Deadly winter storm sweeps Texas - Heaviest snowfall in decades to areas of Texas

The winter storm has caused more snow in Texas than any other area we have experienced in decades over the weekend, when winter scenes reach Louisiana and Mississippi. The Texans have been thrown from one crisis to another this week as freezing temperatures and winter weather have invaded the state and the surrounding region, leaving many people in dire straits and holding on to basic necessities.

A winter storm that has left dozens of dead Texans, millions helpless and nearly 15 million with water problems could be the costliest disaster in the history of the country, possibly costing more than $125 billion in Hurricane Harvey damage. The damage and cost of a deadly Texas hurricane that surpassed the deadly hurricane of 2017 devastated the Gulf Coast region.

Heavy snow, with 6-9 inches of accumulation in 24 hours, travels from near Lubbock to Abilene and west of Waco, Texas. The most visible glacier was 11 inches in Denver City, Texas. Winter storm warnings from New Mexico and Texas to Louisiana, south of Arkansas and Mississippi at the height of the storm over the weekend.

Across Texas, winter storm-related deaths continued to rise this week amid extreme cold, widespread power outages and a shortage of clean water. While there have been reports of dozens of deaths tied to the storm in Texas, experts say the death toll is likely to be much higher. And it may be weeks or months before the greatness of the truth becomes known.

While Texas was experiencing very low temperatures in February and snow and ice made the roads impassable, gas-powered operators lost control of their power, leaving millions without electricity. Heavy, wet snow conditions have led to power outages for more than 102,000 customers in Texas and more than 50,000 customers in Louisiana.

Excessive demand for electricity from the government has caused gas to fail. Rolling rolls have been installed in some areas to save electricity in hospitals, police stations and fire stations, leaving more than 4.3 million people without electricity. Power was up for more than 46,000 customers in Texas and over 15,000 customers in Louisiana on Monday night.

The problem was exacerbated when about half of the state's wind power was released by the storm on Sunday. Wind power is the second largest power source in government.

Water systems serving most of the 254 government districts continue to be disrupted, meaning millions of people live without water or under notices to boil their tap water, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said. Icy roads have also led to road accidents and people have been advised to avoid walking where possible.

Outcome of the state-wide blackouts

After widespread power outages in the government, several Covid-19 vaccination centers were forced to close, delaying the issuance of vaccines. As refrigerators lose power and generators, some health workers in places like Houston have had to disrupt the remaining doses of vaccines before they can be damaged.

Several deaths have been reported as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning in parts of the United States, with some people turning to sitting in their cars to keep warm. About 120 accidents, including a mass of 10 vehicles on the I-45, were reported.

Extreme weather has forced the third-largest U.S. poultry producer, to relocate 545,000 baby chicks to state-owned areas. More than 700,000 eggs were also destroyed. That means a few pounds of chicken will reach stores in the coming months.

Relief news are coming from Texas that the situation is getting better. Life is getting back to normal; people are recovering from this historic winter storm. We can pray for fast recovery and help them with our contribution.