Texans struggle to find clean water amid cold snap and extreme temperatures

Following a severe week-long cold snap in the southern state of Texas, frustrated residents of the states were forced to step out in extreme temperatures seeking fresh and safe water on Friday, after being left without a source of power and water.  

With dropping temperatures and mounting snow, the state authorities have been struggling to deliver the basic necessities which has resulted in the death of at least 40 people in the lone star state, reported AFP.  

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Percy McGee, a resident of Houston, rated the difficulties “number 10” when asked to put the struggles on a scale while he stood near Delmar Stadium, which has turned into a makeshift water distribution site for the area. 

“I’ve been up since five o’clock. And I’ve been on the road since six. And I know it’s 11:30 but I’m gonna sit here until, I mean, I have no choice. All the stores in my area are out of water,” he told AFP.

He added, “I’m very frustrated. I’m a diabetic. I have a 94-year-old senior as a diabetic. We haven’t had any medicine. Nothing… So I’m really frustrated mentally. But I’m keeping it together.”

The storm, on Friday, gradually started making its way up to the northeaster side towards states like New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine, which have faced such extreme conditions frequently, unlike Texas. 

As the temperature started moving towards normalcy, the National Weather Service predicted that the state can still experience temperatures ranging between 10-15 celsius around the weekend. 

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality head Toby Baker clarified that the residents were suggested to use boiled water for consumption due to issues with the water pressure. He further added that over 264,000 residents of the state have been affected by non-operational and faulty water systems. 

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Some residents were also facing the misery of burst pipes and flooding.

“It was like a waterfall was coming down and it was starting to come out of the bathroom and to the other rooms,”  Birgit Kamps of Houston told AFP. 

US President Joe Biden promised a coordinated approach of the federal and state authorities towards finding a solution and said the governments will work “hand-in-hand”. In addition to helping Texas, Biden also vowed disaster relief in states like Louisiana and Oklahoma, which have been facing similar difficulties.