Living in Texas this year has been a true challenge—the power grid can’t handle the drastic weather changes and millions of people are suffering as a result. There’s a blistering heatwave ravaging Texas right now, reaching over 90 degrees F (32 degrees C). And Texans are urged to conserve power so as not to overload the independent power grid the state uses and to avoid an emergency like earlier this year.
Back in February, a massive and deadly winter storm hit the state and left millions without power because the infrastructure wasn’t upgraded to deal with such events and because Texas has its own electric power grid, managed by ERCOT, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. More than 151 people died because of the cold and the power outages and several power companies went bankrupt.
Now, during the heatwave, Texans are asked to set their thermostats to 78 degrees F (25.6 degrees C) or higher during the day and 82 degrees F (27.8 degrees C) at night to save energy. Which means no relief from the heat. Bored Panda has collected some of the most spot-on reactions to ERCOT’s demands. Check them out below.
With temperatures soaring during the summer, we need to know how to remain healthy, hydrated, and cool. I reached out to Dr. Andrew Carroll, from Arizona, to hear how to survive in extreme heat, no matter where you live. “Living in Arizona, you learn how to live in the heat. We are currently in our own heatwave, with our temperatures hitting 117 degrees F in the afternoon (47 degrees C),” Dr. Carroll told Bored Panda.
“Dizziness, headache, abdominal pain, fatigue, body aches can be the first signs of heat exhaustion. If it’s a hot day and you start seeing these signs, get into air conditioning and start drinking fluids with electrolytes (PediaLyte, Gatorade, etc),” Dr. Carroll warned. “You should not return to outdoor activity anymore that day. Heatstroke is typically extreme fatigue, confusion, abdominal and body aches, and lack of sweating. Heatstroke should be evaluated at an Emergency Room, as it can be life-threatening.”
Image credits: MiiSS_JAZZY_B
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