A perfect storm of events left Texas residents grasping for the most basic needs — power and running water. The unprecedented February winter storm battered the state and surrounding region with frigid temperatures, overwhelming the state’s electricity grid and causing massive power outages for millions of Texans. As if surviving without power during record-low temperatures wasn’t dangerous enough, once temperatures warmed, residents found themselves with cracked, broken pipes, busted water heaters and vast amounts of water damage to their homes.
Water treatment plants being knocked offline in combination with frozen pipes lead to a state of panic as many facility and homeowners alike were desperate to gain access to safe drinking water. At one point, NBC News reported more than 14 million people in Texas were under a boil water advisory.