Water pipes are bursting and systems are down for tens of thousands of Texans as over 500,000 homes and businesses are contending with the cold without electricity following uncharacteristic frigid weather in the Lone Star State.
Around 264,000 residents were living in areas where water systems were completely unusable as of Wednesday evening, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Images and videos circulated on social media showing pipes exploding above ground level and tubing, some of which appeared to be reinforced with metal, cracked at the seams after subzero temperatures rose to slightly below freezing.
We are aware of the watermain break on Flintlock at Bar-K- Ranch Road. There are water issues all over Lago Vista. Stay home, stay safe…. pic.twitter.com/1Lch48Yosr
— LagoVistaPD (@LagoVistaPD) February 18, 2021
Some images showing the damage from the extreme cold to our water supply systems. Damage is extensive #houwx #txwx #hounews pic.twitter.com/9MhoUCFpv1
— Jeff Lindner (@JeffLindner1) February 18, 2021
A total of 276 water systems throughout Texas have urged residents to conserve what they have and boil water but may have been left in a predicament as lack of electricity has ruled out the option.
“Right now, it’s nonstop phone calls,” said David Butler, a North Texas boss at the local plumbing service, Milestone. “The biggest thing that’s happened with this one was the power outages. I think we’d have been alright if we wouldn’t have had the power outages as bad.”
The extreme winter has been blamed for at least 35 deaths throughout the Southern United States. Citizens have died in road accidents, tornadoes, and carbon monoxide spikes, among other hazards in eight states.
Around 500,000 homes and businesses remain without power as of Thursday morning, while more than 120,000 don’t have electricity in Louisiana, and approximately 189,000 households are without heat in Mississippi, according to PowerOutage.US. Less severe outages have also been observed in Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, and Oregon.
Outages peaked in the Lone Star State on Monday after 3.8 million Texas homes, roughly one-fourth of all residences, were unable to heat their homes.
Numerous Texas cities reported subzero temperatures on Monday morning, including 10 degrees below zero in Amarillo, 9 below in Dalhart, 5 below in Farwell, and 4 below in Childress. Temperatures below zero have also been observed in Wichita Falls and San Angelo, and the warmest weather in the state was in Brownsville, where it was 24 degrees. Most cities have observed temperatures closer to the freezing point, which is 32 degrees Fahrenheit, with a high of 38 in Brownsville on Thursday.
More winter weather is on the horizon. Texas is forecast to get snow and sleet from Thursday into Friday.
“Snow and sleet are expected in Northeast Texas over the next few hours,” Gov. Greg Abbott said. “Another round of precipitation will make its way across the Southern part of the state over the next 24 hours. Most of the state will continue to face freezing temperatures for the next few days. Across the state, the temperature should begin getting above freezing on Saturday.”
Butler predicted that power outages would only increase as the weather gets colder. “As it gets to freezing and above freezing, it’s just going to be exponentially worse,” he continued.
The governor says the Lone Star State has roughly 300 emergency warming centers in action after 3,000 National Guard troops were deployed earlier in the week to mitigate damage. A Federal Emergency Declaration for all 254 counties in the state, which has been approved by President Biden’s administration, has been in effect.
Representatives for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Milestone did not immediately reply to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
