ATLANTA – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sounding the alarm on a salmonella outbreak linked to raw oysters that has impacted 22 states, including Texas.

What we know:

The CDC on Tuesday said they are investigating dozens of cases of salmonella where people reported eating raw oysters. The agency is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to determine the source of the oysters.

Sixty-four people have gotten sick, according to the CDC, with 20 people needing to be hospitalized. Two hospitalizations were in Texas. 

What we don’t know:

Officials said the actual number of sick people is likely much higher since many people recover without medical care or testing. The CDC said recent illnesses may not have been reported in the outbreak because it can take three to four weeks to determine if a sick person is part of the outbreak.

What are the symptoms of salmonella?

Most people who become infected with salmonella experience diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps and recover in about a week. More severe symptoms include diarrhea with a fever above 102 degrees Farenheit, vomiting to the point you cannot keep liquids down and dehydration. Those experiencing more severe symptoms should contact their healthcare provider.

How to prevent salmonella

What you can do:

The CDC suggests cooking oysters before eating to reduce the risk of food poisoning.

Public health officials said that using hot sauce or lemon juice on raw oysters does not make them safer as it does not kill germs.

A cold front moving into Texas late Sunday could bring snow to parts of the state early next week, following an unseasonably warm Christmas weekend.

Temperatures across much of Texas are expected to stay in the 70s and 80s through Sunday. But a shift in the weather pattern is forecast to send colder air south overnight into Monday, raising the possibility of light snowfall in the Panhandle and parts of West Texas.

“Late Sunday night into Monday morning, we’re expecting a change in the atmospheric weather pattern,” said Kenny Greening, meteorologist at the National Weather Service (NWS) in Midland. “Our confidence in snow falling isn’t that high, though it’s in the forecast because the models are definitely showing that it’s a possibility,” he told the Midland Reporter-Telegram.

Why It Matters

Snowfall in Texas is rare due to its geographic location and typically warmer climate. Much of the state lies far south of the jet stream, meaning Arctic air masses don’t frequently reach deep into the region. Most snowfall there occurs in mid- to late January, when average temperatures are at their lowest.

What To Know

The NWS says there is a low chance of snow in the Midland-Odessa area early Monday, with a 20 percent to 35 percent chance, depending on how moisture and cold air arrive and overlap. Temperatures are expected to drop sharply, with highs near 43 degrees and lows falling to around 28 by Monday night.

The shift begins Sunday evening, when temperatures fall from a high near 72 degrees to an overnight low around 34. Any snow would likely fall before sunrise Monday, followed by mostly cloudy skies for the rest of the day.

Other parts of Texas are predicted to see weather changes as well. In El Paso, there is a 30 percent chance of showers late Sunday night, with rain expected to continue into Monday. Cities in East and Southeast Texas, including Houston, Beaumont and San Antonio, could also see rain starting Sunday evening. Lows in those areas are expected to stay above freezing, but travel could be affected by wet roads.

In Laredo, winds are expected to pick up through the weekend, with breezy conditions likely to continue as the front moves through. While snowfall is not in the forecast for South Texas, residents across the Lone Star State are being advised to monitor conditions and prepare for colder weather early next week.

What People Are Saying

Greening, to the Midland Reporter-Telegram: “Our confidence in snow falling isn’t that high, though it’s in the forecast because the models are definitely showing that it’s a possibility.”

What Happens Next

The NWS will continue monitoring the storm system and refine the forecast as models develop.

Bigger, better, Texas. The entire U.S. has been actively working towards the global mission of achieving net zero by 2050, while also trying to meet its own climate goals. To make this possible, significant investments have been made in expanding the country’s hydrogen infrastructure, with Texas also looking for hydrogen. Instead, it may produce 1.4 million tons of “something that eats CO₂.” With so many investments and so little time, will Texas and the rest of the U.S. meet their goals? Let’s find out.

Expanding the U.S. hydrogen infrastructure

Hydrogen plays a key role in mitigating the effects of climate change, and especially plays a vital role in boosting the U.S.’s energy security while promoting economic growth. It is for these very reasons that the U.S. has been actively expanding its hydrogen infrastructure, as clean hydrogen will assist the country in achieving a zero-carbon power grid by 2035.

One of the states significantly invested in expanding its infrastructure is Texas. As far as perceptions go, “everything is bigger in Texas,” so its clean energy infrastructure may as well be also. The expansion shouldn’t be a problem, as according to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, the state’s existing infrastructure is already significant, boasting more than 900 miles of pipelines and gigantic underground salt cavern storage plants.

However, Texas may be looking for additional hydrogen, but it may start producing 1.4 million tons of “something that eats CO₂,” instead. Find out more below.

Texas went looking for hydrogen

Seeing as Texas’s electricity demand could almost double in six years, investments in expanding its infrastructure have never been more vital than before. Existing infrastructure that will expand includes Air Liquide’s $50 million strategic upgrades to its facilities’ pipeline system, as well as new compression and distribution equipment.

Another expansion strategy of Texas includes a 240 MW Green Ammonia Project, for which Synergen Green Energy has chosen Electric Hydrogen. The project will be integrating two of Electric Hydrogen’s flagship 120 MW HYPRPlants.

These plants will form part of the project’s front-end engineering and design (FEED) agreement. Once fully operational, 210,000 tons of ammonia will be produced annually, which will be used for European and Asian maritime and industrial applications. However, Electric Hydrogen will also help Texas produce “something that eats CO₂.”

It may produce 1.4 million tons of “something that eats CO₂”

Electric Hydrogen is no stranger to Texas. In fact, one of its electrolyzer systems is already operational at the Roadrunner Power-to-Liquids Facility in Pecos. HIF Global also selected the company to provide large-scale electrolyzer plants for its e-fuels-based facility for the ‘Matagorda’ project. The $7 billion project will reportedly generate 1.4 million tons of e-methanol annually.

This will be achieved by combining captured CO₂ with hydrogen. The company’s HYPRPlant technology is becoming increasingly popular as:

• It uses flagship proton exchange membrane (PEM) technology
• It is powered by renewable power
• It produces cost-effective, clean hydrogen at a commercial scale
• The plant’s installation costs are nearly 60% more cost-effective compared to others

“Our HYPRPLANT technology makes it possible for customers like Synergen Green Energy to produce radically low-cost hydrogen today. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to accelerating the energy transition and delivering scalable solutions to enable new advanced fuel economies in the U.S. and globally.” – Electric Hydrogen CEO, Raffi Garabedian

So, while Texas has been looking for hydrogen, it has also stumbled upon more strategic ways to improve its current infrastructure and energy security. These projects will help the state to accelerate the renewable energy transition locally and globally, while promoting job growth within the sector and boosting its exports to generate much-appreciated income. For now, the U.S. energy market is dominated by the Permian Basin, but all of that could change soon.

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