๐ The 2021 winter freeze: When the power went out, these everyday Houston-area heroes offered hope, help
In February 2021, a brutal winter storm battered the state, overwhelming its power grids and forcing millions of Texans to scavenge for the basic elements for survival โ food, water, and shelter from record cold.
The year in good news: 8 heartwarming Houston stories that made us smile in 2021
Here, we take a look back at some of the feel-good Houston-area stories that came out of this particular calendar year, the news that did our hearts good, the joyful tales so sweet they made us smile from ear to ear, the acts of kindness so inspiring they warmed our hearts and made us shed a tear -- or several.
Microgrids offer alternative power in Texas
AdThose 59 orders left millions of Houstonians without power for days. โI produce enough power to power my house and keep (it) going,โ he said. His solar-and-battery home produced so much power, he was able to send it back to his power companyโs grid and help power other homes. AdโI was reaching out to all the people I know, and invited them over.โBoneno also said his solar panels also offer him a big savings on his power bill. Sunnova serves residential customers and has partners who make solar panels, batteries and other electronic pieces to control the power.
Hundreds of bats found dead under overpasses across Texas following winter storm
Following freezing temperatures experienced across Texas last week, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is receiving several reports of bat fatalities. Sharing an update on its Facebook page, the state agency warns Texans never to attempt to handle bats, dead or alive, as many colonies are being found frozen under overpasses throughout the state. According to the Houston Zooโs bat specialist and naturalist Suzanne Jurek, Winter Storm Uri largely impacted bats as they had already used most of their fat reserves, leaving them vulnerable. Texas Parks and Wildlife is recording wildlife mortalities due to Winter Storm Uri. To help, the department says Texans can report their findings of dead bats to the iNaturalist project.
Are you having cell phone connection issues on top of everything else?
Houston โ While widespread power and water issues continue, weโre hearing from some people that cell phone service is also a problem and itโs not just because we donโt have power to keep them charged. KPRC 2 reached out to multiple cell phone providers to find out if theyโre having any problems and if so, what is causing the issues and what theyโre doing to restore service. We have generators supporting numerous cell sites and teams in the field refueling these generators as needed. After Winter Storm Uri brought harsh conditions to the US, we are extending relief to AT&T Wireless and AT&T PREPAID customers impacted by the storm. However the majority of Verizon customers should expect minimal service interruptions thanks to overlapping coverage (service from nearby cell sites.)