Millions of people in the United States are dealing with the effects of frigid, stormy weather, including many in the southern state of Texas who have spent days without electricity and have had water supplies disrupted.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the head of the cooperative responsible for most of the state’s electricity said there was progress Wednesday in boosting available power and that they hoped soon people would only have to deal with rolling blackouts before service is fully restored.
Authorities ordered about 7 million people in Texas, one quarter of the state’s population, to boil tap water before drinking it due to damage to the water system.
The infrastructure breakdowns have left many in the dark and cold for days in Texas and prompted calls for answers and accountability.
The region is experiencing unusually cold temperatures. In Dallas, the typical high for this time of year is about 16 degrees, while on Wednesday the maximum was minus 3.
The storm system is moving east on Thursday, prompting the National Weather Service to issue winter storm warnings along a 2,300-kilometer stretch of states from Texas to Massachusetts with forecasters predicting snow and ice.
The weather has been blamed for at least 30 deaths in the United States this week.
