Winter storms in Texas have cut off power, gas and water supplies to millions of residents, bringing the state to the brink of a humanitarian crisis.
On Thursday, as many shivered through a through a fifth consecutive day without hot showers, gas ovens and electricity, some took to social media to document the inventive ways they’re managing to survive.
Extreme cold has frozen pipes across many towns and cities in the Lone Star state, effectively cutting off access to fresh water for thousands.
Many who still have access to gas are now boiling snow on their stove tops to melt it down for drinking and cleaning purposes.
Several shared snaps on Thursday showing themselves warming chunks of ice in metal pots as they attempted to keep themselves and their pets hydrated.
Others who found themselves without gas were forced put ice into metal buckets and wait for it to melt in front of their roaring fireplaces.
‘Just gathered snow to flush toilets,’ one Houston resident wrote on Twitter beneath a photo that showed the snow melting by the fire.
Winter storms in Texas have cut off power, gas and water supplies to millions of residents, bringing the state to the brink of a humanitarian crisis. One Austin resident who had their central heating supply cut is seen attempting to stay warm by warming his feet over his gas stove on Tuesday
A different kind of Texas BBQ! Gas supplies were cut for millions of people across Texans. Many inventive residents of the Lone Star State decided to sizzle steaks on their outdoor barbecues and propane cookers in a bid to stay fed
One freezing family in Garland, located in North Texas, attempted to keep warm in front of a log fire after their electricity and gas supply was cut during the winter storm this week. Temperatures outside dropped below freezing
Two young Texans were forced to use flashlights to keep themselves amused after dark. The brothes pet Golden Retriever can also been seen in the photo keeping himself warm by the fire
Many who still have access to their gas are now being forced to boil snow on their stove tops to melt it down for drinking and cleaning purposes
Others who found themselves without gas were forced put ice into metal buckets and wait for it to melt in front of their roaring fireplaces
Meanwhile, those without gas have had to come up with creative ways to continue cooking amid the ongoing disaster.
Many have taken to frying up food on their outdoor barbecues as their ovens and stove tops are no longer an option.
On Twitter, one man was seen sizzling steaks on his front porch as he bundled up in a coat and hoodie amid the cold weather.
Some have found it too cold to venture outdoors to cook, and have instead moved their propane gas stoves into the kitchen in order to fry up a feast.
‘I live in South Texas. I’ve been without power for a total of 8 hrs today. We are better off than most thanks to my prepping last year. Cooking on propane in my kitchen, Eggs and hash for dinner,’ one woman wrote.
Another proud cook showed off the pancakes and bacon she had cooked up, as she sat down for a rather romantic looking candlelight dinner after her electricity had been shuttered.
But less resourceful residents were forced to crack open canned goods – some of which they had stocked up almost a year ago due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Social media was awash Wednesday night with sad meals being eaten by many Texans in the cold and dark. Baked beans, tins of SPAM and raw Mi-Goreng noodles were being consumed by many who were stripped of their usual modes of cooking.
Texas native Jesse Colombo stocked up on 18 months worth of food as COVID hit US shores last March. He included 192 tins of SPAM on his shopping list – an item he is now finding is coming in handy.
‘I’m literally dipping into my famous canned ham… see it’s coming in handy,’ he wrote on Twitter.
Texas fry-up! Many hungry residents have been forced to use their outdoor barbecues with their ovens and stove tops now out of the equation
Social media was awash Wednesday night with sad meals being eaten by many Texans in the cold and dark. Baked beans, tins of SPAM and raw Mi-Goreng noodles were being consumed by many without their usual modes of cooking
On Thursday, the race was on to restore power to millions of Texans facing subzero temperatures as stunning infrared images taken from space show just how far blackouts have stretched.
More than three million people in the state were left without power for the fifth day in a row – and for the vast majority, it is because of forced blackouts by energy agency ERCOT.
Texas, which relies on its own electricity supply and grid, and is unprepared for winter conditions, has buckled so much so that Beto O’Rourke said on Wednesday that it was a near ‘failed state’.
Residents in Houston were seen lining up at public taps to fill up jugs of water, prompting some to describe it as a scene from a ‘third world country’.
Winter storms in Texas have cut off power, gas and water supplies to millions of residents, bringing the state to the brink of a humanitarian crisis. Hundreds of thousands are still without connection to basic utilities for the fifth consecutive day