Makes me wonder. Just how and why any of the board got their seats.
Not suggesting the qualifications of the board members wasn't needed but, the diversity of the experts makes me wonder.
There is no doubt that who you know helps you get ahead and into different things. Although, what you know should be more important. Interesting for sure.
Makes me wonder. Just how and why any of the board got their seats.
Not suggesting the qualifications of the board members wasn't needed but, the diversity of the experts makes me wonder.
There is no doubt that who you know helps you get ahead and into different things. Although, what you know should be more important. Interesting for sure.
Maybe try buying a piece of flood plain land and you could get that feeling of superiority too?
The only flood that has really adversely affected me was Hurricane Harvey, 2017. It was unprecedented and no where in the US has or can plan for a once in 1000 yr flood much less a once in a 200,000 or 500,000 year flod.
Hurricane Harvey may have dumped an unprecedented level of water, one expected to be seen just once every 500,000 years, in some areas of Southeast Texas, according to a new report.
The 24-hour measures of rain falling during Hurricane Harvey were unprecedented and exceeded the rate predicted to occur once every 1,000 years, researchers found. And the flood levels seen in some isolated areas of Houston over a five-day period exceeded those predicted to occur twice in a million years, a new analysis found. In some parts of Texas, more than 51 inches (130 centimeters) fell over the five-day period, the report found.
A useful way of examining just how extreme this event was is to view it from a frequency perspective using Average Recurrence Intervals (ARIs). Harvey is interesting in that for a 24-hour period, several areas experienced 24-hour rains that occur every 1,000+ years on average. However, longer duration rainfalls were even rarer; MetStat examined ARIs for longer durations over the course of 72- and 120-hours using USGS Report 98-4044 (Asquith 1998) to get a handle on the true recurrence interval of this rainfall event over Houston.
Figures 5 and 6 show a 24-hour ARI and a 120-hour ARI, where the 24-hour shows a maximum recurrence interval of more than 1,000 years or a 0.1% chance of occurring in any given year, whereas the 120-hour shows localized maximum recurrence intervals of over 500,000 years or a 0.0002% chance of occurring in any given year. It should be noted that the annual exceedance probabilities (AEPs) provided in this graphic are estimated using GEV parameters from USGS Report 98-4044 (Asquith 1998). We recognize that these estimates contain considerable uncertainty, but represent the 5-day (120-hour) precipitation-frequency data publicly available at present. A more robust precipitation-frequency analysis by storm type/mechanism is required to more accurately place this event into proper historical/probabilistic perspective. However, this event did approach and exceed the Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP), which often represents precipitation this rare from a probability perspective, at certain durations and area sizes.
A new analysis from the University of Wisconsin’s Space Science and Engineering Center has determined that Harvey is a 1-in-1,000-year flood event that has overwhelmed an enormous section of Southeast Texas equivalent in size to New Jersey.
There is nothing in the historical record that rivals this, according to Shane Hubbard, the Wisconsin researcher who made and mapped this calculation. “In looking at many of these events [in the United States], I’ve never seen anything of this magnitude or size,” he said. “This is something that hasn’t happened in our modern era of observations. A 1,000-year flood event, as its name implies, is exceptionally rare. It signifies just a 0.1 percent chance of such an event happening in any given year. “Or, a better way to think about it is that 99.9 percent of the time, such an event will never happen,” Hubbard said.
Apart from Harvey, there’s simply no record of a 1,000-year event occupying so much real estate.
The Space Science and Engineering Center at the University of Wisconsin at Madison determined that many areas of Southeast Texas have received rain that is expected to come around only once every 1,000 years (or having a 0.1 percent probability of occurrence), assuming a stationary climate.
The largest electricity co-operative in Texas has filed for bankruptcy protection after it received a $2.1 billion bill from the state's grid operator following last month's winter storm that left millions without power.
Bitterly cold weather in mid-February left millions without electricity across Texas as the Arctic conditions overwhelmed local utility companies ill-prepared for such weather.
Brazos Electric Power Cooperative, which supplies 16 co-op members serving more than 1.5 million Texans, said it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday after receiving "excessively high invoices" from the state grid operator Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).
