Severe Cold Snap Leaves Over 100,000 Oregonians Without Power<\/h2>
The bitter cold weather gripping Oregon has left more than 100,000 residents without electricity as Portland General Electric (PGE) battles to restore power amidst relentless ice and high winds.<\/p>
Recent winter storms have hammered the U.S. Northwest, with Oregon experiencing the highest number of outages among affected states, totaling approximately 110,000 according to PowerOutage.us.<\/p>
\"After significant progress restoring all but about 5,000 customers from this week's weather, a third round of weather, including high gusty winds and freezing rain, caused about 50,000 new outages,\" PGE stated in its latest update on Friday morning.<\/p>
The utility company has mobilized around 1,700 workers in an ongoing effort to bring the lights back on for everyone, emphasizing their commitment to resolving the widespread disruption.<\/p>
Tragically, the severe weather has already claimed lives. On Wednesday, a downed power line led to the electrocution of three individuals in Oregon, though a baby survived after a heroic rescue by a witness.<\/p>
The freezing temperatures have also strained energy resources, triggering peak power demand. Homes and businesses ramped up natural gas consumption to unprecedented levels for heating and power generation.<\/p>
Beyond Oregon, the winter storm's reach extends to the Gulf Coast, where a refinery in Texas was shut down, causing malfunctions at other facilities and slashing North Dakota's oil production by half. Officials warn it could take about a month to restore normal operations.<\/p>
The Polar Vortex Explained<\/h3>
While much of the world basks in unusual warmth, the United States braces against the cold grip of the polar vortex—a phenomenon that has become more prominent in recent years due to climate change.<\/p>
Winter weather expert Judah Cohen from Atmospheric Environmental Research explains, \"When the polar vortex stretches like a rubber band, severe extreme winter weather is much more likely in the United States. That's where it tends to be focused and in January we have an extreme case of that stretching of the polar vortex.\"<\/p>
This contradiction of extreme cold amidst global warming underscores the complex impacts of climate change on weather patterns, leading to more frequent and intense winter storms like the one currently affecting Oregon.<\/p>
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
