HOUSTON — Texas residents recalled prolonged power outages, health emergencies and property losses as they reflected on the impacts of the 2021 Texas winter storm, which caused widespread blackouts and at least 246 deaths statewide.
Pedro Montemayor said he was recovering from knee surgery when the storm struck and spent two weeks under blankets in his bed waiting for electricity to return to his Denver Harbor home. His wife remained in Mexico for a funeral after he advised her to delay her return until power and water service were restored.
Montemayor was among millions of Texans who lost electricity when power plants failed in freezing conditions, prompting grid operators to implement rolling blackouts. State leaders and energy companies have since said the grid is more resilient than it was five years ago.
Memories of the outages continue to influence how some residents respond to severe weather forecasts. Montemayor said he prepares when winter storms are predicted.
The storm caused hundreds of billions of dollars in damage and left some low-income residents without access to heating centers or support networks, said Patricia Zavala, executive director of the nonprofit PowerHouse Texas.
Dr. Samuel Prater said he witnessed the effects of the storm while serving as medical director for the emergency center at Memorial Hermann Hospital. He said the hospital recorded three times its annual number of carbon monoxide poisoning cases within 72 hours as residents brought barbecue pits indoors to stay warm.
Prater described the surge as a mass casualty event and said staff secured additional oxygen tanks after the number of patients exceeded available wall outlets. He said hospitals typically prepare for incidents such as shootings and bus crashes but were strained by the volume of carbon monoxide cases during the storm.
Houston resident Alicia Vela said her family remained in bed under blankets to stay warm during the roughly two weeks their home was without electricity. The family used a working gas stove to cook meals but discarded spoiled meats and cheese, and several plants died. Vela said she noticed power had returned when a light turned on and expressed gratitude for the restoration of electricity.