Houston City Employees Pass Free Water Cases After Houston City Implemented Boiling Water Advice After Unprecedented Winter Storm, Delmar Stadium in Houston, Texas, Feb. 19 of 2021.
Callaghan O’Hare | Reuters
President Joe Biden has approved a declaration of major disasters for Texas as the state faces widespread power outages and water shortages amid freezing winter conditions, the Federal Agency announced Saturday of Emergency Management.
The action provides federal funding for people in Texas, grants for temporary home and home repairs, and low-cost loans to cover unsecured real estate losses. The president plans to visit Texas next week to assess the federal response to the crisis.
Millions of jeans have had problems with power outages and more than half of the state is now experiencing disrupted water service with boiling water warning effects. More than 14 million people in Texas were told they were boiling water as of Friday, as parts of the state’s water supply could be contaminated.
The federal government has already approved emergency declarations for Texas and other states affected by the winter storm and sent supplies such as generators, blankets and water to Texas last week.
The Texas Electrical Reliability Council (ERCOT) said Friday it returned to normal conditions and restored power to millions of customers. According to the latest PowerOutage.us data, more than 78,000 Texas customers still had no electricity at 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning.
Alison Silverstein, an independent energy consultant and former strategic advisor to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, projected that 20 million or more jeans could be forced to boil water.
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