DALLAS — Texans will always remember the 2021 winter storm as a time when freezing weather, snow, power loss and supply chain issues led to several crises throughout the state. 

What You Need To Know

  • The 2021 storm initially looked liked a brief burst of Texas winter, but ended up lingering for days and left millions in the dark

  • Hundreds of people died in the cold while countless others had to seek help from shelters

  • The ice compounded on Interstate 35 West in Fort Worth and led to a massive 133 car pile-up that killed six and left dozens of other commuters injured

  • The stability of the power grid and the state’s infrastructure have seen a lot of change in the last four years, but some say more needs to be done

February marks four years since the winter blast. The storm that initially looked liked a brief burst of Texas winter, but ended up lingering for days and having widespread effects.

The warning signs started on Feb. 10, 2021, when utility crews were put on standby throughout the state as forecasters projected an extreme winter storm. The very next day, North Texas woke to freezing rain, the storm’s first major effect.

The ice compounded on Interstate 35 West in Fort Worth, and led to a massive 133 car pile-up that killed six and left dozens of other commuters injured. The express lanes, where the crash happened, closed for days, and the incident triggered years of investigations into what went wrong.

There was little time for the Lone Star State to reflect on that crash. On Valentine’s Day 2021, snow fell across most of Texas. The flakes quickly accumulated as temperatures sat below freezing and the precipitation stretched through the night.

The compounding effects of the cold, snow and ice shut down roads and many homes suffered pipe bursts and multiple days without power.

The power loss would take center stage as millions of homes and businesses were cut off from light and heat because of a catastrophic failure of the state’s independent electric grid. Hundreds of people died in the cold while countless others had to seek help from shelters. Others lived in their cars for days, as it was their only source of heat in the still freezing temperatures.

Those cars struggled to stay on too though as gas stations across the state went dry. Refueling trucks couldn’t travel because of snow and ice-covered roads. Grocery store shelves were barren, and some even struggled to access clean, drinkable water.

By Thursday, Feb. 17, 2021, the weather warmed up, and though many remained in the dark, some Texans received power again. People started reaching out to their neighbors, providing meals, water and refuge from the cold.

On Friday, Feb. 18, 2021, significantly warmer weather melted the snow and ice. It would take several days to get the power grid completely back up and grocery store shelves fully stocked, but residents quickly found relief rushing in to help.

The 2021 winter storm is long gone, but the effects of that storm continue to be felt. Texas leaders continue to seek solutions to prevent a repeat of the issues from that week. The stability of the power grid and the state’s infrastructure have seen a lot of change in the years since the storm, but calls for more solutions continue.

Four years after that storm, its story continues.