Biden declared Texas a “major disaster area” after devastating storm

The president of the United States, Joe Biden declared a “major disaster” in Texas, one of the states hardest hit by the storm that caused at least 59 dead in the country, and ordered federal aid to support state and local efforts to recover the affected areas.

The White House said in a statement on Saturday that the president adopted the decision on Friday, which immediately makes federal resources available to more than 70 counties.

The storms that have ravaged Texas in recent days have left millions of users in the dark, although electricity supplies have already been gradually restored and public water systems have collapsed in various areas.

“Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover losses of uninsured property, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of disaster, ”the note notes.

The resources, the statement added, “are also available to eligible state and local governments and certain private non-profit organizations on a cost-sharing basis.”

This Friday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has informed his “immediate” priority is to continue with home power restoration tasks, which he said is no longer due to lack of production but when the lines fall or the need for manual reconnection.

Another urgent task to be undertaken is restore the water service, for which mobile liquid analysis laboratories have been set up, the licenses of dozens of local plumbers have been renewed and the arrival of others from neighboring areas is being coordinated.

Abbott has confirmed it has delivered more than 1.7 million bottles of water to communities, in many of which the recommendation to boil the water they receive through the pipes remains in effect.

Percy McGee, a Houston resident, rated his frustration level at “10” while awaiting his turn at the city’s Delmar Stadium, which has become a place to get bottled water.

“I am very frustrated. I am diabetic. I welcome a 94 year old diabetic. We did not take any medication. Nothing … ”he said.

In the aftermath of the storm, Louisiana and Oklahoma also issued federal disaster declarations, which made it easier for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to move equipment and resources to these areas.

The storm is expected to ease over the weekend, especially in the south of the country, according to weather services.

“The unusually cold week in the southern plains will end this weekend with the entry of a warmer-air lowThe National Weather Service (NWS) said Friday.

The cold snap persists, however, from Dallas to New York, with snowstorms forecast for the East Coast, particularly in the New England (Northeast) region, and heavy rains in North and South Carolina.

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