Thawing Texans face water, plumbing woes

DALLAS – Snow and ice melted over Texas over the weekend, but plumbing problems now plague the state as the lingering aftermath of last week’s devastating winter storms continues to be exposed.

The icy explosion that struck Texas and much of the deep south broke aqueducts, supplied electricity to millions of utility customers, and contributed to nearly 80 deaths.

Many residents are unsure when to make permanent repairs, what to pay for out of pocket, or when to go home.

Roberto Valerio, a plumber in north Texas, said the burst pipes and other problems caused by the storm created “great chaos”.

“We can’t find what we need easily,” he said. “There is a great shortage of supplies.”

In the Houston area, officials announced Monday that they had set up a relief fund to help cover repairs and temporary housing for vulnerable families. Governor Greg Abbott has indicated that his highly independent state needs help. His office encouraged plumbers outside of the state to repair Texas pipes.

It’s far too little, far too late for Nora Espinoza, a 56-year-old Dallas resident, who said her home fell to 38 degrees Fahrenheit before power was restored and a water pipe burst on Friday

“Your job is to protect us. That’s why we chose you,” Espinoza said of Abbott as she fought back tears while waiting for a plumber. “My pipes would never have burst, never if I had electricity.”

A rushing noise was heard in Espinoza’s kitchen on Saturday night when Valerio turned the water back on. He made temporary repairs but said it will be weeks before he can return to do more work and see if the floor needs replacing.

Espinoza said she was concerned that the spread of mold could cause more damage during this time and wasn’t sure what her insurance would cover. Nevertheless, she is grateful: She can take a hot shower and her little dogs have emerged from the pile of blankets where they spent the last week’s cold days.

“I consider myself very happy,” she said on Monday.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has shipped more than 1 million meals to Texas, the Department of Defense has shipped more than 4 million gallons of water and continues to supply water in bulk to multiple locations across the state, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday. The federal government delivered dozens of emergency generators and more than 120,000 blankets to Texans over the weekend. President Joe Biden hopes to visit Texas this week, Psaki said.

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Tens of thousands of people in Mississippi and Louisiana still had no water or very low water pressure on Monday, even as the weather warmed days after a winter storm.

In Harris County, Texas, District Judge Lina Hidalgo said approximately $ 2.25 million has been raised to date to fund repairs and housing for families in the Houston area who are uninsured or not eligible for government assistance. That includes a $ 1 million donation from the CenterPoint Energy Foundation, the utility that provides power to the Houston area, she said.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner asked local residents for the funds to donate to the fund.

“Many families, through no fault of their own, have homes that are uninhabitable because their pipes were frozen during the Arctic explosion,” said Turner.

Information on this article was provided by Nomaan Merchant, Juan A. Lozano, and Aamer Madhani of The Associated Press.

CORRECTING LAST NAME TO VALERIO, NOT VALERIA – Craftsman Roberto Valerio is working in Dallas on Saturday February 20, 2021 repairing a broken pipe under the sink at Nora Espinoza’s home. The pipe broke in sub-zero temperatures caused by last week’s winter weather. (AP Photo / Tony Gutierrez)

LAST NAME CORRECTIONS AFTER VALERIO, NOT VALERIA - Homeowner Nora Espinoza is holding a piece of broken pipe that handyman Roberto Valerio removed in Dallas on Saturday February 20, 2021.  Espinoza's house suffered multiple burst pipes after winter weather caused freezing temperatures last week.  (AP Photo / Tony Gutierrez)

LAST NAME CORRECTIONS AFTER VALERIO, NOT VALERIA – Homeowner Nora Espinoza is holding a piece of broken pipe that handyman Roberto Valerio removed in Dallas on Saturday February 20, 2021. Espinoza’s house suffered multiple burst pipes after winter weather caused freezing temperatures last week. (AP Photo / Tony Gutierrez)

CORRECTING LAST NAME TO VALERIO, NOT VALERIA - Craftsman Roberto Valerio is working in Dallas on Saturday February 20, 2021 repairing a broken pipe under the sink at Nora Espinoza's home.  The pipe broke in sub-zero temperatures caused by last week's winter weather.  (AP Photo / Tony Gutierrez)

CORRECTING LAST NAME TO VALERIO, NOT VALERIA – Craftsman Roberto Valerio is working in Dallas on Saturday February 20, 2021 repairing a broken pipe under the sink at Nora Espinoza’s home. The pipe broke in sub-zero temperatures caused by last week’s winter weather. (AP Photo / Tony Gutierrez)

CORRECTING LAST NAME TO VALERIO, NOT VALERIA - Handyman Roberto Valerio, left, hands homeowner Nora Espinoza the broken pipe after removing it from under her sink in Dallas on Saturday, February 20, 2021.  (AP Photo / Tony Gutierrez)

CORRECTING LAST NAME TO VALERIO, NOT VALERIA – Handyman Roberto Valerio, left, hands homeowner Nora Espinoza the broken pipe after removing it from under her sink in Dallas on Saturday, February 20, 2021. (AP Photo / Tony Gutierrez)

CORRECTING THE LAST NAME TO VALERIO, NOT VALERIA - Roberto Valerio Jr. (left) and his cousin Hector Valerio (right), as homeowner Nora Espinoza, watch water leaking from the tap after a repair was carried out on a broken pipe below Sink, Saturday, February 20, 2021, in Dallas.  There were several burst pipes in Espinoza's house in freezing temperatures caused by last week's winter weather.  (AP Photo / Tony Gutierrez)

CORRECTING THE LAST NAME TO VALERIO, NOT VALERIA – Roberto Valerio Jr. (left) and his cousin Hector Valerio (right), as homeowner Nora Espinoza, watch water leaking from the tap after a repair was carried out on a broken pipe below Sink, Saturday, February 20, 2021 in Dallas. There were several burst pipes in Espinoza’s house in freezing temperatures caused by last week’s winter weather. (AP Photo / Tony Gutierrez)

CORRECTING LAST NAME TO VALERIO, NOT VALERIA - Handyman Roberto Valerio, left, hands homeowner Nora Espinoza the broken pipe after removing it from under her sink in Dallas on Saturday, February 20, 2021.  The pipe broke in sub-zero temperatures caused by last week's winter weather.  (AP Photo / Tony Gutierrez)

CORRECTING LAST NAME TO VALERIO, NOT VALERIA – Handyman Roberto Valerio, left, hands homeowner Nora Espinoza the broken pipe after removing it from under her sink in Dallas on Saturday, February 20, 2021. The pipe broke in sub-zero temperatures caused by last week’s winter weather. (AP Photo / Tony Gutierrez)

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