According to court filings, Brazos said it was hit with invoices from ERCOT totaling more than $2.1 billion, with payment required within days.
Brazos said the bill for the seven-day "black swan" winter event was nearly three times its total power cost of $774 million for the whole of 2020.
"As the month of February 2021 began, the notion that a financially stable cooperative such as Brazos Electric would end the month preparing for bankruptcy was unfathomable," executive vice president and general manager Clifton Karnei said in a court filing.
He said during the storm the price for wholesale electricity was set at the maximum price of $9,000 per megawatt hour for more than four straight days and ERCOT imposed other ancillary fees totaling more than $25,000 per MWh.
"The consequences of these prices were devastating."
ERCOT has come under fire from customers and politicians over its apparent failure to prepare for the cold weather and soaring bills due to the temporary massive spike in the energy market.
Residential customers who signed for variable-rate plans have reported receiving electric bills as high as $16,000.
Brazos said it filed for bankruptcy protection as "it cannot and will not foist this catastrophic financial event on its members and those consumers."
"Let me emphasize that this action by Brazos Electric was necessary to protect its member cooperatives and their more than 1.5 million retail members from unaffordable electric bills," Karnei said in a press release.
Texas is the only state in the continental US to have its own independent power grid, meaning it was cut off when the weather hit.
State governor Greg Abbott has ordered an investigation into ERCOT, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has also said it will probe the factors behind the power outages.
This should be interesting to watch from a distance......
Rams
[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 03-02-2021).]
ERCOT has come under fire from customers and politicians over its apparent failure to prepare for the cold weather and soaring bills due to the temporary massive spike in the energy market.
"apparent' Now that the internet has provided you with Bill Gate's/Microsoft News' version, maybe you can do a bit of real research and find the real facts behind the grid shutdown.
The only flood that has really adversely affected me was Hurricane Harvey, 2017. It was unprecedented and no where in the US has or can plan for a once in 1000 yr flood much less a once in a 200,000 or 500,000 year flod.
FEMA and the Army Corp of Engs doesn't label 1000 year flood as floodplain. You're in a floodplain if you're in a 100 year and 500 year zones. The elevation difference between 100 and 500 elevations are very similar. And if you live in a water shed on a system of dams or a hydro-electric system that can happen at the turn a switch in the control room.
FEMA and the Army Corp of Engs doesn't label 1000 year flood as floodplain. You're in a floodplain if you're in a 100 year and 500 year zones. The elevation difference between 100 and 500 elevations are very similar. And if you live in a water shed on a system of dams or a hydro-electric system that can happen at the turn a switch in the control room.
Only, because a flood of that magnitude is such an unprecedented event. FEMA designated 'flood plains' are a joke. Of the estimated 204,000 Harris County homes and apartments (not including business) damaged or destroyed by Harvey, the majority were outside a state or federally designated flood zone.
quote
Hurricane Harvey damaged more than 204,000 homes and apartment buildings in Harris County, almost three-quarters of them outside the federally regulated 100-year flood plain, leaving tens of thousands of homeowners uninsured and unprepared.
The new details come from the most extensive disclosure of flood data yet released by city and county officials. The numbers follow a pattern: More than 55 percent of the homes damaged during the Tax Day storm in 2016 sat outside the 500-year flood plain, as did more than one-third of those during the Memorial Day floods in 2015.
In the larger area known as East Texas, over 570,000 homes (again, not including business structures) were inspected by FEMA post Harvey. More than 1/2 were located outside a designated FEMA flood zone.
Businesses included, the number of damaged or destroyed structures exceeded 600,000. Again, more than 1/2 were outside a designated flood zone. There's a reason it was called 'unprecedented'.
[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 03-02-2021).]
Originally posted by sourmash: FEMA and the Army Corp of Engs doesn't label 1000 year flood as floodplain.
Who ?
quote
Originally posted by sourmash: The elevation difference between 100 and 500 elevations are very similar. And if you live in a water shed on a system of dams or a hydro-electric system that can happen at the turn a switch in the control room.
In the larger area known as East Texas, over 570,000 homes (again, not including business structures) were inspected by FEMA post Harvey. More than 1/2 were located outside a designated FEMA flood zone.
