Texas’ grid operators announced Friday that the state's electrical system has returned to normal for the first time since a blast of wintry weather knocked out power to more than 4 million customers earlier this week.
President Biden said he was declaring states of emergency in Texas, Oklahoma and other areas affected by the winter weather and ordered FEMA to send generators and other supplies.
As of Friday evening, around 137,000 homes and businesses across the state are still waiting for the electricity to come back on, according to PowerOutage.us.
Meanwhile, water distribution sites have opened up in major cities in Texas Friday. About 13 million Texans have been placed under an advisory to boil drinking water following the widespread power outages, which impacted operations at water treatment plants.
FAST FACTS
- Temperatures were expected to drop below freezing again overnight Friday, according to the National Weather Service -- but lows are expected to climb above freezing by Saturday
- The weather also delayed 6 million coronavirus vaccine appointments across the country, according to the White House
- Extreme weather around the U.S. is being blamed for the deaths of at least 69 people, the Associated Press reports
Overall, the extreme weather is being blamed for the deaths of at least 69 people across the U.S.
States such as Louisiana, Mississippi, Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia are experiencing weather-related power outages as well.
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