Meanwhile in Texoma........

[RTH10260]

Now just refrain from watering your flowers!

[Volkonski]

About 1.5 miles from here. Haven't heard any propane cannons or pyrotechnics.

We were driving on Bonny Drive this afternoon. Saw no egrets.

City of Wichita Falls, Texas Government
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A Cattle egret roost has established itself in the southeast portion of Wichita Falls, near Bonny Drive, generating bird strike threats to general, commercial, and military aviation safety in the Wichita Falls area. The impact of birds on aircraft can cause extensive damage to an aircraft, with the potential for crashes and loss of life.
Cattle egrets are flying over the Kickapoo Downtown Airport and the Sheppard AFB/Wichita Falls Regional Airport while heading to and upon return from feeding sites.
A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) is being issued to advise pilots in the local area that there is an increased bird strike threat due to this roost.
The City of Wichita Falls staff has been working with Sheppard AFB and federal wildlife officials to formulate solutions to this problem. It has been determined that the safest and most effective solution at this time, is to use propane cannons and pyrotechnics to disperse the egrets from this location. Starting May 9, 2023, dispersal operations will run daily at the roost from 6:00 pm to 8:45 pm, until the birds have been moved to a new location that does not present a threat to aviation safety.
The City of Wichita Falls and Sheppard AFB worked with property owners in the area to obtain permission to address this issue. Subsequently, the public may see City workers and equipment working in the identified area.
The last Cattle egret strike known to have occurred in Wichita Falls was in July 2013, resulting in the ejection of two Sheppard AFB pilots and the complete loss of a T-38 aircraft, valued at $8M.

[Volkonski]

Hearing some booms now.

[Volkonski]

Not Texoma but Texas.

I reported here just a few years ago about large kills of Atlantic menhaden in the Great Peconic Bay between the North and South Forks of Long Island. Same cause. Menhaden are very sensitive to low oxygen levels.

Menhaden ("the most important fish in the sea") are the main food fish for many predator fish species like cod, blue fish, etc. that humans eat. (Menhaden are too oily and boney for humans to eat.) Menhaden were once a major source of fertilizer and are still the major source of fish oil supplements.

Dead fish are washing up along beaches on the Texas Gulf Coast, officials say.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/10/us/dead- ... index.html

The Gulf menhaden, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says has the largest fishery yield in the Gulf of Mexico, has been the most-impacted species by this fish kill, according to wildlife officials.

Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Kills and Spills Team Region 3 investigated what’s happening along the coast, spokesperson Lerrin Johnson said in a statement to CNN.

The team of biologists examine fish and wildlife kills caused by natural events and pollution.

“Fish kills like this are common in the summer when temperatures increase,” Johnson said.

“If there isn’t enough oxygen in the water, fish can’t ‘breathe,’” she added.

[Volkonski]

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times........"

Mrs. V's late aunt's older son's cancer has returned. (He is the older brother of Mrs. V's DC area cousin who has a cottage on the Circle.)

We had expected him down here on the North Fork from Hartford for 3 weeks starting the 25th. However his doctors want to start him on both chemo and radiation ASAP so that may not happen.

Our younger daughter's two pet rats have passed away.

The local North Fork strawberry festival will happen this month for the first time since Covid.

One of the Wichita Falls high school's orchestra will perform at Carnegie Hall in NYC this week.

A great white shark has been spotted near the Long Island coast.

[Volkonski]

ERCOT predicts record demand for energy in Texas

https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2023 ... ergy-texas

The state's electric grid operators issued a Weather Watch through June 21 and forecasted a record-high demand for energy in Texas as temperatures hover above 100° in much of the state.

Why it matters: A weather watch alert signals that higher demand is expected, but officials have not yet called on Texans to conserve energy or warned of the possibility of widespread power outages.

What's happening: Grid conditions remain normal as of Thursday morning, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) website.

ERCOT's six-day forecast predicts that peak demand could surpass 80,000 megawatts by Friday afternoon as homes and businesses rely on AC to stay cool.

High temperatures in Austin will hover above 100° at least through the weekend, according to National Weather Service meteorologists.

Zoom out: This likely won't be the last time Texans hear of increased demand this summer.

As I type this the temperature in Wichita Falls is 95F and the heat index is 110F. The forecast high for tomorrow is 103F.

[Volkonski]

Good time to be up here on the North Fork.

