Apple to support winter storm relief efforts in Texas, other US states

Apple will make contributions to local community organizations in Texas and beyond as work continues to restore order amid a brutal winter storm.

CEO Tim Cook announced the planned donation in a post to Twitter on Thursday. He failed to offer specifics, though the company typically provides between $1 million to $2 million in disaster aid, depending on the severity of the event.

"Our hearts are with everyone across Texas and around the U.S., including many of our team members, as they endure the impact of the harsh winter storms," Cook said in a tweet. "Apple will be making a financial contribution to local, community-based organizations to support their relief efforts."

Harsh cold has left at least 38 people dead nationwide, while millions of people are without water and power as unusually severe weather grips Texas, The New York Times reports. Many homes are facing frigid indoor temperatures and flooding from burst pipes, while a boil water advisory currently extends to some 13 million residents in the state.

In Texas and beyond, heavy snow and ice are disrupting car travel, grounding planes, causing stock-outs at stores, threatening medical facilities and slowing coronavirus vaccine distribution.

After descending down through Texas, the devastating storm system is now headed east.

Apple regularly provides financial relief to organizations dealing with catastrophes and natural disasters. In 2018 the company donated $1 million to victims of the Kerala floods in India, relief efforts following the Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia, and Red Cross activity after the California wild fires and Hurricane Florence. Contributions in 2019 included millions in aid for the California wild fires and Australian brush fires, while 2020 saw the tech giant donate to various coronavirus-related efforts, a project that involved the distribution of millions of masks to healthcare workers.

12 Comments

GeorgeBMac 11421 comments · 8 Years

About 3 years ago

Maybe they could send them some batteries -- or ideas on how to build an electric grid.

mac_dog 1083 comments · 16 Years

GeorgeBMac said:

Maybe they could send them some batteries -- or ideas on how to build an electric grid.

I’m sure they have plenty of ideas, but they don’t mean shit if it stalls at the government level. Both sides are so focused on politicizing everything, they forgot who they’re actually supposed to be working for.

tyler82 1107 comments · 18 Years

mac_dog said:

GeorgeBMac said:

Maybe they could send them some batteries -- or ideas on how to build an electric grid.

I’m sure they have plenty of ideas, but they don’t mean shit if it stalls at the government level. Both sides are so focused on politicizing everything, they forgot who they’re actually supposed to be working for.

Texas is Republican-run. In the 1930s the state disconnected from the national power grid so that energy companies didn't have to be regulated. These companies saved money by not winterizing their natural gas, coal, oil refineries, and windmills. These things operate just fine in northern countries like Canada, Norway, Finland, etc. But the Republican-run "don't mess with Texas" independent boot-straps utopia is now begging the federal govt for handouts, the same federal govt they continually turn their back against. Now their arrogance and stupidity has come back to frost-bite them.

Bart Y 73 comments · 6 Years

tyler82 said:

mac_dog said:

GeorgeBMac said:

Maybe they could send them some batteries -- or ideas on how to build an electric grid.

I’m sure they have plenty of ideas, but they don’t mean shit if it stalls at the government level. Both sides are so focused on politicizing everything, they forgot who they’re actually supposed to be working for.

Texas is Republican-run. In the 1930s the state disconnected from the national power grid so that energy companies didn't have to be regulated. These companies saved money by not winterizing their natural gas, coal, oil refineries, and windmills. These things operate just fine in northern countries like Canada, Norway, Finland, etc. But the Republican-run "don't mess with Texas" independent boot-straps utopia is now begging the federal govt for handouts, the same federal govt they continually turn their back against. Now their arrogance and stupidity has come back to frost-bite them.

Agree, although I'm fairly certain Texas politicians are not actively seeking or asking for any help, lest it make them look "weak", never mind the needs of the ordinary Texan, 30-40%+ who are not Republican. This is a weather disaster compounded by inadequate and unhardened man-made infrastructure that could have been much better but isn't. I'm hoping that all Texans hold their politicians accountable for their LACK of responsibility for setting up goals, processes, and YES, responsibility and regulations to make sure utility services can function in extreme cold. They (politicians and utilities) claim, "oh, but its a once a century incident, why should we have to prepare for that??". Well the same thing happened in 2011, Federal regulators studied and suggested many many ways to winterize and prepare the electricity grid and generation systems for weather like this, but the legislature decided not to implement tougher regulations and instead suggested the utilities voluntarily upgrade and harden their facilities - of course it would cost money, of course, it would not happen unless forced to by law and regulation - and so here we are. That once in a century event happened twice in 10 years!! And more extreme summer weather and winter weather is a distinct possibility now. Remember, all the cold weather states have perfectly fine operating utility system that can function quite well in much colder weather than just single digit temps and snow/ice.

Ironically, the Biden administration is sending additional food, water, blankets, supplies to Texas. One has to wonder if the Texas state government will stop it at the border, allow it to come in, or otherwise not use it so as to no appear to accept federal aid. Plus the federal government is now going to look into Texas' electrical grid and again recommend ways to harden the grid against bad weather. Oh, and one more thing. With all the snow and ice on the ground. and warmer weather on its way, what about potential flooding in flood prone areas like Houston as the snow melts?

Rayz2016 6957 comments · 8 Years

tyler82 said:

mac_dog said:

GeorgeBMac said:

Maybe they could send them some batteries -- or ideas on how to build an electric grid.

I’m sure they have plenty of ideas, but they don’t mean shit if it stalls at the government level. Both sides are so focused on politicizing everything, they forgot who they’re actually supposed to be working for.

Texas is Republican-run. In the 1930s the state disconnected from the national power grid so that energy companies didn't have to be regulated. These companies saved money by not winterizing their natural gas, coal, oil refineries, and windmills. These things operate just fine in northern countries like Canada, Norway, Finland, etc. But the Republican-run "don't mess with Texas" independent boot-straps utopia is now begging the federal govt for handouts, the same federal govt they continually turn their back against. Now their arrogance and stupidity has come back to frost-bite them.

Let’s also not forget the Republican press trying to blame the turbines for the whole fiasco, when in fact only 7% of the state’s power is supplied by wind.

Oh, and let’s never forget the Republican senator who jetted off to Cancun while people were freezing to death in his state.