Nearly 3 million homes and businesses in Texas were left without power on Wednesday morning after this week’s big winter storm – even with a second storm threatening a large part of the United States. After some of the coldest temperatures in decades reached the Lone Star State, a new problem was emerging: water restrictions due to pipe ruptures and a lack of electricity at treatment plants.
Galveston, Texas, was under Stage 5 water restrictions on Wednesday morning after major water line disruptions due to power outages, KPRC-TV reported. Fort Worth residents were forced to boil their own water after a water treatment plant was closed. Abilene also had problems with the water.
And Sugar Land, Texas, tweeted an appeal for water conservation, saying, “We need your help! Sugar Land’s water systems are seeing emergency pressure levels in several areas. Minimize water use for health and safety.”
The National Weather Service predicted another “big winter storm from the Midwest Plains to the Mid Atlantic by Friday,” with more than 4 inches of snow falling from Oklahoma to the Mid Atlantic and a potential 8 inches or more in Pennsylvania, not to mention “significant freezing rain” probably also from Texas to Tennessee and from North Carolina to Virginia.
The first storm poured snow and ice, dropping energy in dozens of states, and was responsible for at least 17 deaths, including a grandmother and three children who died in a fire in a house trying to keep warm in Sugar Land.
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In Houston, two others died of carbon monoxide poisoning while trying to keep warm in the car. There was outrage after some skyscrapers were still lit, while downtown Dallas got dark Monday night.
Texas is the only state in the continental United States that has its own power grid. It is not regulated by the federal government and residents are furious that it failed.
“I understand that people are furious that it happened … Let’s turn the power back on,” said CEO Bill Magness of ERCOT, the energy utility that supplies Texas.
National Guard troops and thousands of state soldiers are checking families that are struggling to keep warm. In parts of Texas and Oklahoma, temperatures were not so low 100 years ago – causing the pipes to freeze and explode.
The storm also forced COVID-19 Vaccination sites are closing and have caused delays in sending new doses across the country. Texas Governor Greg Abbott called the storm “the winter version of Hurricane Harvey”. State officials asked people to retain power – if they did.
In Oklahoma City, the temperature dropped to minus 14 on Tuesday morning – the coldest temperature there since 1899. And in Galveston, coroners ordered a refrigerated truck after reports of several cold weather-related deaths.
The same storm created a powerful tornado in a coastal region of North Carolina that destroyed houses and killed three people and wounded 10 others. North Carolina was one of 15 states hit by the same massive storm system. Tornadoes also hit Georgia and Florida.
Brian Dakss and Jessi Mitchell contributed to this report.