Texans Strong Social Capital and the Perceived Absence of Leadership during Winter Storm Uri

Keywords: power outages, societal impacts, focusing events, infrastructure, social capital
Abstract Type: Virtual Paper Abstract

Abstract

As energy infrastructure deteriorates across the United States, the likelihood of large-scale failures within these systems is expected to increase. But despite the increasing likelihood of these events, the research on how people are impacted during power outages is considerably smaller compared to other hazards, like heat and flooding. When these failures occur, the focus turns to elected leaders and their response to the event and how communities take action and use their social capital. This research aimed to understand the societal impacts of the blackout caused by Winter Storm Uri. Three newspaper outlets were selected through a stratified random sampling approach, and 77 articles were obtained for the analysis. A media analysis was conducted through a focusing events lens to analyze how Texans were affected by the storm and the anomalously cold temperatures. The articles were selected based on if they covered the impacts of Winter Storm Uri or the ensuing blackout. Through a content analysis, the findings of this research indicate that elected officials did not act in a manner that helped their constituents. While leaders were making media appearances and attributing blame to electricity providers and non-existent policies, Texans demonstrated strong social capital within their communities and utilized this resource to survive. Residents showed their social capital by allowing their neighbors in their homes, despite the concerns of the ongoing pandemic. Findings also demonstrated that leadership must be transparent and consistent in their updates with their constituents.