President Joe Biden said Texas is experiencing a major disaster, as residents continue to struggle with the aftermath of a catastrophic winter storm that hit the central and southern United States earlier this week.
By Saturday morning, the storm had been linked to at least 27 deaths in the state, and food and drinking water were sufficient for millions of Texans.
With the declaration of a major disaster, people in 77 of Texas’ 254 counties will be eligible for federal funding to aid recovery efforts. The assistance includes donations for temporary housing and home repairs, as well as “low-cost loans” to cover losses on uninsured properties, the White House said on Saturday in a statement.
Federal assistance can also be used for programs that will help individuals and business owners recover from the winter storm.
If necessary, the White House said additional designations could be determined at a later date.
Biden tweeted on Thursday that he will “work tirelessly” to get what Texas needs to deal with the aftermath of the storm.
Biden also said that he plans to visit the state as soon as it is safe to do so, without interfering with the response to the disaster.
Texas saw almost a week of freezing temperatures. The impact of the deep freeze of the storm that entered the area last Sunday put devastating pressure on the state’s infrastructure, causing blackouts and pipeline disruptions.
The main Texas utility official said the system was “seconds and minutes” from leaving residents without power for months when the storm started. On Friday, operators said the electrical system was back to normal. Still, many in the state are struggling to recover.
On Saturday morning, 7 million people – about a quarter of the entire population of the state – remained under the guidance of boiling water, limiting their access to drinking water.
Many of the approximately 29 million residents who reside in the state need supplies. Omar Villafranca of CBS News reported that in just one distribution location in Houston, 13,000 boxes of water were distributed. In Dallas, this weekend, 25,000 meal kits are ready to be delivered to those in need.
Eric Gay / AP