"But it only came on as a trickle.so we weren't able to get any water or anything like that", said Aisha Wright, as she waited in her auto with her family. Her husband, who is on a defibrillator and heart monitor, has only enough heart medication to get him through Sunday because she hasn't been able to go to the pharmacy.
The US president said he hopes to travel to the lone star state next week but does not want his presence hampering the recovery efforts.
"The president also expressed that his administration was at the ready should the state of Texas or any other impacted region need additional federal disaster support or assistance as severe storms move across the USA", the statement read.
In many areas, water pressure dropped after lines froze and because people left faucets dripping to prevent pipes from icing, authorities said.
In Texas, seven million people - roughly a quarter of the population - have been told to boil tap water before drinking it due to low pressure allowing bacteria to seep into the system.
President Biden speaks to the press before departing the White House for Milwaukee on Tuesday.
At $18 billion, it's possible that reinsurance and potentially some collateralised reinsurance layers will be impacted by storm Uri.
Two of Houston Methodist's community hospitals had no running water and still treated patients but cancelled most non-emergency surgeries and procedures for Thursday and possibly Friday, said spokeswoman Gale Smith.
Another winter storm heading our way for Wednesday
There will be mainly cloudy skies and still bitterly cold for Thursday with mainly cloudy skies and a high of 43. Bossier Parish is experiencing its second winter storm in as many days, with a wintry mix of precipitation.
Meanwhile, crews worked throughout the night on Thursday to set up a mass bottled water distribution site at Houston's Delmar Stadium. "I've declared states of emergency, authorized FEMA [the Federal Emergency Management Agency] to provide generators and supplies, and am ready to fulfill additional requests", Biden tweeted.
A major winter storm was spreading across much of the country, tracking along the Southeast coast and producing heavy snow and significant ice accumulations across the mid-Atlantic region on Thursday. The current cold front formed last weekend is bringing in temperatures far below normal and wreaking havoc on the state's ill-prepared infrastructure.
Just last week, re/insurance broker Aon commented on the winter storm weather in the US, stating that the total combined economic cost was expected to reach well into the billions of dollars.
ERCOT, which manages the state grid, said on Wednesday it had restored power to around 1.6 million households.
Beyond permitting only 94 of the state's 600 facilities to participate in the virtual meeting centered on preparing for winter, ERCOT also did not require any plants to adapt their protocols for the colder months, instead just offering a list of suggested guidance for plant operators to follow voluntarily.
Rotating outages for Texas could return if electricity demand rises as people get power and heating back, said Dan Woodfin, the council's senior director of system operations.
In Jackson, Mississippi, 161,000 people were without water Thursday, AP reported.
