2020-21 Winter weather; bring it on

[40acredropout 2901]

Hoping all of your homes warm up like the DKR visitor locker room at halftime.  

[gsoda3 3234]

9 minutes ago, clapclapclap said:

that's interesting, looks like wind varies more than i thought it would.  i suppose it makes sense they generate more energy the windier it gets.  if only we could store it.

[Kennythetiger 9333]

8 minutes ago, Message Board User said:

I wonder if other states are looking at us with sympathy, bewilderment, or are they just laughing at us.

Sympathy. It hasn’t been above 10* at my house for a week, but our shit is built for this. What a fucking mess you guys have. Wind is my least favorite extreme element. Ice is a close second. 

[troph 24548]

1 minute ago, Kennythetiger said:

Sympathy. It hasn’t been above 10* at my house for a week, but our shit is built for this. What a fucking mess you guys have. Wind is my least favorite extreme element. Ice is a close second. 

Unflushed dookie toilets has to be third. 

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

1 minute ago, troph said:

Unflushed dookie toilets has to be third. 

I started shoveling snow into a bucket and dumping in the tank.  

 

[Biff Tannen 45477]

1 hour ago, atomheartbevo said:

Most likely a very localized problem.  Like a water main problem.  

I want to strangle people on Facebook.   Lots of rumors flying around from somebody’s brother’s friend who works in an energy company in Houston or Dallas that Austin is going to cut off all water tonight to fix some problem and it will come back tomorrow with a boil notice.  

Yep. My nutball sister tried to sell me a line like that last night. God damn these people. Quit spreading disinformation. 

[RockyMountainHighHorn 888]

Update in Carrollton: team drip still going strong. Power seems to come on for 3.5 hours then go off. Have been staying at my dads place a little north because power had stayed on. Mom came up last week to help us finish moving in...missed her chance to leave and has now been here an extra 5 days. Oh yeah, they are divorced. So after two great weeks of moving in and my fiancé enjoying Texas...the Californian has asked “is this going to happen every year?” Multiple times and is tired of getting shit from her friends at the beach. And she’s getting a crash course is our family dynamics. Yay! But in seriousness, glad to have some power and water and no pipe issues....so far. Know a lot of you are in worse conditions. 

[HenryJames 65868]

3 minutes ago, dingleberryswitzer said:

I started shoveling snow into a bucket and dumping in the tank.  

 

Upper decker?

[ztejas 43244]

Just got power back in 78758 - right before hitting the 60 hour without mark.

THANK YOU BABY JESUS!

(Of course we haven't had water for a couple hours now 😆)

Edited February 17, 2021 by ztejas

[hookem2010 2594]

No water in 78752 as of this morning, but still have power.

[Neonmoon 38127]

Of course my zip is top 3

 

[ztejas 43244]

3 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

Of course my zip is top 3

 

I'm guessing they kept power for the Domain - outside of that I'm sure 78758 was up there too. I'd guess at least half the customers in our zip live at the Domain. 

[boknowstecmo 216]

4 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

Of course my zip is top 3

 

Proud to be in the top 10, baby!

[Hpara759 1777]

78626

56 hours

[Radical Larry 28523]

Of course my zip is top 3
 

78759! Coming up on 60 hours.

[ztejas 43244]

2 minutes ago, Hpara759 said:

78626

56 hours

I bet you get rolled on pretty soon. Unless you have a power line issue. 

I'm sure they will roll ours off somepoint soon. But I'll take a rolling blackout over a blackout blackout.

[Not that Bob 734]

I have a sink and toilet on northeast wall that stopped running at 4AM Monday in spite of slow dripping and flushing every 2-3 hours. Just now started working with no water in cabinet or on floor. Is it possible for pipes to freeze “just a little bit” and then start working again with no return of heat in the house and no apparent leaking? I’m perplexed but happy, unless the leak reveals later. 

[hornbri 1367]

4 minutes ago, ztejas said:

I'm guessing they kept power for the Domain - outside of that I'm sure 78758 was up there too. I'd guess at least half the customers in our zip live at the Domain. 

I know someone living there, they did not have power for sure. 

[Skipper 6088]

I haven't unwrapped my outdoor since this shit started.  I've been team no drip outside.  Any downside to checking them out while relatively warm this afternoon?   Haven't decided yet if I want to actually try and thaw if frozen or let that happen naturally.  I know there has been some debate on here.   I read somewhere a plumber suggested letting the heat warm them up naturally.

