Texans Prepare for More Freezing Temperatures as Many Remain Without Power and Water
Millions of Texans Are Without Power as State Is Hit by Unprecedented Winter Storm
More than 2.8 million people were without power in the state as of Monday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us
Texas residents are continuing to deal with the aftermath of Winter Storm Uri.
Earlier this week, the unprecedented snowstorm left millions of people in Texas without electricity, water and heat, and residents of the Lone Star state are now faced with continued obstacles that they must overcome.
While millions of customers in Texas have had their electricity restored — and warmer temperatures are set to come next week, per the National Weather Service — many are still without power, according to PowerOutage.us, which keeps track of power outages across the country.
Texas has its own power grid, which has struggled amid the weather crisis. More than 180,000 people are without power in the state as of Friday morning.
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Although rising temperatures are on the way, some residents are also set to continue experiencing record lows from Friday night to Saturday morning, according to CNN.
RELATED: Winter Storm Uri Has Left Texas in Crisis: Here's How You Can Help
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Around 13 million residents also remain under a boil water notice as of Thursday, according to Executive Director for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Toby Baker, CNN reported.
Texas residents have been urged to use only boiled or bottled water for drinking, cooking, brushing their teeth and cleaning.
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Waco Mayor Dillon Meek was one of the many public figures calling on others to conserve water due to low availability. The politician suggested that businesses should cut their water usage altogether and encouraged select businesses, such as car washes and laundromats, to remain closed.
"Our water supply is critically low. We are currently pumping all we can, but the main problems we are facing right now are leaks and high usage," Meek said in a video message on Wednesday. "We are pumping twice our normal daily usage."
In the state, many individuals have been boiling snow from outside for water or have been burning items from within their homes to keep warm amid the unprecedented challenges faced.
One resident told CNN's Don Lemon that their family has been taking apart baseboards from within their home to put in their fireplace to keep warm. "It was either that, or we were going to go after the dining room table next," they said, according to the outlet.
Meanwhile, Dallas resident Thomas Black went viral on social media earlier in the week after he posted a photo that showed icicles hanging from a ceiling fan within his home.
Speaking with CNN's Chris Cuomo, the man said of the current situation faced in the state: "I think every Texan's blood should be boiling that this is even the reality that we're living in ... we're in a bad situation and it's getting worse."
