Thousands of people are still without power in Texas and millions are under boil advisories as the state works to bounce back from this week’s historic winter storms.
Thursday morning, power outages dropped below 500,000 customers, way down from the over 3 million outages the day before, according to Poweroutage.us. However, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) said in a statement that it’s possible that some level of rotating outages may be needed over the next couple days to keep the energy grid stable.
Power may be being restored, but now homeowners, hospitals and businesses are grappling with broken water mains, burst pipes and orders to boil waters. NBC News and CNN both reported Thursday that about 12 million people were facing water disruptions.
Several Texans have lost their lives as a result of the winter weather. CNN reported Thursday the death toll in the state was at 16.
As Texas weathers the aftermath of the storms, others around the country have been wondering how they can help those struggling. Below are some organizations that you can donate to:
- The Salvation Army of Texas says it’s working to provide the essentials to those in need.
- The American Red Cross has mobilized more than 120 disaster workers to support relief efforts in-person and virtually. They opened over 80 shelters for people in Texas and Tennessee.
- Feeding Texas is the largest hunger-relief organization in the state. Its network is supporting warming shelters that are experiencing supply chain disruptions and losing food due to outages.
- In Austin, the city’s Urban League has started a “#LoveThyNeighborTX” campaign to support community-focused organizations committed to aiding the housing insecure communities.
- For those wanting to help animals, Austin Pets Alive is working to keep pets warms and safe across the state. They’re asking for monetary donations as well as supplies, like water, diesel fuel, gloves, and flashlights. SPCA of Texas is also accepting donations.