of the storm, and more because of two things:

  1. Deregulation of the power industry allowing them to ignore crucially needed winterizing;

  2. The people of Texas voting to NOT tie into the nation's grid.

If they hadn't voted that way, no one in Texas would have died, most likely. They might not have even had many lose power.

The one in the Northeast? No one voted to set up their state so that they would have no backup. It wasn't caused by corrupt companies ignoring regulations. It was just a powerful storm.

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Jabromosdef t1_j1ijo65 wrote

I remember vividly how people on here were saying we deserved it because if you live in Texas, you must be a conservative asshole.

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BasroilII t1_j1imk08 wrote

No one in Texas deserved that. And I say that as a registered Democrat and a diehard liberal voter. No one deserved to freeze to death, ever. Except maybe the corrupt politicians that convinced your states voters to shoot themselves in the foot regarding their own power grid, then tried to blame fucking windmills for it.

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Jabromosdef t1_j1io1l9 wrote

The thing is, I live in the bluest city in Texas. Any ballot measure or legislation that comes will heavily lean republican due to Gerrymandering. If anyone would like to argue this, I’ll link Texas’ 2nd congressional district. Just guess why it is shaped like that. Looks like Onyx from Pokémon.

https://www.texastribune.org/directory/districts/us-house/2/

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BasroilII t1_j1iprfl wrote

Oh I get it, and I believe you 100%. But I have to say that is just proof people don't vote enough. If the GOP gerrymandered the map, it's because they were voted into positions where they could. If no one challenged them, it's because the people who appointed relevant judges were voted into place.

American (and I want to make clear I am not targeting you as an individual here) has a problem with thinking only one vote matters, and it's for one guy every four years in november. Every position from the lowest city clerk to US senator matters, and we need to vote consistently for everything, not just put a ballot in for president when we're worried about a hotbutton item that we'll forget a week later.

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Jabromosdef t1_j1iq9mk wrote

100%. We always say if the valley voted, Texas would be the most valuable swing state. Hopefully that changes with these younger voters coming of age but as of right now most people only vote in presidential elections.

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ParaNormalBeast t1_j1ijw53 wrote

Yea I don’t lean left or right, I had a 1 month old at the time of the storm, and all anyone ever said was “lol texas” as if a storm of the century was our fault

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Woody_Harryishson t1_j1j2vyz wrote

Everyone mocks Texas because all contiguous 48 States are connected to the same power grid and pay taxes and Texas was like "Haha fuck you, fuck your taxes, fuck your power grid, fuck your Federal Government were gonna make our own power grid and every election cycle were gonna float the idea of seceding from the United States cause were better than you."

Then their power goes out because their shitty grid can't handle the winter or the summer rains and we all laugh at those morons who voted for the politicians who made the bed they are sleeping in.

Sucks for everyone who didn't vote for those people but there are plenty of other States to live in.

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mygoditsfullofstars2 t1_j1r78ft wrote

But the grid only failed that 1 time in a storm that nobody could predict. I understand it should have been better, but everything past that storm in 2021 has been heavily sensationalized.

Even in the latest storm the grid had held up better than many northern states, yet the headlines are focusing almost exclusively on the very, very tiny percentage of Texans that list power on this storm

Out of the 1.6 million people that have lost power during this cold front, only 63,000 were Texans.

It's sick when a completely avoidable disaster happens in another state and reddit always comes together and is so sad for those poor people affected. But then Texas in 2021 experiences colder temps than Antarctica in a region that 24 hours prior was at 85° and the majority of people that were affected were the under privileged, yet reddit was applauding their deaths and cheering for more to die. Sick bastards, the lot of you

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UsmcFatManBear t1_j1iyogc wrote

Texas wants its own electric grid and causes its own issues. That's why people mocked it

5

7ipptoe t1_j1ijh4a wrote

Somehow we’ve made even winter storms political. Despite them happening.. every year since.. we paid attention to the weather.

Either you’re prepared or not. If you’re not, that’s on you. Own it. But don’t be afraid to ask for help. Folks that are gonna be ok, think about those that may not be. We’re all Americans FFS, act like it.

Be prepared next year. For another one of those storms of a lifetime.

−2

ParaNormalBeast t1_j1ik4dk wrote

I think most of Texas wasn’t ready for it, be that lack of supplies or back up generators that most of my northern family has. We are now

2