Texas Facilities Battle Winter Weather and Power Outages

About 150 million Americans dealt with snowstorms and extreme temperatures last week, and some southern states not accustomed to cold weather experienced power blackouts and burst water pipes. Texas was hit especially hard, with more than 4.2 million electricity customers—one-quarter of the state—losing power as temperatures dipped to 4 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Vox.

These blackouts and low temperatures affected numerous facilities and businesses across Texas,  causing boil-water mandates due to frozen and ruptured pipes, Becker’s Hospital Review reports. Health care facilities like outpatient dialysis centers closed due to power outages and other facilities canceled medical procedures and appointments. Several hospitals, including Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, had no running water. State agencies worked to meet facility energy demands. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) deployed generators to hospitals and other health care facilities and transported diesel for backup power.

Some facility managers closed their buildings, including city facilities and operations in Corpus Christi, Texas and school districts in San Antonio, Texas. Custodians in Houston-area school districts were busy cleaning messes from ruptured water pipes in at least 65 educational facilities, KHOU-TV reports. The orchestra pit in the auditorium of Langham Creek High School in Houston filled with water. The high school and other buildings in the district experienced roof damage and wet ceiling tile. 

Many Texas residents and businesses hired professional floor care companies for water damage restoration and other services, KCBD-TV reports. One company reported receiving over 300 calls in the aftermath of frozen and ruptured pipes.