Businesses included, the number of damaged or destroyed structures exceeded 600,000. Again, more than 1/2 were outside a designated flood zone. There's a reason it was called 'unprecedented'.
"Floodplain" is a specific definition or a specific overlay area. There are "back water" locations, which is also a specific definition in the system. Back water can be identical to elevations of a "floodplain". Also as you get closer to sea level in flatter ground, exposure area increases. A storm system problem can cause flooding outside the "FLOODPLAIN". Cities see this happen in 50 year storms. But in general topography and water system elevations are going to dictate 100 and 500 year levels.
You may not be in a floodplain, but in a back water. The difference can mean different things to permitting for development. Within the system there are also streams, named streams and blue line streams. All have differing levels of regulatory restraints for development. Doesn't make a diff to the water in them.
If you're buying a property in the 100 and 500 year elevations you want the buyer to hear FLOODPLAIN as you negotiate. If you're selling, you don't call it that unless it is and have to say.
Of which energy was not reliable, per there directives ? Then they can price gouge on something they don't even produce ?
My link is a damning article.
quote
Potomac Economics, a Virginia-based firm that’s paid by the State of Texas to provide an arm’s-length assessment of the Texas power grid ...
According to Potomac, real-time market costs on the Texas grid totaled about $47 billion from Feb. 14-19 because of power outages during the crisis and the sky-high wholesale prices — compared with about $10 billion in real-time market costs for all of 2020.
This would be a longish, if not a long read, for anyone who wants to revisit this topic in depth.
But here' s another option: Scroll down almost all the way to the end, until this appears in large, extra-black text. A section header:
quote
Though it may be hard to believe today, Texas’s grid became a pioneer in the world of electricity generation and distribution two decades ago.
And you could go one more step, to "shorten the game", by scrolling down again, until you arrive at this:
quote
This is particularly shameful to hear for anyone versed in Texas’s history as an energy leader.
The last two paragraphs:
quote
. . . Texas still enjoys unmatched expertise in energy engineering, financing, and manufacturing. Some of the technology and gear developed to frack oil and gas is now being repurposed to tap renewable energy. Shipyards that once made vessels to install offshore oil rigs are now adapting for offshore wind turbines. Taking advantage of these resources would create tens of thousands of good jobs, including for workers displaced as oil and gas exploration inevitably declines.
Low-carbon grids are the future, and Texas has a multiyear head start. But before this opportunity can be grasped, the state needs political leaders and regulators who are focused on the jobs and well-being of average Texans rather than on the narrower incumbent interests of owners and executives of fossil fuel companies.
[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 01-20-2022).]
Not to be flippant or anything like that but, IMHO if Texan's consider this a problem, they've had time to do something about it. I'm not from or live in Texas so, I don't get a say in how they fix that issue.
Originally posted by blackrams: Not to be flippant or anything like that but, IMHO if Texan's consider this a problem, they've had time to do something about it. I'm not from or live in Texas so, I don't get a say in how they fix that issue.
Neither do I (get a say.)
I thought this reanimation of an old thread might catch the eye of one or more of the forum's Texans, and that they might want to peruse and react to this new report from TexasMonthly, or "TM" as they likely know it.
I find it recreational to ponder the local perspective, when it's available.
I never view anything that I say in this forum as political activism or political engagement.
In the words of a guy who was on TV the other day, I am a political "hobbyist", in so far as the political kinds of things that I say on this forum.
Politics doesn't happen here. This forum corresponds to politics in the same way as Fantasy Football corresponds to the NFL's games. Which is why it's surprising to me that there are some forum members (not me) that invariably get "worked up" to the extent of hyperventilating.
What do I mean by "hyperventilating" on this forum? Like this:
Politics doesn't happen here!!
This forum corresponds to politics in the same way as Fantasy Football corresponds to the NFL's games. Which is why it's always surprising to me when some forum members (not me) get "worked up" to the extent of hyperventilating. in the overtly **political** and even the merely **politics-tinged** threads* that manifest every day in this forum.
[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 01-23-2022).]
