Winter Storm Uri triggers Texas grid collapse, killing at least 246 people

Winter Storm Uri hit Texas on February 10, 2021, driving temperatures below zero in Dallas and triggering a cascade of generator failures across ERCOT's isolated grid. By February 15, more than 4.5 million Texas homes lost electricity as 34,000 megawatts of generation capacity — primarily natural gas plants whose fuel supply lines froze — went offline simultaneously. At least 246 Texans died from hypothermia, carbon monoxide poisoning, and cold-related illness, and the Texas Comptroller estimated economic losses at $195 billion.