Winter storm devastates Texas as power outages continue

Nearly 12 million people in Texas have been told to boil tap water before consuming it after a deadly winter storm caused power blackouts at treatment facilities.

The huge storm sweeping across the southern US has killed nearly 50 people and left millions without power.

Texas has seen widespread outages.

Freezing temperatures have also caused water pipes to burst, despite attempts by some homeowners to insulate them from the cold using blankets.

The state's energy grid has been overwhelmed by a surge in demand as people try to keep warm in some of the coldest temperatures there in more than 30 years - hitting 0F (-18C) earlier this week.

Over 13 million people - close to half of the state's population - have faced some disruption of water services.

US President Joe Biden earlier approved a state of emergency for Texas, which has been blanketed by snow and ice since the storm swept in at the weekend.

Storm warnings are still in place across much of Texas, but temperatures will rise in the coming days, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The forecaster has warned of dangerous travel conditions and power outages in eastern parts of the US on Friday, when a winter storm is expected to bring heavy snow, freezing rain and ice.

What's happening in Texas?

A so-called "boil water notice" has been issued for the city of Houston and surrounding areas, with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advising that all water planned for consumption - even if filtered - must be boiled as it may be contaminated.

Only boiled or bottled water should be used, including for brushing teeth, the CDC said.
A woman carries bottled water she received from a shelter after record-breaking temperatures in Galveston, Texas, 18 February 2021.

The mayor of Houston, Sylvester Turner, urged those without power - and unable to boil tap water - to try to obtain bottled water wherever possible.

"Power will not be restored fully, I would say, probably for another couple of days," he told reporters at a press conference.

Houston police and disaster response teams will be delivering bottled water to those with disabilities who do not have access to transportation, the mayor said on Thursday.

Mr Turner also urged people who had been leaving taps running to prevent pipes from freezing not to do so, in an effort to help conserve supplies.

Homes in the state are not normally insulated for cold weather, meaning that indoor temperatures quickly plummeted after heating systems failed.

Mr Turner said that businesses and churches were being used as "warming centres" to help shelter some of the most vulnerable, while also providing bottled water to residents.

"We are still in the midst of this winter storm," he warned, urging people to avoid the roads or travelling in the mornings and evenings, describing them as the "most dangerous times".

As of Thursday, 520 public water systems were under boil water notice, the state's Commission on Environmental Quality said.

Governor Greg Abbott said that 1.2 million Texans had so far had their power restored, with more coming "on board". As of Thursday afternoon, more than 217,000 people were still without power, according to the PowerOutage.us tracker.