Most of Texoma under Excessive Heat Warning

https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/lo ... t-warning/

The heat index is expected to reach well into the triple digits for almost all of Texoma on Tuesday, leading officials to issue a weather alert for a majority of the area.

The National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, has issued an Excessive Heat Warning for the following Texoma Counties:

Texas — Archer, Baylor, Clay, Jack, Knox, Montague, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger, and Young Counties



According to KXAN in Austin, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) issued a Voluntary Conservation Notice from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday due to extreme heat and forecasted record demand.

According to the National Weather Service, heat is one of the leading weather-related killers in the United States, resulting in hundreds of fatalities and even more heat-related illnesses.

I guess that Wichita Falls has the highest heat index because it is a big city compared to the surrounding rural counties.

[Volkonski]

Forecast highs for Wichita Falls will top 107 (dry bulb not heat index) for several days.

As heat records fall, Wichita Falls stands tall

https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/n ... 347062007/

After a few relatively balmy days in the 90s, the National Weather Service predicted daytime highs here will start inching up over the weekend, reaching 106 on Sunday.

That’s toasty – but nowhere near a record breaker.

Many might think of South Texas being the true hot spot in the state and recent figures show it no doubt gets warm there. Del Rio soared to 115 degrees Wednesday to break the town’s all-time record and Laredo hit 115 on Monday, tying its record.

But those towns ain’t seen nothin’!

Wichita Falls officially reached 117 degrees on June 28, 1980, to set its personal best. Just down the road in Seymour, the mercury reached 120 degrees on Aug. 12, 1936 to set the all-time high temperature recorded in Texas.

Temperatures at or above 110 are not uncommon in North Texas summers.



ERCOT, the agency that oversees the Texas power grid (and disastrously failed in Winter Storm Uri in 2021) has urged electricity customers to turn up their thermostats and conserve energy in some parts of the state. As of Thursday, the grid had held up OK. Forecasters said extreme heat may continue in Texas through the Fourth of July.

[Greatgrey]

Well now it seems that ERCOT is a branch of the Texas government & can’t be sued, sovereign immunity ya know.

https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/23 ... ium=social

The Supreme Court of Texas narrowly decided Friday that sovereign immunity, which largely shields government agencies from civil lawsuits, also protects the operator of the Texas electric grid.

The 5-4 opinion will likely free the nonprofit corporation from lawsuits filed by thousands of Texans for deaths, injuries and damages following the deadly 2021 winter storm, unless lawyers find another way forward.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages the power supply for most of Texas, qualifies for immunity because it “provides an essential governmental service,” Chief Justice Nathan Hecht wrote in the majority opinion. State law intended for ERCOT to have the power of an “arm of the State government,” Hecht wrote. If anyone is going to hold ERCOT accountable for its actions, Hecht wrote, it should be state regulators or the Legislature, not the courts.

Reliability shouldn’t be part of the name.

[Volkonski]

Hispanic Texans officially make up the largest share of state population, Census data shows

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/h ... 167743.php

Texas is now 40.2% Hispanic and 39.8% nonHispanic whites.

The Hispanic Texans are on average much younger than the nonHispanic whites so they will eventually be the majority.

[Volkonski]

Gov Abbott has signed a law repealing local Texas laws requiring water breaks every 4 hours for outdoor workers.

Texas already had the most deaths of workers due to heat.

[Foggy]

Yeah, they said the cruelty was the point. What a horror that man is.

[Volkonski]

The temperature outside is unreal over 108 degrees! Hell on Earth never felt more real!

From Rants and Raves of Wichita Falls FB page.

[Foggy]

"It's a dry heat."

"So is my oven, but I don't stick my head in it!"

[Volkonski]

Texas power use breaks record in heat wave -ERCOT

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/texas- ... 023-06-27/

Power use in Texas hit a preliminary all-time high on Tuesday as homes and businesses cranked up air conditioners to escape a three-week-old heat wave, according to data from the state's power grid operator.

The high temperature in Houston, the biggest city in Texas, hit a high of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) on Tuesday, Weather.com reported. That compared with a normal high of 93.2 degrees Fahrenheit (34 degrees Celsius) for this time of year.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) said power use reached a preliminary 80,828 megawatts (MW) at 6 p.m. CST, topping the grid's previous record of 80,148 MW set on July 20, 2022.

Peak demand is expected to set another record at 83,040 MW on Wednesday.

