Biden declares major disaster in Texas, 14.4 million people are now under boil orders
Eric Gay/AP
Volunteers load water for people at a San Antonio Food Bank drive-through food distribution site held at Rackspace Technology, Friday, Feb. 19, 2021, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
and last updated 2021-02-21 12:54:34-05
While electricity to much of Texas has been restored, the crisis caused by severe winter weather is far from over.
Millions of people throughout the state still donât have clean water to drink, and that number appears to be increasing.
The crisis led the White House to declare a major disaster in Texas on Saturday, a move that unlocks more federal resources for the state. According to a White House statement, the declaration grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs.
Calling the ongoing situation "unacceptable," Governor Greg Abbott is calling on lawmakers to investigate what happened, and said he is asking President Joe Biden to make a major disaster declaration to allow individual Texans to apply to FEMA for assistance.
Calling the ongoing situation "unacceptable," Governor Greg Abbott is calling on lawmakers to investigate what happened, and said he is asking President Joe Biden to make a major disaster declaration to allow individual Texans to apply to FEMA for assistance.