Some 8.8 million people in Texas, about a third of the state’s population, still had issues with their water supply as of early Monday (February 22), authorities told Reuters, after a record-breaking freeze knocked out power stations last week.
Millions of Texans are still being advised to boil water before using, though all power plants were back online over the weekend and power had been restored to most homes as the weather returned to normal.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said late on Sunday that he had joined the Texas Air Guard, the Texas National Guard and the U.S. military to distribute water.
News footage from the Dallas Fort-Worth area showed numerous lines of vehicles snaking around entire city blocks as residents waited in line to receive both clean water and food aid packages, as Texans face the double-wallop of the water disruptions and continued economic hardship related to the covid pandemic.
A deadly winter storm caused widespread blackouts last week across Texas, a state unaccustomed to extreme cold, killing at least two dozen people and knocking out power to more than 4 million people at its peak.
President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Texas on Saturday that makes federal funding available to people harmed by the storm, including assistance for temporary housing and home repairs and low-cost loans.
(Production: Mana Rabiee)