President Joe Biden approved Saturday a major disaster declaration for Texas, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. That now clears the way for a broad range of federal funding for citizens across the state.
Millions of people in the largest U.S. oil and gas producing state were without power for days, and almost half of the state’s residents also have been struggling with a lack of safe drinking water.
More than 300,000 electric utility customers, many of them in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, remained without power and heat Saturday. The number of Texas public water systems reporting disruptions rose to 1,445 Saturday, up from 1,300 Friday, but the number of customers without water remained at 14.3 million.
In addition, some regional residents who struggled to keep their electricity on during the storm now find themselves with exorbitant electricity bills. The normal bill, $100 or less, has now ballooned into a five-digit dollar amount.
“We have a responsibility to protect Texans from spikes in their energy bills that are a result of the severe winter weather and power outages," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Saturday in a statement after an emergency meeting with the state Legislature. “We are moving quickly to alleviate this problem and will continue to work collaboratively throughout this week on solutions to help Texas families and ensure they do not get stuck with skyrocketing energy bills.”
Nationwide, at least 70 people have died because of the weather, most from hypothermia, carbon monoxide poisoning and traffic accidents, The Associated Press reported. About half of those deaths occurred in Texas, and 10 in Tennessee.
Biden’s emergency declaration frees up taxpayer dollars for individuals and entrepreneurs throughout Texas, including funding for temporary housing, low-interest recovery loans and home repairs.
The White House said it is working closely with Republican Governor Greg Abbott to provide relief, after he initially refused to acknowledge Biden’s defeat of Republican Donald Trump in the November presidential election.
Federal emergency agencies previously sent power generators to bolster water treatment plants, hospitals and nursing homes.
Millions of Texans have seen their power restored days after demand during a severe winter storm overwhelmed the electrical grid, but now they face a new challenge: a lack of safe drinking water.
In the state of Mississippi, Jackson, a city of 161,000 people, was without running water, the AP reported. City officials said water mains that are more than 100 years old were not able to handle the cold weather. In Memphis, Tennessee, about 260,000 homes and businesses were told to boil water.
Biden said he would travel to the state if his visit would not hamper those working there to handle the crisis.
Texas officials advised nearly a quarter of the state’s population to boil tap water before drinking it. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said residents of the state’s largest city would have to boil water until at least Sunday or Monday.
Two large hospitals in the city reported no running water, leading to the cancellation of non-emergency procedures through at least Friday.
Damaged pipes and other water infrastructure made water pressure spotty around the state. The water system was taxed because millions of people left their faucets dripping to prevent pipes from freezing and possibly bursting.
Warmer temperatures brought relief across the Southern states Saturday, according to the AP. In Dallas, people were seen walking and jogging in temperatures nearing 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). The warm-up was forecast to last several days.
While Texas was the hardest-hit state, more than 300,000 from Virginia to Louisiana were without power. In Oregon, 50,000 were still without power because of the worst ice storm in 40 years, and the governor ordered National Guard troops to check on residents in some areas.
Utilities from Minnesota to Texas had to impose rolling electricity blackouts to provide relief to strained power grids.