Not to be flippant or anything like that but, IMHO if Texan's consider this a problem, they've had time to do something about it. I'm not from or live in Texas so, I don't get a say in how they fix that issue.
Rams
I don't get a say, either. But as a 30 year power company employee, I'll state that (IMHO) they need to build/buy some more transmission capacity from "outside". If events in the not-too-distant past are any indication, they apparently don't have the generation capacity to keep their own house in order. I generally like Texas, and what they stand for, but they really seem to be effing this up, on a grand scale. Granted, there was a bunch of other stuff that went wrong, other than the grid, but the grid is the standout.
I don't get a say, either. But as a 30 year power company employee, I'll state that (IMHO) they need to build/buy some more transmission capacity from "outside". If events in the not-too-distant past are any indication, they apparently don't have the generation capacity to keep their own house in order. I generally like Texas, and what they stand for, but they really seem to be effing this up, on a grand scale. Granted, there was a bunch of other stuff that went wrong, other than the grid, but the grid is the standout.
You would be in a much better position to have a qualified opinion than I am. I would hope they have taken steps to get it right for the next freeze or, I suspect heads will roll.
I don't get a say, either. But as a 30 year power company employee, I'll state that (IMHO) they need to build/buy some more transmission capacity from "outside". If events in the not-too-distant past are any indication, they apparently don't have the generation capacity to keep their own house in order.
Have plenty of generating capacity. The problem arose when generators went offline due to icing of instrumentation freezeup in the Nat Gas supply lines. It cascaded from there as more demand was placed on the rest of the statewide generators. Even the nuke plant a Bay City shut down because of instrumentation problems from low temps. If the NG suppliers can't provide fuel, the engines that run the generators won't keep running.
Today, Jan 23, as of time I'm typing this,there is 10,348 MW reserve for ERCOT's grid.
I'm on Entergy, which is not part of ERCOT. My power comes partly from lines from Loisiana, and partly from Entergy generators here in East Texas. I lost power too, because the power lines iced up, trees iced and fell on the lines between here and La. Doesn't matter where the power comes from, if the line is laying on the ground your electricty is off. There were 300,000 customers without power in Louisiana the same time the ERCOT grid in Texas went down, and for the same reason.
From DOE, as it happened: Natural Gas Sector Summary • As of February 16, 2021 gas production in the U.S. South Central Region was down approximately 6.3 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) due to wellhead freeze-offs and natural gas processing plant outages caused by extreme cold. These outages represent approximately 30% of U.S. South Central output and approximately 7% of total U.S. gas production. Although production losses due to freeze-offs are temporary, output takes time to return to normal levels and the cumulative reduction over several days could be substantial. • Gas suppliers are responding to high demands and gas production outages by withdrawing gas from storage. As of February 16, gas storage draws in the U.S. South Central region are up approximately 10 Bcf/d (100%) compared to pre-event withdrawals. Petroleum Sector Summary • As of February 16, approximately 3.6 million bcf/d of refining capacity was reported offline in the U.S. Gulf Coast region as refiners have shut down refineries either due to the cold weather directly or due to power outages. These refinery outages account for approximately 36% of total U.S. Gulf Coast refining capacity and approximately 19% of total U.S. refining capacity.
From the same source:
Outage grid (from same DOE source) I am where the blue cross is.
'We will, as always, just endeavor to persevere'
[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 01-23-2022).]
I felt kind of bad... but during the crazy ice-storm we had... last year, we never lost power.
My house was located off 281 in a neighborhood called Encino Park (totally ok, I don't live there anymore). It was a fantastic home, I totally renovated it, and absolutely loved the home... and still miss it. Mine was in the center of a neighborhood circle which put it above the other homes (in elevation), so it wasn't anywhere near even the 100 year flood zone. The home was a small enclave of homes that was built first before all the other homes were. They were well-optioned and higher-value homes (at the time) that were supposed to show-case the builder's (Sitterle) craftsmanship. Now, that's not saying a lot because it was from 1983, and let me tell you... the home was "all original" when I got it, so it was very worn out, even original carpeting, wall-paper, and cigarette smoke staining throughout. So I'm not bragging, the home was totally trashed, just had really good bones.
