CNN reported on February 16 local time that U.S. states continue to experience snowstorms, including power outages due to extreme weather in many parts of Texas, Arkansas, Illinois and Kentucky.
Residents of Harris County and Houston in Texas caused fires because they could not use electricity to heat, but used barbecue grills to heat, and many residents were poisoned with carbon monoxide.
As a hard-hit area of the blizzard, Harris County, Texas judge Lina Hidalgo said the current situation is “very bad” and that 1.37 million people in Harris County currently have no electricity.
The day she issued the statement, the media released the news that several Harris County residents caused carbon monoxide poisoning due to the use of barbecue grills for heating.
The families reportedly tried to use barbecue racks to heat their houses. In the past 24 hours, 14 people, including 7 children, were taken to hospital for treatment due to carbon monoxide poisoning. The Houston Fire Department also said that the Houston Fire Department has responded to 56 fire alarm calls and more than 90 carbon monoxide poisoning alarm calls.
Austin Energy, an Austin power company, warned residents that electricity might not be restored until the evening of the 16th or more.
According to poweroutage.us, about 3.8 million Texas residents currently do not have electricity.
And according to the state governors on the 16th, there are currently about 18,000 to 20,000 residents in Arkansas without electricity, about 7,000 households in Illinois without electricity, and about 145,000 households in Kentucky without electricity.