[Volkonski]

Our SIL reports that this evening the temperature has dropped to 95F but the humidity is so low the heat index is down to 92F.

[RTH10260]

while you were not at home

[Volkonski]

Our younger daughter and SIL, who have been house hunting, found a nice condo in a good section of a DFW close-in suburb. First floor, 2 BR, 2 bath, LR, DR, all appliances incl W-D and covered parking. Their offer has been accepted.

[Volkonski]

Last night strong thunder storms came across our area ripping off roofs, destroying shopping strip malls, knocking out power and phone services. No tornadoes. Just hurricane strength winds.

Good time to be on the North Fork.

Today a wild fire is raging near the State Hospital. Evacuations of nearby businesses and apartment buildings are underway.

High temperature today was 110F.

[Volkonski]

Restoration of electric power is slow because of the heat limiting what workers can do, the large number of poles down (50+), the large number of damaged transformers and the fact that tree damage is widespread.

Tonight Wichita Falls folks on FB are hunting for hotels that have power. Many gas stations are closed due to lack of electricity. Cooling centers are crowded.

Based on my years of experience with hurricane power outages there will be short term shortages of frozen and refrigerated foods. The stores must discard their stocks that get too warm. They can't restock until power is restored and their units have cooled.

Our daughter and SIL report that much of the roof of one of the high schools was destroyed. At least a few other schools also have roof damage. Schools reopen next week.

[Volkonski]

ONCOR ‘working around the clock’ to restore power to those affected by storm

https://www.newschannel6now.com/2023/08 ... -by-storm/

Since midnight today, ONCOR has restored power to approximately 6,000 residents affected by the micro-burst last night. There are still approximately 5,000 residents without power due to the extended outage with no definitive timeline for power restoration.

Those with elderly relatives or loved ones with electrical medical devices are encouraged to seek alternate accommodations to stay out of the heat until their power is restored. See below for information on available cooling locations.

You can still report outages in your area if you have My ONCOR text alerts.

As of 3:30 p.m., ONCOR reports there are still approximately 5,500 customers affected by the extended outage in the areas surrounding Wichita Falls and Wichita County. They are working to restore power to those without and will continue working the rest of the day and throughout the weekend until power is restored.

[Volkonski]

Good news.

Large fire near Southwest Parkway is contained

https://www.newschannel6now.com/2023/08 ... partments/

Update: The fire is contained, and evacuations are continuing due to smoke, according to WFPD Sgt. Charlie Eipper.

A large fire near the Southeast State Hospital in Wichita County has closed Stone Lake Road and the area of Southwest Parkway in Wichita Falls.

According to authorities, the Mustang Village Apartment complex, Stone Creek Ranch Apartments, and the YMCA have been evacuated.

The cause of the fire has not been released. Authorities are asking people to avoid these areas.

[Volkonski]

WCSO evacuates area, shutdowns U.S. 287 ahead of grass fires near Iowa Park

https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/lo ... iowa-park/

Traffic traveling along U.S. 287 was shut down and diverted Saturday while Wichita County deputies went door-to-door on Peterson Road and Bell Road telling residents to evacuate. Traffic on 287 near Iowa Park was diverted when smoke from a fire caused traffic problems.

According to preliminary reports, multiple agencies responded to the scene of a large grass fire on Rifle Range Road at Bacon Switch Road around 11:30 a.m. While battling that fire, firefighters were alerted to two more fires, one on Bradley Ranch Road and another between Hacker Road and Longley Road.

Wichita County Sheriff David Duke said the fire jumped a fire line, causing the need for evacuation on Peterson Road. Shifting wind kept crews scrambling to stay ahead of the fire.

According to the Texas A&M Forest Service Incident website, the fire on Rifle Range Road has consumed 250 acres of fuel. It is 0% contained. The fire between Hacker Road and Longley Road has consumed 600 acres and is 10% contained.

No word on how long the highway will be closed or when people will be allowed to return to their homes. Sheriff Duke said the cause of these fire is suspicious and under investigation. No injuries have been reported.

[Volkonski]

While Mrs. V and I luxuriate in the cool North Fork weather Texoma has record breaking heat. Many days of 110F+ heat.

On the plus side, our younger daughter and SIL closed on their condo in Arlington TX yesterday.

[Volkonski]

Despite the 105+F temperatures the Hotter'n Hell Hundred bicycle race is happening this weekend.

Hope that the emergency services are prepared for this.