But what really cool, is that it was tied in directly to the "emergency grid" that the hospital, police, and fire station were all tied into right off 1604 and 281. None of the other neighborhoods were tied in, JUST this 40-home enclave of Encino Park. So we had power the entire time. I did keep my heat going (emergency heat coil), but turned everything else off because I know they were trying to conserve power. Even with that, my home didn't get warmer than ~40 degrees inside.
Have plenty of generating capacity. The problem arose when generators went offline due to icing of instrumentation freezeup in the Nat Gas supply lines. It cascaded from there as more demand was placed on the rest of the statewide generators. Even the nuke plant a Bay City shut down because of instrumentation problems from low temps. If the NG suppliers can't provide fuel, the engines that run the generators won't keep running.
For whatever reason, the generation was offline. There were (apparently) no contingency measures in place. Hence my comment about "outside sources" of electricity needing to be available. If your generators kick off, for whatever reason, alternate sources can be switched in.
But yeah... Even if the generation / transmission is happy, if the local (distribution) lines are laying on the ground, whoever is fed by those lines is out of luck. But generation or transmission being offline can take down huge swaths of people. Not just blocks or neighborhoods, or towns.
With all of that said, I seem to remember that there was a transmission line that crossed the Mississippi river that had failed for some reason, ending up in the river. That failure cascaded and tripped out several other lines. So... ya' try, I suppose.
[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 01-23-2022).]
For whatever reason, the generation was offline. There were (apparently) no contingency measures in place. Hence my comment about "outside sources" of electricity needing to be available. If your generators kick off, for whatever reason, alternate sources can be switched in.
Do you have an alternative source of gasoline if your Fiero runs out and all the stations in your state are closed?
If the generators in Ga run out of fuel, do they have an alternative pipeline to feed them? Will they run on water? Will they run on whiskey instead of diesel or natural gas?
Do you have an alternative source of gasoline if your Fiero runs out and all the stations in your state are closed?
Funny thing. When we were hit with Hurricane Wilma (I think it was), I had to siphon gas out of my Fiero to put it into another car so we could drive North after the storm. All the gas stations were out of power, so they couldn't pump gas, even though they had gas in the tanks.
Eventually, they mandated that every gas station needed to have a backup generator in South Florida, in order to power the pumps in case of power emergencies. The state government gave tax breaks, interest free loans, and grants to help implement the policy. But seemed to work, getting gas was never really a problem again (at least as a result of power loss).
Most in South Florida were out of power from about 2 weeks to 1 month.
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: Funny thing. When we were hit with Hurricane Wilma (I think it was), I had to siphon gas out of my Fiero to put it into another car so we could drive North after the storm. All the gas stations were out of power, so they couldn't pump gas, even though they had gas in the tanks.
Eventually, they mandated that every gas station needed to have a backup generator in South Florida, in order to power the pumps in case of power emergencies. The state government gave tax breaks, interest free loans, and grants to help implement the policy. But seemed to work, getting gas was never really a problem again (at least as a result of power loss).
Most in South Florida were out of power from about 2 weeks to 1 month.
I been there and done it. Hurricane Rita and Ike were bad in that regard; several weeks each time for most of us. Rita went to the East of me so I got the lesser of the wind but the East, is where my elec power came from so off it went. Hurricane Ike passed within 10 miles of me and killed power as far up as Nacodoches. Harvey was not quite as bad for me since many places still had power assuming you could get to the station thru high water but since we had plenty of warning, I had stockpiled plenty of generator fuel.
Do you have an alternative source of gasoline if your Fiero runs out and all the stations in your state are closed?
If the generators in Ga run out of fuel, do they have an alternative pipeline to feed them? Will they run on water? Will they run on whiskey instead of diesel or natural gas?
My Fiero is a bit different from... whatever state you may want to discuss. I do keep gas on hand, just in case. I also have other vehicles I can siphon from. (I don't really get the comparison. You can't really store a practical amount of AC current. And any form of electricity isn't "portable", as a practical, long-term consideration. Batteries and jump boxes notwithstanding.)
