Artic Winter Blasts Wreak Havoc on Eagle Pass and Maverick County during February 14-20, 2021
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2021
A historic record-breaking pair of Artic winter blasts wreaked havoc on Eagle Pass and Maverick County, Texas during the week of February 14-20, 2021, as well as in the entire State of Texas and other southern and Midwest states in America.
The first Artic Winter Blast arrived in Maverick County on Valentine’s Day, Sunday, February 14, 2021, packing frigid cold temperatures and a snowfall of up to three inches, causing the Texas electricity grid to fail and stranding over 26 million Texans without power, including many communities with sub-freezing temperatures in the low teens.
Eagle Pass and Maverick County were no exception as the thermometer dipped as low as 18 degrees on Monday, February 15, forcing Eagle Pass Independent School District (EPISD) Superintendent Samuel Mijares to cancel remote and in-person instruction scheduled for February 15 and rescheduling it for Tuesday, February 16. The EPISD went on to cancel and reschedule instruction for the next three consecutive days until on Wednesday, February 17, Superintendent Mijares cancelled all instruction until Monday, February 22, as the first Artic blast disrupted essential services such as electricity, water, food supply, and gasoline within Maverick County.
The first winter storm caused havoc on Eagle Pass and Maverick County residents as over 13,000 households lost electricity power during the early morning hours of Monday, February 15, as the Texas electricity grid known as ERCOT went offline due to the extreme frigid cold temperatures hitting the state of Texas. Texas electricity power plants generated by natural gas, coal, and nuclear power failed, causing a statewide failure of the electricity grid. As the statewide electricity grid went offline, all other essential services such as water, food, and gasoline supplies were affected as businesses were forced to close due to the lack of electricity.
Maverick County Judge David R. Saucedo issued a declaration of emergency on Monday, February 15, as a result of the first winter storm and its drastic effects on the community, particularly with the loss of electricity power upon local residents.
The City of Eagle Pass and Maverick County opened a warm shelter for local residents requiring protection from the blistering cold weather and loss of electricity power in their households at the Eagle Pass Multi-Purpose Center, located at 480 South Adams Street, on February 15, but the emergency generator failed causing the governmental entities to change it to the Cruz A. Munoz Gymnasium, located at 2086 Roosevelt Street, in Eagle Pass. The Cruz A. Munoz Gymnasium shelter has been operational since February 15 and housed as many as 108 residents and will remain open until Saturday, February 20.
The two winter storms caused the postponement of the COVID-19 first and second doses’ vaccinations scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, February 17-18, and Saturday, February 20, by the Maverick County Emergency Operation Center (EOC). The COVID-19 vaccines will resume next week upon notification by EOC personnel.
The City of Eagle Pass Water Works System municipal water treatment plant was stressed out due to the rupture of many water lines throughout the community, residents leaving their water lines dripping, high demand, and the temporary loss of electricity power. Eagle Pass Water Works System staff worked overtime and long shifts to restore water supply to the community. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) issued a notice to all Texas communities to boil their water before using it.
The first winter storm also caused a panic among Maverick County residents regarding the availability of food supplies, gasoline supplies, and other commodities, causing long lines and waiting periods to obtain these essential services. Local residents rushed to local supermarkets to buy food, depleting the shelves. Many other residents waited up to three hours in line to buy gasoline for their vehicles with lines extending between 50 to 100 vehicles.
Just as the first winter storm seemed to be easing up on the community on Wednesday, February 17, a second winter blast hit Eagle Pass and Maverick County on Thursday, February 18, with a new wave of freezing temperatures, sleet, ice, and snow throughout the day, compounding the lack of electricity power and water supply issues.
Local residents have endured four to five days without electricity power and essential services in their homes with over 3,700 households lacking electricity as of Thursday, February 18. AEP Texas worked to restore electricity to as many local households as possible, but for many the wait to have their electricity restored has been a harrowing experience with sleepless and cold nights and days.
The two back to back winter storms have caused havoc in Eagle Pass and Maverick County and over 3,700 households remain without electricity power as of press time on Thursday, February 18. Eagle Pass and Maverick County governmental entities and residents will definitely learn from these two extreme winter storms on how to prepare for these type of climate change events in the future.
