Millions are powerless as Texas faces one of the worst storms in its history, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo told CNBC’s “The News with Shepard Smith.”
“We’re basically seeing the winter version of Hurricane Harvey,” Hidalgo said. “It’s an incredibly tragic situation”
More than a dozen people in Texas have died from exposure to elements and several have died from carbon monoxide poisoning, Hidalgo said. He said that due to a power outage, people have tried to run the heat from their cars to their garages, which he said has contributed to the more than 300 calls about carbon monoxide poisoning going on. receive the county.
More than four million Texas residents have no electricity after a historic snowfall and single-digit temperatures, according to reports. Freezing temperatures generated an increase in electricity demand which, along with temperatures, collapsed the state’s electricity grid and caused widespread blackouts. Republican government Greg Abbott has already called for an investigation by the Texas Electric Reliability Council, which operates the state’s power grid.
Authorities are telling citizens to boil the water as possible widespread water cuts are also expected to arrive. The state expects to face continued freezing temperatures over the next two days.
The rupture sparked growing outrage and demands from Texas citizens. Hidalgo said regional counties have not received responses from state officials about when residents can expect power.
“The challenge is that I can’t tell my residents that power will come back soon because the state agency has no clear plan on when they will have exactly this generation, this production,” Hidalgo said, referring to power restoration. “Much of this is a man-made disaster because of this state agency.”
Winter weather conditions have caused several states, including Texas, to close vaccination sites.