Bay Area news
A father-son barbecue duo stepped up to feed League City residents for free this week. Read more here.
City of League City staff worked over the week to ensure city facilities, most of which had no power, were not damaged. However, many League City residents were not so lucky, and thousands are suffering from broken pipes and water damage. Read more here.
Photos
Check out area residents’ shots of the snow in the Bay Area and more from throughout Greater Houston.
State news
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called for an investigation into the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, due to statewide outages that have caused millions of Texans to lose power amid frigid temperatures. Read more here.
The dayslong failure of portions of the state's power grid, which is independent of the two larger interconnected systems that serve most of the United States and Canada, left millions of Texans without electric service this week. Read more about the system and previous interruptions to service in Texas here.
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State health officials are urging people to be cautious when using electric generators and other heating sources that may generate carbon monoxide as millions of Texans look for ways to stay warm amid power outages. Read more here.
Abbott told residents across the state Feb. 19 to brace for the personal and financial consequences of broken water pipes and leaks over the next week, as areas across the state begin to thaw and local entities begin restoring water service to homes. Read more here.
In a call with members of the media early Feb. 19, ERCOT officials announced the state electric grid manager had returned to normal operations after days of widespread outages. Read more here.
Houston and Harris County news
Joining several surrounding cities and municipal districts, the city of Houston issued a boil-water notice Feb. 17 as freezing temperatures and residents dripping taps have caused low water pressure across the region. Read more here. The notice is expected to last through at least Feb. 22, Mayor Sylvester Turner told reporters Feb. 19.
Numerous warming stations have opened at community centers, churches and other locations in Harris County and throughout Texas for those in need. Read more here.
While it is still too early to report exact numbers, thousands of unsheltered individuals in Harris County may have been saved from freezing temperatures this week thanks in part to two recent initiatives spearheaded by the Coalition for the Homeless and The Way Home. Read more here.
The Houston Health Department’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution and testing sites will resume service Feb. 20 after the region’s deep freeze caused interruptions. Read more here.
As the city of Houston remains under a boil-water notice and many residents are facing water shortages from low pressure or burst pipes, Community Impact Newspaper is compiling a list of water distribution sites and times. Click here for up-to-date information on the sites.
Other news
Community Impact Newspaper spoke with Camille Garcia, director of communications and public relations for the Insurance Council of Texas, on what residents should be doing and what questions they should be asking their insurance companies when filing claims for burst pipes. Read more here.
H-E-B stores across Texas have limited store hours and placed purchase limits on some high-demand products due to the ongoing severe winter weather, H-E-B officials announced Feb. 19. Read more here.
U-Haul is offering free self-storage and U-Box container usage to Texas residents impacted by the ongoing winter storms and widespread power outages. Read more here.
