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State resources in the aftermath of the winter blast

Texas Governor Greg Abbott met with state officials to discuss how to help Texans still reeling from the statewide winter storm.

MIDLAND, Texas — As we start moving past this statewide winter storm and deal with the aftermath, the big concern for people is getting power for those who are still without and water.

Gov. Greg Abbott met with state officials to address those concerns. Just because temperatures finally got above freezing doesn't mean that the state is anywhere out of the woods, however. The priority for Abbott is getting Texans clean water and power.

Vital infrastructure has shown all of the stress it's endured over the last week due to the winter storm. People across the state still without power, and now, people dealing with water issues. 

That means low water pressure and busted water lines. All of that leads to unsafe drinking water for lots of Texans. The state is responding by mobilizing resources to deliver water by air and road.

"We will continue to deliver water bottles for as long as it takes while also continuing to support the local efforts of repairing homes and infrastructure system at the local level," Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said.

Panic has ensued across the state. Many people are worried about their town's water supply.

"If you are an individual who has questions about your local water supply, you need to contact your local utility provider. not the state of Texas because that system is maintained and operated by that local provider," Toby Baker, executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, said.

In Midland and Odessa, leaders say that there are no issues with the water supply. Crews have been working to fix water main breaks. The state will come in at request.

"Where we’re stepping in, we will help with engineering, with technical questions if that is requested of us. We will engage on that level and help them. We have regions all across the state of Texas where we can engage at the local level," Baker said.

One other area of concern involves hospitals and getting patients to hospitals with power and water.

"We continue to work with the hospital systems. We’ve asked for the FEMA ambulance contract to deliver additional ambulances into the state, to be able to support transfer patients between facilities, mostly supporting dialysis missions," Kidd said.

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