Water crisis hits millions in Texas after deadly winter storm

Millions of South Americans are heading for another night of freezing temperatures without clean water or enough to eat. At food banks and water distribution sites, the lines now extend up to a mile.

President Biden says he will sign a new declaration of emergency for the state of Texas, where half of the state is still on a boil water advisory. Millions more in Louisiana and Mississippi face the same crisis Friday night.

Things are so bad in San Antonio that firefighters have struggled to get water from hydrants to fight a massive blaze. Thousands of homes have been destroyed by burst pipes and families are now worried how they will pay for cleaning.

At least 44 deaths have been linked to inclement weather this week. The economic toll from storms could reach $ 50 billion.

In Houston, Andrew Rudnick called at least 100 plumbers to fix his burst pipes. Rudnick and his wife Megan have a 6 month old daughter, Reese, and they are in desperate need of help.

“How does it feel to have a 6 month old and no water in your house for days?” CBS News asked.

“It’s scary having to ask a neighbor to use their outside hose to fill a pot so you can boil water for your baby’s bottles,” Megan said.

They are also concerned about mold and may have to tear down the walls themselves.

“It’s really amazing, we’re just talking about where we’re going to stay tonight,” said Andrew Rudnick.

Half of the state’s population – over 14 million – still lacks clean drinking water. In the Dallas area, they are preparing to distribute 25,000 meal kits this weekend. Beyond Texas, taps are dry in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi as crews rush to thaw frozen water pipes.

The storm stopped millions of people in their tracks – but not Jenny Passman’s baby. She had to give birth in her living room, without electricity or running water.

It could be next week before the boil water advisory is lifted, according to Texas officials.