Texas Triangle

[v8vega]

I saw something interesting
Texas triangle 35 counties have ⅔ rds of Texas population, 19 million, Huston, Dallas Fort worth, San Antonio, Austin. 250 niles from one corner of the triangle to the other.

[HONDO74]

Must be because of all the Californians moving to Texas...

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Must be because of all the Californians moving to Texas...

Unlikely. That "triangle" has been the population center of that state for a long time. Lots of states are like this if you spend a fraction of a second on thought. 1-3 major cities and the rest is either empty or near empty rural.

Right, move to TX which can't manage it's own electrical grid - there's an attractive selling point.

[chuck]

West and South West Texas looks like the Mojave with major lumps. On Google Earth the only signs of human activity are grids connecting the massive oil and gas fields. Apparently this stuff manages itself as there are almost no human settlements in that area. North Texas is pretty much the same as Oklahoma, range land. Lots of cattle as some pivot point irrigation fields. At least there are some people living there. The triangle pretty much covers the only part of the state that is what most of us would call habitable. I bet that's why most of the people that live in the state live in that area!

[HONDO74]

Right, move to TX which can't manage it's own electrical grid - there's an attractive selling point.

That electrical grid in California starts forest fires. That's what put PG&E into bankruptcy. And they have to shut down the grid with rolling blackouts all the time.

Back in 2010 when we drove out to Calif we went through a big portion of Texas. Miles and miles and miles of wind turbines. Apparently nobody comprehended what was going to happen if those turbines froze up because it never happened before

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Back in 2010 when we drove out to Calif we went through a big portion of Texas. Miles and miles and miles of wind turbines. Apparently nobody comprehended what was going to happen if those turbines froze up because it never happened before

Apparently turning out the lights is not done in TX. Surprise - it's get dark at night.

As for CA, at least theirs works and they are connected to other states so you can have a night light in the bathroom.

[chuck]

Apparently nobody comprehended what was going to happen if those turbines froze up because it never happened before

The Texas officials were warned about "winterizing" their equipment in previous reports, particularly after a winter with some major hiccups when it dropped down low in back in 2011 and a number of plants were knocked off line.

Woodfin, of ERCOT, acknowledged that there’s no requirement to prepare power infrastructure for such extremely low temperatures. “Those are not mandatory, it’s a voluntary guideline to decide to do those things,” he said. “There are financial incentives to stay online, but there is no regulation at this point.”

Texas politicians and regulators were warned after the 2011 storm that more “winterizing” of power infrastructure was necessary, a report by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation shows. The large number of units that tripped offline or couldn’t start during that storm “demonstrates that the generators did not adequately anticipate the full impact of the extended cold weather and high winds,” regulators wrote at the time.

This isn't unique to Texas. Serious flooding in South East Michigan was caused when pumping stations failed because they had not been repaired in a reasonable period of time and "assumptions" about reserve capacity was grossly underestimated. The head of the oversight agency resigned yesterday.

The "normal" extremes for annual weather events is going to need serious adjusting. What was one a 100 year flood event is now a 5-10 year event and the old 500 year flood is now 100 year flood. Temperature extremes at both the low and high end of the spectrum will also need revising. Some of the computer models are breaking down because the people who did the math never anticipated long term disruptions of the "classic" models they had been using for decades. We are experiencing weekly torrential downpours over a few square miles and near drought conditions in the adjacent areas. The specific areas of deluge constantly shift but the pumps and drains and retention areas were never designed for multiple hits of 2"-5" rainfall in less than 24 hours. All of that water messes up the background humidity and some plants are going into overdrive on evapotranspiration making maters worse. I have no idea what the next winter is going to be like other than it won't be anything like the previous 50 years.

[gregj410]

Right, move to TX which can't manage it's own electrical grid - there's an attractive selling point.

Oh there’s a real selling point there from the wise counsel of MTJ. California is a shit hole and another state being destroyed by Democrats.

[bob turner]

Yep. We are in seriously bad shape. Please, please,please move to Texas!

While I am at it, tourists go home, but leave your daughters.

I have had pleasant visits in Pecos and Van Horn. But it is hot out there. . .

[v8vega]

I know most of the population of Oregon is in their 3 big cities Portland, Salem, and Eugene.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I've been to both states many times; both have their good points regarding visiting for a week or 2. TX is being destroyed by a short-sighted unified clique of fascists and racists. Living in either...........not happening. Both have far too may faults. Enjoy either for a week or 3.....if you can afford to pay the bills for travel and CoL.

[robert.]

For a few years i would do a trade show in Dallas. Dallas to me is a strange city. By 6:00 pm it's dead. Most of the day there was no traffic. No hustle and bustle. I almost got engaged in Dallas. I over heard my wife telling her mom " she found the ring in my backpack." So I made her wait 2 more days.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

For a few years i would do a trade show in Dallas. Dallas to me is a strange city. By 6:00 pm it's dead. Most of the day there was no traffic. No hustle and bustle.

Don't know when you were there, but it was just coming alive late night. Can't really remember traffic as I was not driving, but there was plenty of hustle and bustle walking about downtown.

[robert.]

For a few years i would do a trade show in Dallas. Dallas to me is a strange city. By 6:00 pm it's dead. Most of the day there was no traffic. No hustle and bustle.

Don't know when you were there, but it was just coming alive late night. Can't really remember traffic as I was not driving, but there was plenty of hustle and bustle walking about downtown.

I was there last around 2006-07. Laura Bush showed up for a day of shopping. It may be nice to say " A first lady came to our show" In reality it kills the day for sales. The secret service shuts down the show floor.
Not the Texas triangle. Look how dead NYC is



I snapped these on my last trip into the city. This was the first time i had been there in 17 months.