MISERY

1.5 Million Texans Without Power as Epic Storm Sweeps U.S.

150 million Americans are under ice or winter weather advisories.

Over 1.5 million people in Texas were without power Monday, and 150 million Americans were under ice or winter weather advisories as an epic winter storm swept across the country. PowerOutage.us, which aggregates data from utilities across the United States, also said that at least 280,000 customers in Oregon and 149,000 in Virginia were without power. More than 11 inches of snow fell in Seattle, and a record low temperature of minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit was set in one part of Minnesota over the weekend. In Texas, where residents are unaccustomed to severe winter conditions, the storm prompted Gov. Greg Abbott to issue a disaster declaration for all 254 counties. Officials in Texas urged residents to conserve electricity, warning of the burdens the storm would place on the power grid, which was experiencing record-high electricity demand as wind chills were expected to reach minus 10 degrees.