About A Third Of Texans Still Facing Disrupted Water Provides: Report

Feb 22 (Reuters) ― Some 8.8 million individuals in Texas, a few third of the state’s inhabitants, nonetheless had points with their water provide as of Sunday night, CNN quoted authorities as saying, after a record-breaking freeze knocked out energy stations final week.

Thousands and thousands of Texans are nonetheless being suggested to boil water earlier than utilizing, although all energy vegetation had been again on-line over the weekend and energy had been restored to most properties because the climate returned to regular.

Officers in Houston, the largest metropolis within the state, mentioned water there was protected to make use of with out boiling as of Sunday.

The Texas Fee on Environmental High quality (TCEQ) didn’t reply to a Reuters request for touch upon the CNN report.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott mentioned late on Sunday that he had joined the Texas Air Guard, the Texas Nationwide Guard and the U.S. navy to distribute water.

“About 3.5 million bottles of water have been delivered,” the governor mentioned in a tweet.

KYLE, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 20: Erin Purdy gives Domingo Ibarra a water jug at a drive through water distribution center setup at — KYLE, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 20: Erin Purdy offers Domingo Ibarra a water jug at a drive by way of water distribution middle setup at Jack C Hays Excessive Faculty on February 20, 2021 in Kyle, Texas. Winter storm Uri introduced historic chilly climate inflicting individuals to lose their metropolis water supply as pipes broke all through the realm. (Picture by Joe Raedle/Getty Photographs)

A lethal winter storm brought on widespread blackouts final week throughout Texas, a state unaccustomed to excessive chilly, killing not less than two dozen individuals and knocking out energy to greater than 4 million individuals at its peak.

Texas can be bringing in plumbers from out of state to assist restore burst pipes, the governor mentioned on Sunday. Householders or renters who shouldn’t have insurance coverage might be able to search reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA), he mentioned.

U.S. President Joe Biden authorised a significant catastrophe declaration for Texas on Saturday that makes federal funding obtainable to individuals harmed by the storm, together with help for non permanent housing and residential repairs and low-cost loans.

U.S. Consultant Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez mentioned late on Sunday that she had amassed $5 million in her fundraising efforts to assist Texans exhausting hit by final week’s winter storm.

Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru Enhancing by Gareth Jones

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