[hornbri 1367]

Just now, Not that Bob said:

I have a sink and toilet on northeast wall that stopped running at 4AM Monday in spite of slow dripping and flushing every 2-3 hours. Just now started working with no water in cabinet or on floor. Is it possible for pipes to freeze “just a little bit” and then start working again with no return of heat in the house and no apparent leaking? I’m perplexed but happy, unless the leak reveals later. 

Yes - the ice can just block the pipes without causing cracks. Keep your fingers crossed and look all around the house, the crack could be elsewhere. 

[ztejas 43244]

1 minute ago, hornbri said:

I know someone living there, they did not have power for sure. 

Weird. Then I have no idea how we didn't make that list. 

[MonkeyDoughnut 10134]

Friday after 10am wind generation should pick up enough to stop the rolling outages and hopefully get everybody back to "normalish"

[Al_4_ISU 12408]

29 minutes ago, Kennythetiger said:

Sympathy. It hasn’t been above 10* at my house for a week, but our shit is built for this. What a fucking mess you guys have. Wind is my least favorite extreme element. Ice is a close second. 

I think ice is worse than wind, frankly.  But they tend to work as a tandem.  

I suppose it's a familiarity level.  The wind is something you deal with every day.  Ice isn't nearly as frequent and therefore you just aren't as ready for it, even if you see it on a predictable basis.

[Hpara759 1777]

2 minutes ago, ztejas said:

I bet you get rolled on pretty soon. Unless you have a power line issue. 

I'm sure they will roll ours off somepoint soon. But I'll take a rolling blackout over a blackout blackout.

Folks across the road have power....so close yet so far away

[Biff Tannen 45477]

1 minute ago, hornbri said:

Yes - the ice can just block the pipes without causing cracks. Keep your fingers crossed and look all around the house, the crack could be elsewhere. 

And was that earlier post about newer homes having pex pipes accurate?  Mine was built in 2010. 

[ztejas 43244]

1 minute ago, Hpara759 said:

Folks across the road have power....so close yet so far away

Yeah that happened in our neighborhood. Houses a few blocks down got it then had it rolled back off before ours came on. I think we were just next in the progression. Fingers crossed they don't shut ours back off but I'm assuming it happens.

[phdhorn 6224]

Update: my son's fiance's parents offered to house us for a little while. The dad has a four wheeler so he came and got us, so we're warm and toasty for a while at least.

He's also a high ranking power plant manager app if he can get away from his job right now he has a lot of good info on who's to blame. Hopefully I can find out and post here later.

For now I'm just so glad to feel my fingers and toes again!

Edited February 17, 2021 by phdhorn

[EE2B 1561]

yeah that's the one, he's way wrong.  there's good discussion in the cloak room ERCOT thread about this.  

Ah, ok. I don’t venture over there often so I’ll check it out. Thanks.

[clapclapclap 9000]

Austin FC:  We can't turn off our stadium lights yet because it requires a trained and licensed lefthanded tightrope walking specialist.  And maybe their jetpack doesn't work in these temps.  And maybe earthquake risks.  Truth or BS?

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/austin-fc-responds-after-complaints-stadium-lights-were-on-while-thousands-of-residents-were-without-power/

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin’s pro soccer team is responding to fierce criticism after several residents noticed the team’s stadium kept its lights on while thousands of Texans were without power during biting cold temperatures.

In a statement on Tuesday, Austin FC explained the lights being on — while residents were being asked to conserve power — was due to an automated timer for the stadium’s overhead LED lights.

These lights, Austin FC says, must be disconnected by a licensed electrician — which was increasingly difficult to get as icy road conditions made travel dangerous on Sunday and Monday.

“Austin FC and our construction team are very sorry that this work has not been able to be safely performed as of yet as we recognize this is a very difficult time for our region,” the organization said.

Austin FC says technicians will attempt to disconnect the lighting as soon as is possible and safe.

 

Edited February 17, 2021 by clapclapclap
Charge non-essentials the $9,000/hour rate.

[Rip76 4909]

Good information on what you should and shouldn’t do during a “Boil Water Alert.”

Edited February 17, 2021 by Rip76

[washparkhorn 9931]

19 minutes ago, Not that Bob said:

Is it possible for pipes to freeze “just a little bit” and then start working again with no return of heat in the house and no apparent leaking?

Most definitely. 

[clapclapclap 9000]

7 minutes ago, phdhorn said:

He's also a high ranking power plant manager app if he can get away from his job right now he has a lot of good info on who's to blame. Hopefully I can find out and post here later.

Don't expect much if his name is Howard Jones.

[Nicole44 22023]

6 minutes ago, washparkhorn said:

Most definitely. 