Generators in GA. You mean the power company's generators? I don't see it happening. It's too diverse. (Still some coal. Hydro, Natural Gas, Nuclear, Combined Cycle, and a small percentage of "green energy". But we have Tie Lines (interconnections - lots of them) between GA and the Carolinas (off of our footprint), TVA (also off of our footprint), Florida (off of our footprint) and Alabama (part of our system.) Probably some others that I don't even know about. That's not even counting the interconnections to the west that are available to Alabama and Mississippi.
We buy and sell electricity every day, depending upon surplus or deficits. I would venture to say much more than Texas does.
Granted, those interconnects probably are not enough to run the entire state, but I'll bet they can support a substantial portion of it.
[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 01-24-2022).]
I have no doubt about your preparedness. Similar to you, prior to forecasted storms coming my way, every vehicle gets topped off and every empty fuel can/drum get filled. Those cans and drums are normally full anyway since I use them for my tractor anyway. Diesel has a decent shelf life, much longer than gas. Based on my tractor's usage, if worse comes to worse, I figure I can make it 12 to 15 days with no electrical power and we'll be in good shape as long as Nefflix and Paramount+ is up. Can't wait for Yellowstone, Season 5 and now the wife is liking 1883;
On a side note, I'm thinking I need to get a backup 12V electric fuel pump. I use one to top off the Kubota since those drums are not something I can lift to pour out of. What can I say, I'm not as strong as I used to be.
Rams
[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 01-24-2022).]
ERCOT has spent the past year preparing for this week’s freeze, requiring power plants to weatherize, inspecting that weatherization, and fining any company that doesn’t meet standards. They’ve made estimates of how much power Texans will use, and overcompensated with power generation on stand-by. Officials say the grid is ready, and this week may put those preparations to the test.
“I’m paid to be nervous,” ERCOT chief executive Brad Jones said in an interview late Wednesday. But he expressed confidence in the electric power industry ahead of what the Electric Reliability Council of Texas expects will be peak electricity demand for this storm: 72,000 megawatts of demand at 8 a.m. Friday.
But there is one crucial unknown that, beyond an act of God, could make or break the grid this week: natural gas production. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has precious little insight into how much gas the pipelines will carry to power plants, if there are any production problems, mechanical problems, or unexpected demand for residential customers, who get priority over power plant customers.
That means, no matter how accurately ERCOT forecasts grid conditions, no matter how well power generators wrap up their plants for the freeze, the grid could still go down if natural gas suppliers fail. Natural gas suppliers aren’t required to weatherize their equipment, and no one knows how likely a natural gas failure might be.
Jones has some ideas about how to change this problem, and natural gas folks should listen.
First, he wants to set up a gas desk at ERCOT that would monitor information about supply from pipelines across the state. That way, ERCOT could react to any fuel problems right away.
With a gas desk, ERCOT “would have an operator on shift 24 hours, 7 days a week, that would let us know of any restrictions on our gas system,” Jones said.
Second, Jones wants the Railroad Commission, which regulates oil and gas production, to set up an independent market monitor to observe the oil and gas markets and ferret out any wrongdoing. The Public Utility Commission hired an independent market monitor to patrol the wholesale power market a few years ago.
I been there and done it. Hurricane Rita and Ike were bad in that regard; several weeks each time for most of us. Rita went to the East of me so I got the lesser of the wind but the East, is where my elec power came from so off it went. Hurricane Ike passed within 10 miles of me and killed power as far up as Nacodoches. Harvey was not quite as bad for me since many places still had power assuming you could get to the station thru high water but since we had plenty of warning, I had stockpiled plenty of generator fuel.
Florida seems to be "known" as the state that's hurricane prone, and people say... 'Don't move to Florida, cause hurricanes!'
But it seems to me that the whole Gulf Coast region (which I like to refer to as the Gulf of Florida)... is far more prone to hurricanes and landfall. I mean... without doing ANY research whatsoever, I'd have to assume Florida and the Gulf is shaped the way it is *because* hurricanes over millions of years have shaped the land as it is.
I haven't looked at the tectonic map, but I don't think there's a plate there, that Florida is drifting off like Baja and California is from the West Coast... that all seems to have been carved out from hurricanes and storms.
