The struggle of the massive winter storm continues throughout large portions of the United States.
Texas, the state arguably dealing with the weather the worst, has finally restored power to millions, but the fallout of the state's policies continues to haunt them.
There was no better illustration than a road in the aptly named city of Texarkana. The city is split by the Texas/Arkansas border.
In the tweet below, the left side of the image is Texarkana, TX, while the right side is Texarkana, AR.
The drone footage captures the simple matter that caused Texas of all the states hit by the winter storm to buckle under the pressure. The state was completely unprepared for winter weather.
This is despite the fact the state faced a similar storm in 2011 and has had the last decade to make changes to the infrastructure. Republicans have been in power in the state during that time.
It's reported Texas has only 30 snowplows for the entire state, leaving this portion of Texarkana stuck in their snow.
The video shocked many who saw it.
While scenes like this visually illustrate the bind Texas is in, many in the state are suffering the consequences. While power has recently been restored, millions went without electricity or heat for days during the coldest days Texas has seen in recent memory.
Now that power is back on, new issues have presented themselves. Water pipes have cracked or completely broken, and roofs are collapsing under the strain of snow and rain.
A boil water notice has been issued due to compromised water filtration systems. And then the storm picked up again in the week, causing more ice and snow.
This is despite recommendations to winterize the power and utility equipment the state needs to weather this storm being given a decade prior.
A bit of preparedness for the state can go a long way.
All the while, officials such as the Texas Senator Ted Cruz have decided a trip out of the state right now was the best way to handle this situation. However, he was quickly called out on it, and forced back to help.
The state Governor Greg Abbott has likewise been ridiculed for suggesting that the policies in the Green New Deal, a proposal that isn't law or even a guideline, was to blame for the issues. This also flew in the face of the reporting from ERCOT, the council that manages Texas' power, which suggested multiple system failures, particularly in the fossil fuels that make up 80% of the power generation for the state were the cause.
The whole situation has many seeing the state officials as jokes.
Despite all this, there's hope on the horizon. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortz, a Democratic House Representative from New York who often clashes with Ted Cruz, raised $1 million for relief efforts for Texas. The money will be distributed among five non-profit organizations to get ground relief to Texas citizens.
Beto O'Rourke, a former Democratic presidential candidate and former candidate for Texas Senator, is organizing wellness checks for seniors and ensuring people are safe.
New York Post
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