TYLER COUNTY – The winter storm given the moniker Fern affected an estimated 230 million Americans over the weekend, and much of Texas was affected, including Tyler County.
Wintry precipitation and freezing temperatures, along with some power outages and downed tree limbs, from the weight of ice, is what many county residents were greeted with on Sunday morning, after the ice storm warning went into effect Saturday evening.
The temperatures continued throughout the week, through the region and much of the state, and has prompted a statewide declaration of disaster.
Gov. Greg Abbott issued the declaration prior to the storm for 134 Texas counties to ensure resources were available.
“Because of the severity of the storm. Right now, I am making a disaster declaration covering 134 counties across the state…to make sure that every possible resource can be made available to them so they can respond quicker, faster and better,” Abbott said during a press conference.
A countywide declaration of disaster was issued, citing a potential imminent threat of widespread and/or severe damage, injury or loss of life or property resulting from severe weather conditions predicted by the National Weather Service. The declaration, issued by Tyler County Judge Milton Powers, took effect immediately after its issuance on Friday.
“We appreciate the efforts of our first responders, linemen, and all local and state partners working to ensure public safety. A special thanks to the American Red Cross for their support,” said Powers.
The cause, according to climate scientists, is from a mass of frigid air from the Arctic zone hitting the warmer, more moist air in the United States. Colder Arctic air is, according to reports, usually confined to the far northern latitudes by the polar vortex, which is a vast circular ribbon of wind.
When that polar vortex is weakened, or expands, the freezing Arctic air can move southward, according to the National Weather Service.
Along with travel plans being scuttled for many residents, many school districts also closed on Monday, including all five of Tyler County’s districts.
State officials have stated that the storm was not as severe as the 2021 Winter Storm Uri, during which 246 people died, and which triggered discussions about the failure of the power grid. Most of the power outages remained confined to Deep East Texas, according to reports.
As of Monday, there were more than 38,000 households and businesses without power, according to PowerOutage.us, which was down from the reported 130,000 on Sunday morning. None of those outages were reported as being in Tyler County.