We had Andrew, which I wasn't there for, that was the most devastating Florida has had in nearly 100 years. But it seems every season there's a catastrophic hurricane in the Gulf... usually with landfall somewhere in Texas through Mississippi.
But yeah, I've seen your flood pictures... that sucks. You're not still there are you? I remember you moved? You're in Cleveland now, which if I'm not mistaken is North East of San Antonio... like between Austin and SA, but closer to SA?
I mean... without doing ANY research whatsoever, I'd have to assume Florida and the Gulf is shaped the way it is *because* hurricanes over millions of years have shaped the land as it is.
I hope you are joking. Look up the Chicxulub impact. It's what killed the dinosaurs.
[This message has been edited by williegoat (edited 02-03-2022).]
Originally posted by blackrams: It would appear that someone (in a position of responsibility) learned, listened and is doing something about it. None of us can predict accurately "Acts of God" but this effort to exercise the six "Ps" is a great indicator of good leadership. Hard to knock these efforts.
I hope you are joking. Look up the Chicxulub impact. It's what killed the dinosaurs.
No! (and I hope YOU are joking) Florida formed (500+ million years ago ) way before the asteroid and was caused by the drifting of the land masses as Pangea split apart, but the platform under today's Florida was already there.
Plate tectonics formed the Gulf of Mexico.. Rifting of the region, and uplifting of that which now includes the continental US region and GoM subsidence. This happened 200-300 million years ago. The asteroid (66 million years ago) really did little to affect it.
[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 02-03-2022).]
No! (and I hope YOU are joking) Florida formed (500+ million years ago ) way before the asteroid and was caused by the drifting of the land masses as Pangea split apart, but the platform under today's Florida was already there.
Plate tectonics formed the Gulf of Mexico.. Rifting of the region, and uplifting of that which now includes the continental US region and GoM subsidence. This happened 200-300 million years ago. The asteroid (66 million years ago) really did little to affect it.
I was recently told 'You know you're old when the girls you dated in high school are all on medicare and social security". I've outlived most of the girls I dated then and the rest are in nursing homes or insane asylums.
[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 02-03-2022).]
No! (and I hope YOU are joking) Florida formed (500+ million years ago ) way before the asteroid and was caused by the drifting of the land masses as Pangea split apart, but the platform under today's Florida was already there.
Plate tectonics formed the Gulf of Mexico.. Rifting of the region, and uplifting of that which now includes the continental US region and GoM subsidence. This happened 200-300 million years ago. The asteroid (66 million years ago) really did little to affect it.
I was not joking, just wro... wron... Oh, you know...the thing...
In consideration of the encroaching cold snap, this is worth mentioning.
"Will the Texas grid hold up in the freeze? Experts give their confidence scores."
Beth Garza – former independent ERCOT monitor
Garza said another blackout lasting for days, like it did in 2021, is unlikely. But she added that rolling blackouts lasting for minutes, even hours, is not out of the forecast.
"We don't have enough supply to meet the demand in a situation like we had three years ago," said Garza, who is now a senior fellow with the R Street's Energy and Environmental Policy Team.
The former ERCOT monitor said she would feel a lot more confident if the Texas grid was better connected to the Eastern and Western Interconnections. Texas has long resisted connecting to avoid federal oversight but, in an emergency, if Texas was better connected, it could pull outside electricity onto the grid.
"I'm not looking for federal oversight of the electricity system but there are ways to increase ERCOT's ability to draw on remote resources from outside the region," she said. ------- This is the same crap that I have harped about in the past. Local outages are going to happen whenever ice - or ice-coated trees - tear down the poles and lines. That's a given. But there are still not enough interconnections to the "bulk electric system" (Yes, that's a real term.) aka "the national grid". Based upon what I've heard about upgrades that have been performed, Texas is in a much better position than it was three years ago, but it still needs work.
I sincerely wish you all the best. Maybe it'll just be cold, with no ice. (I'll still bet that none of the ERCOT bigwigs are going to be sitting in the dark. Can't have that, can we!)
WTF ?
Can't wait for Yellowstone, Season 5 and now the wife is liking 1883; 
