21 die as Texas turns deep freeze, leaves millions without power

Nitashia Johnson for The New York Times

The winter storm has killed at least 21 people in the US state of Texas. 

The brutal cold has shattered the inoculation campaign in the region hindering the vaccine supplies. It is not expected to relent until the weekend.

Freezing weather has stilled the wind turbines and millions of people are forced to live without a power supply. It has been impossible for energy companies to meet the escalating energy demands.

According to the local media, at least 21 people have died so far in the cities of Lousiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Texas cities. Four of whom dies in a house fire in Sugar Land, Texas.

President Joe Biden has assured the governors of the hard-hit states that the government stands ready to offer the affected states emergency resources needed.

Houston City Mayor Sylvester Turner said at a news conference that more than 1.3 million people in his city are forced to live without power.

Turner said that restoring power as quickly as possible is "critically important." He said, "It's priority number one."

A state spokesperson in New Mexico has said there were delays in shipments of COVID vaccines due to the freezing weather.

Forecasters predict it will the treacherous weather will last until the weekend. They predict it will rain up to 4 inches of snow and freezing rain over the United States.

Arctic air has descended over much of the US pushing temperature to historic lows. Nebraska recorded a historic minus 35-degree-celsius breaking the 1978 record of minus 27 in 1978. Similarly, Dallas, Fort worth broke a 19073 record of minus 11-degree-celsius as the temperature hits minus 17.
 

Publish : 2021-02-17 09:44:00

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