Water crisis plagues millions in Texas after deadly winter storm
Millions of Americans in the South are heading into another night of freezing temperatures without clean water or enough to eat. At food banks and water distribution sites, lines now stretch as long as a mile.
President Biden says he'll sign a new emergency declaration for the state of Texas, where half of the state is still under a boil water notice. Millions more in Louisiana and Mississippi are facing the same crisis Friday night.
Things are so bad in San Antonio that firefighters struggled to get water from the hydrants to fight off an enormous blaze. Thousands of homes have been destroyed by pipes that have burst and families are now worried how they'll pay for the clean-up.
At least 44 deaths have been linked to severe weather this week. The economic toll from the storms could reach as high as $50 billion.
In Houston, Andrew Rudnik has called at least 100 plumbers to repair his burst pipes. Rudnik and his wife Megan have a 6-month-old daughter, Reese, and they're desperate for help.
"What's it like having a 6-month-old and no water in your house for days on end?" CBS News asked.
"It's scary to have to ask a neighbor to use their outdoor hose to fill a pot so that you can boil water for your baby's bottles," Megan said.
They're also worried about mold and may have to tear down the walls themselves.
"It's definitely overwhelming, we're just talking about where we're going to stay tonight," Andrew Rudnik said.
Half the state's population — more than 14 million — still don't have drinkable water. In the Dallas area, they're preparing to give out 25,000 meal kits this weekend. Beyond Texas, taps are dry in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi as crews race to thaw frozen water mains.
The storm stopped millions in their tracks — but not Jenny Passman's baby. She had to give birth in her living room, with no power or running water.
It could be next week before the boil water advisory is lifted, according to Texas officials.
