Biden declares a major disaster in Texas as residents struggle after the severe winter storm

President Joe Biden has said Texas is experiencing a major disaster as residents continue to face the aftermath of a catastrophic winter storm that hit the central and southern United States earlier this week.

As of Saturday morning, the storm had been linked to at least 27 deaths in the state, and food and drinking water were supplied by millions of jeans.

With the declaration of major disasters, people in 77 of Texas ’254 counties will be eligible for federal funding to assist in recovery efforts. Assistance includes subsidies for temporary housing and home repairs, as well as “low-cost loans” to cover losses on unsecured property, the White House said in a statement on Saturday.

Federal assistance can also be used for programs that will help individuals and businesses recover from the winter storm.

If necessary, the White House said additional appointments could be determined at a later date.

Mr. Biden tweeted Thursday that he will “work non-stop” to get Texas what it needs to deal with the aftermath of the storm.

Biden has also said he plans to visit the state once it is safe to do so without interfering with the disaster response.

Texas has seen almost a week of freezing temperatures. The impact of the deep freezing of the storm that entered the area last Sunday caused devastating tension for the state’s infrastructure, causing blackouts and pipes to appear.

The Texas chief of staff said the system was “seconds and minutes away” from leaving residents without electricity for months when the storm passed. On Friday, operators said the electrical system was returning to normal. But even so, many in the state are struggling to recover.

As of Saturday morning, 7 million people (about a quarter of the population across the state) were under boiling water advice, limiting access to safe water.

Many of the approximately 29 million residents residing in the state have a critical need for supply. Omar Villafranca of CBS News reported that 13,000 cases of water were distributed at a single Houston distribution site. In Dallas this weekend, 25,000 packages ready to be delivered to people in need.