Specialists Warn Texas Might Grow to be ‘Mass Casualty Occasion’ – 2.6 Million Stay With out Energy, Abbott Provides Few Solutions

For at least three days, millions across Texas have been freezing with no electricity, snow, ice, or temperatures. Many are now without water, while others are under an order for boiling water. The number of homes with no electricity has gone from four million to 2.6 million, but no one says when the power will be fully restored, and it appears that Texas is reliant on warming weather for repairs. FEMA has already sent generators, diesel, water and blankets to help under the administration of Biden.

Governor Greg Abbott has been heavily criticized for his handling of the crisis, with some commenting that he took the time to appear on Fox News instead of holding a press conference. His first press event was Wednesday afternoon, and it offered few answers and little information.

But at least Abbott stopped lying about the cause of the blackout. Abbott and many on Fox News tried to blame the Green New Deal and green energy, which accounts for about 15 percent of Texas energy, for the massive blackout. Abbott continues to hold the power grid agency responsible, but experts say the problem is that Texas didn’t spend the money on upgrading its systems. For example, the windmills are not winterized and the natural gas pipelines are frozen.

Abbott gave few replies on Wednesday, according to local news.

Experts warn that the crisis could turn into a mass accident event.

Oddly enough, there is no nationwide death count, something that most other states would generate on a daily basis.

The numbers that are being published are terrifying.

Harris County, which also includes Houston, has reported “more than 300 cases of carbon monoxide poisoning”. Those numbers appear to be from Monday, prompting a doctor to warn of a “mini-mass accident” incident.

“With this number of patients, it becomes a small, mass casualty event,” said Dr. Samuel Prater, an ambulance doctor, the Houston Chronicle.

A local Galveston newspaper, The Daily News, reported that the Medical Examiner’s Office requested a refrigerator truck on Tuesday to pick up at least 20 bodies of people who had been killed in brutally cold weather and an ongoing power outage in the county in the past two days officials said had died. “

Galveston County officials said it could store up to 50 bodies. No causes of death or specific numbers were reported.

CNN analyst, Harvard professor and former Homeland Security Asst. Secretary Juliette Kayyem also appeared to suggest that Texas could become a mass casualty event.

Some TX death numbers. In Galveston at least 20 so far @galvnews via @LyssaGraham.
I will repeat. Mass accident events don’t always start with a bang. 20 dead here. 40 there. 60 tomorrow. We will only know in the coming weeks how many deaths from previous years to compare. But count. https://t.co/VRMR1UanWN

– Juliette Kayyem (@juliettekayyem) February 17, 2021

“The Houston Fire Department responded to more than 90 carbon monoxide poisoning claims in 24 hours,” Chief Samuel Peña said at a press conference Tuesday afternoon, “reports the New York Times.

“This is easily a situation that could overwhelm an emergency room,” said Dr. Salil Bhandari, an emergency doctor. “It’s incredible that nobody died. This is a mass accident situation. “

Despite the pandemic, no one mentions that social distancing is likely an afterthought, as many Texans gather together to stay warm enough to stay alive.

The Texas Democrats made a damning statement following Governor Abbott’s press conference.

“Throughout this entire ordeal, Abbott has kept Texans completely in the dark about what he knew and what he was doing to prepare for that winter storm,” they said.

“Abbott’s lack of foresight and inability to face this crisis are part of a recurring pattern. He took no action when Texans were evicted during Hurricane Harvey, he refused to adequately plan the coronavirus crisis, his handling of vaccine distribution was miserable and now, at the time of greatest distress in Texas during that winter storm, his incompetence is fully on display again. This is not partisan politics. It is a question of his basic ability to do the job he was chosen to do. We gave Abbott chance after chance to prove he could run our state government, and he didn’t answer the call every damn time. “

“In addition, Governor Abbott spent valuable time spitting out lies on right-wing television before addressing Texans directly and again passed the blame on to someone else. This is the classic Abbott game book: Lie and do whatever you can to avoid taking responsibility for your actions. Abbott is already too busy for the president to help Texans trapped in the cold and on the verge of hypothermia and death. “

Bottom line: Texas is in crisis, Texans are injured, and experts say much of it was avoidable if the state had prepared for it.