The issues were still among more than 8.8 million people – or about a third of the 29 million population – spread across 199 provinces as of 7pm Sunday. Rasp said 258 boiling water notices had been withdrawn.
At a news conference Sunday afternoon, the Texas government, Greg Abbott, said about 30,000 people were left without power in his state.
“Based on the speed at which I saw the power being restored, I suspect all power will be restored later tonight or tomorrow throughout the state of Texas,” Abbott said.
The governor said water services are being restored throughout Texas and that more than 3 million bottles of water have been distributed in an effort by the Texas National Guard, the U.S. Department of Defense and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Warmer weather and the return of electricity have brought relief to Texans, but many remain without clean water or in homes damaged by broken pipes and floods.
These include Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, a Republican, who told CBS ‘Face the Nation’ on Sunday that her own home was flooded. She said her insurance would cover the damage, but that may not be the case for other Texans.
‘At some point we’ll have to have additional plumbers and resources, but dollars will be needed to help people who do not have the ability to pay for it themselves … and it will have to come from the federal government. to come, ”Price said.
Abbott told a news conference Sunday that uninsured residents with cracked pipes could qualify for FEMA compensation.
“We have provided FEMA assistance through the federal government, and part of that is individual assistance that will help individuals whose homes or apartments have been harmed by the winter storm,” he said.
Burst pipes and surprising electrical bills
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, a Democrat, noted how wide the water issues are for many.
“Let me just say now with so many houses in the city that have pipes bursting due to the icy weather and major leaks, major water damage, we need a lot of plumbing materials and supplies as at present,” he said.
“We have a number of licensors who are licensed but can use even more,” Turner said. “But the most important thing is that it is even difficult to go out plumbers, to find the necessary materials and supplies.”
Moratorium for disconnections
Abbott announced at his news conference on Sunday that the state commission for public utilities had issued a moratorium on disconnecting customers for default to address the “shooting energy bills” faced by some Texans.
He said the commission would currently also restrict electricity suppliers from sending customer invoices.
“Texans who have suffered through days of freezing cold without power should not be subjected to the soaring energy bills due to a rise in the energy market,” Abbott said.
The governor said he held an emergency meeting with legislative leaders “to protect Texas families from unreasonable bills” due to the winter storms.
“This is something that is being quickly detected, which legislators are working on as we speak. … We will be holding meetings this week to get to the heart of this, but also to provide our fellow Texans with relief and support,” Abbott said. .
Asked about legislation to fix the state’s power infrastructure, Abbott said: “We will not end this session until the state of Texas – and all of its power generation capacity – is completely overwintered.”
In a later statement, the commission said it had issued a series of orders “aimed at protecting Texas electricity customers while state leaders consider solutions to the financial aftermath of the winter storm network.”
In addition to the moratorium, the commission ordered that a Covid-19 measure be continued, under which electricity suppliers should be asked on request to offer deferred payment plans to customers.
It also made a strong appeal to retail suppliers to defer invoices for residential and small commercial electricity customers.
“The mandate and prescriptions are intended to be temporary, probably by the end of this week, to address the potential financial consequences that are particularly challenging during this extremely difficult time,” said Chairman DeAnn Walker.
The winter weather has also caused major delays in Covid-19 vaccinations across the country, but the backlog is only temporary, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Sunday.
“The number was that six million doses were delayed, we paid out two million and we plan to catch up by the middle of the week,” Fauci told NBC’s Chuck Todd.
CNN’s Anjali Huynh, Chuck Johnston and Naomi Thomas contributed to this report.