AUSTIN, Texas — As thousands remain without power Friday morning amid a boil water notice in Austin, the sun came up and began to melt the ice that was crippling the state of Texas for days.
But, with the increase in temperatures comes more bad news: water pipes are unfreezing, causing more issues with hundreds – if not thousands – of homes and businesses in the state's capital. Many residents have been forced to flee their homes, whether it be due to bursting pipes or the continued lack of potable water and power.
A tweet by one high-profile veteran journalist and local Austin resident started gaining some traction on Friday. Legendary journalist Dan Rather said he was among the many who were suffering amid the winter chaos in Texas.
The full text of his thread can be read below:
We were told yesterday to evacuate our home due to no power, heat, water, and fears even sewage pipes were freezing up and on the verge of bursting. After 4 days of hunkering down and determined to tough it out, we got the order to find a new place to go to immediately.
We’re now huddled up with relatives who have power -improvising, trying to make the best of it with a “this too shall pass” spirit. But we have the privilege of resources and help from family and friends. We know how lucky we are.
Many of our fellow Texans are in dire straits. The homeless and destitute are always the most vulnerable. But this also hit broadly. There are so many other hard-working, proud and decent people who are suffering. They are the backbone of our state.
A broad community effort to help is needed. So is accountability. Many state officials and special interests sold out their fellow Texans. And now, even in this time of reckoning, most of them offer little help beyond just saying a version of, “hey, it’s life; deal with it”
There are some massive betrayals of public trust behind what has happened in Texas. It’s sad. And even more so because those responsible remain convinced that they’ll never be held accountable.
But at the same time, the communal spirit of people helping people is inspiring. We can rebuild. And I am convinced we will rebuild better, but only if we have better leadership, make better decisions, and have the humility to know we are all in this together.
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