Harris Co. suffered the worst effects of winter storm in Texas, report finds

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Houstonians who felt that they were perhaps bearing more of a burden than the rest of Texas during the February 2021 freeze clearly were not imagining it, a new study finds. The impacts of the extreme weather event were far more severe in Harris County, according to a new report by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston.

Notably, more than nine out of every 10 residents of Harris County lost electrical power at some point between the storm’s run from February 14-20. That’s about 91 percent – significantly higher than the 64 percent of Texas’ 212 counties that lost electricity within the Texas Electrical Grid, which is managed by the Electrical Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).

(Harris County residents reported to be without power for an average of 49 hours, per the study.)

Meanwhile, almost two-thirds of Harris County residents lost running water – some 65 percent, much higher than the 44 percent of other Texas residents. Worse, where and when running water was available, taps produced water that was undrinkable, the study adds.