Mine were all insulated. I have done everything. Hair dryer and heating pad. Heater by the waterless tank. Nothing is working. Why??? I feel so useless. I wish I knew more. Done everything I was supposed to but should have been on team stream and not team drip. Also people driving down my street seem to think they are in NASCAR. 

[Storm the Field 5270]

Getting real tired of playing whack-a-mole in Houston. My power went out sometime around 2 AM Monday morning. Friends of ours still had power Monday afternoon so we went over there for about 2 hours before they got shut down. 

Went to stay yesterday evening with wife's friend who up to that point had never lost power. We got there at 5 and power got shut down at 8. At least we had time to take hot, albeit super low pressure showers. 

Went home this morning after we heard our neighborhood was back on. Shut off again about 11:30. 

Currently at my office for a 3rd time in the past 48 hours. Only place I know of that has consistenly stayed on through the entire ordeal. 

[Skipper 6088]

1 minute ago, Not that Bob said:

I have a sink and toilet on northeast wall that stopped running at 4AM Monday in spite of slow dripping and flushing every 2-3 hours. Just now started working with no water in cabinet or on floor. Is it possible for pipes to freeze “just a little bit” and then start working again with no return of heat in the house and no apparent leaking? I’m perplexed but happy, unless the leak reveals later. 

This happened to me with upstairs toilet line yesterday AM.  Started working a few hours later once sun hit that side of building.   

[SubliminalHorn 6648]

I’m perplexed. It looks like power is somewhat restored in my apartment building. The hallway light is on, majority of lights above doors are on, our isn’t. Our power is not on but why not?? I put in a report to Austin Energy which I’m sure they’ll get the top men on. I’ve also emailed my apartments but no response from them. Why do we not have power but others around us do?!

[Carl Spackler 3461]

1 hour ago, Message Board User said:

I wonder if other states are looking at us with sympathy, bewilderment, or are they just laughing at us.

Combo of all three.  Was talking to a relative who lives in Omaha, and she was chuckling about some Houstonian on a news report who was worried about temps possibly dipping below 32.  She hasn't seen temps in the positive double digits since the middle of last week, and said the low a couple nights ago was -23.  They're all doing fine, but then again, they're accustomed to weather like this.    

I'm out here in SoCal hoping ya'll can hold out for another couple days until the weather warms up and the power starts coming back, and I'm also scratching my head about how this could have happened.

[Pancho 44358]

There’s a socialism joke here somewhere...

 

[Michael Knight 12863]

 

[Michael Knight 12863]

 

[MNLonghornFUKM 8799]

78759! Coming up on 60 hours.

Did you pay the gas bill?

[Rip76 4909]

Wow

[Storm the Field 5270]

Dare I hope that things are improving ever so slightly? Saw earlier that ERCOT says current load deficit is 11GW, down from 14GW. 

Centerpoint map showing 51% of customers with power, leaving 1.17M without. That's up from 42% when I woke up this morning, and 1.46M without. 

[Bateshorn 9882]

Posted in other thread: water is down in SAT.  Boy #1 is at Trinity and they got an email from the admin.  Power and Internet is on, tho.

[Dewey 3280]

8 minutes ago, Michael Knight said:

 

Stay classy, Austin.  Lol

[Orange&White 5516]

27 minutes ago, clapclapclap said:

Don't expect much if his name is Howard Jones.

No one ever is to blame.

[Orange&White 5516]

18 minutes ago, Pancho said:

There’s a socialism joke here somewhere...

 

They’ll be here just as the thermos are hitting 80degrees.

[shadow_operative 15931]

look who i ran into while trying to find any open places selling water:

 

[Biff Tannen 45477]

12 minutes ago, Michael Knight said:

 

So are we thinking that people who just got power back after two days are just hitting the showers and dishwashers and laundry?  Cause I’m not gonna stop dripping faucets.

I haven’t showered since Sunday and I had power and hot water until this morning. Been rocking 1-3 lightbulbs and recharging computers and phones, but that was all my electrical consumption besides heater. Was trying to give the grid a chance. 

[fuggled 576]

13 minutes ago, Storm the Field said:

Dare I hope that things are improving ever so slightly? Saw earlier that ERCOT says current load deficit is 11GW, down from 14GW. 

Centerpoint map showing 51% of customers with power, leaving 1.17M without. That's up from 42% when I woke up this morning, and 1.46M without. 

Yeah, something screwy is going on.  ERCOT is showing a decent amount of capacity now.  But, the number without power in the state has climbed from 2.7MM to 2.9MM.