At least 47 people have died and millions of residents remain without electricity or running water this Friday under two winter storms that have covered parts of the country in snow and ice, from Texas to northern Ohio.
Local authorities reported deaths related to extraordinarily low temperatures, and The Washington Post reported that at least 30 of those deaths occurred in Texas.
At least five people died of carbon monoxide poisoning from the use of combustion heaters in environments without the necessary ventilation and another 17 people, according to the Post, died from exposure to the cold.
In Conroe, Texas, Cristian Piñeda, 11, died of the cold when, along with his family from Honduras, he slept for the second night in a mobile home without electricity.
The states most affected by blackouts were Texas this Friday, where some 192,400 residents have been without power since Monday, and Mississippi, where more than 109,999 residents suffer the same hardship.
Commercial airlines canceled 2,706 flights on Friday and reported delays in another 2,142 flights.
The National Weather Service (NWS) reported conditions for ice accumulation in the southeastern half of Texas, Louisiana and Alabama, and extended its winter storm advisory to northeast Pennsylvania, Midwest New York State, Delaware and Massachusetts.
The most serious situation continued this Friday in Texas, where power cuts have affected fuel sales stations and the supply of drinking water.
Governor Gregg Abbott asked President Joe Biden to declare a major emergency that would allow federal assistance to flow into the state, where half the population, some 13 million residents, were told to boil their water due to the blast. of pipes.
The authorities reiterated to the population to restrict the use of water and have dispatched firefighters and public parks personnel to help close the pipes in places where they have exploded due to the cold.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) began shipping electricity generators to Texas, some of which will be used in drinking water processing plants, and shipped about 192,000 gallons of water.
Forecasters indicated that in Louisiana the day will bring temperatures up to about 39 degrees Fahrenheit, but for the night they forecast temperatures of around 19 alrededorF.
The winter storm that has already left millions dead without electricity, is moving from the center and south to the northeast of the United States with an impact on some 200 million inhabitants.
In Louisiana, in Calcasieu County, a 77-year-old man slipped, fell into a pond and drowned, and in Lafayette a 50-year-old man died after slipping and hitting his head on the ground.
In Memphis, Tennessee, where all flights from the international airport have been canceled, forecasters are forecasting a high of 26˚F for this Friday.
The Memphis Light, Gas and Water Company advised users to boil their drinking water after the cold damaged underground pipes and the water treatment system, creating a risk of bacterial contamination in drinking water.
In Shelby County, also in Tennessee, a 10-year-old boy died after he and his 6-year-old sister fell into a lake when the ice cover broke. The girl is in serious condition.