Texas continues to deal with the aftermath of severe winter storms that knocked out power for millions of people across the state. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that all the power plants in the state are back online, and less than 200,000 people are still without power.
"We are not yet out of this, but we're closer to this challenge being behind us," Abbott said.
While power has been restored for most people, they are now dealing with a water crisis as the record cold temperatures caused water mains to freeze and break. More than 13 million people are being advised to boil their tap water until further notice.
The frozen pipes have also caused issues for firefighters. In Austin, they had to truck in water from across the state to fight a fire because the fire hydrants were frozen.
"But, you know, the fire is continuing, our problem is when we get a little bit ahead and, and then the water runs out because you know these tenders are only running about 3,000 gallons, 2,000 gallons apiece," Bexar-Bulverde VFD Chief Jerry Bialick told WOAI. "So, it runs out in just a couple of minutes, we make some good headway, and then they run out of water, and they have to go get more."
Cities across the state are setting up water distribution centers to provide safe drinking water for residents who need it. FEMA is also helping, sending about 730,000 liters of water to the state along with power generators for waste treatment plants. Texas officials are working with the federal government to bring in mobile testing equipment so they can ensure the water is safe to drink.
Texas residents may see some slightly warmer weather over the weekend, with the overnight lows forecast to remain above freezing.
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