Home / Life These 19 photos show the scary reality many Texans are living through right now Power outages, frigid temperatures and now warnings about contaminated water supplies. By Motherly Editors February 18, 2021 Rectangle A deadly and record-breaking storm hit Texas hard, with some of the coldest temperatures in decades. Many Texans were unprepared for the devastation the storm would cause, especially since due to the storm there were extreme power outages leaving many without heat and water. On top of that, because it’s usually not this cold in Texas, many didn’t know how to deal with freezing pipes or keeping their homes warm as temperatures dropped even more at night. Since Thursday morning, a little under 500,000 homes were still without power. However, there’s now a warning on water, since water treatment plants shut down due to the storm. According to CBS News , at least 17 people have died, including a grandmother and three children who died in a house fire while trying to stay warm. [If you’d like to help Texan families, consider donating to organizations that are actively working to keep families warm, fed and safe. Their lives quite literally depend on the generosity of these groups right now.] These unbelievable photos are what Texans are dealing with right now: This is how cold it is at my Apartment. As a Texan, yes, I’m certainly not built for this. I don’t even care. https://t.co/FMt8imglJp — 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐒 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 ☩ (@ThomasBlackGG) 1613436492.0 Austin Texas…a city frozen in time. Abandoned cars on unplowed roads, no gas, no groceries, no running water, peo… https://t.co/JZCvnlQtBZ — Dr. Julia Coronado (@jc_econ) 1613623367.0 This was Houston, Texas on February 15, 2021. Unreal. https://t.co/QOSDIMikVI — Daniel Gotera (@DTGoteraKHOU) 1613533511.0 Getty/ Montinique Monroe Texas frozen tuna (Spanish) #TexasWinterStorm2021 https://t.co/QVGXlIFwXN — LSW (@okaytrip) 1613620171.0 It’s real out here. Be thankful. Texas conditions got mi grandma’s house 😭 frozen pipes to busted pipes. https://t.co/BwF6S1JrLn — ADM (@adamiship) 1613603449.0 apartment ceiling caves in due to ice / snow in dallas, texas https://t.co/1pWaqreZ23 — ☻ (@breesunshinee) 1613533554.0 I think the frozen fountain just encapsulates how cold it is here. And Texas doesn’t have the infrastructure to kee… https://t.co/iyC2nlTEn4 — Beth Allison Barr, PhD (@bethallisonbarr) 1613410631.0 My sister’s pool in Dallas is completely frozen over! https://t.co/PEsZJQxSHB — liberalpropaganda (@CRTCHP) 1613530285.0 Y’all ever seen frozen toilet water https://t.co/WypZBjnMMK — Ms. Young Professional (@MsYoungProfess) 1613513161.0 Getty/ Montinique Monroe Water stored in the bathtub froze solid last night. That’s how it’s going in Dallas. https://t.co/cJdUMDT6pN — Brandon Friedman (@BFriedmanDC) 1613487181.0 Texas wildin rn it was 5 degrees INSIDE the house this morning and our door was frozen shut and had to be PRYED ope… https://t.co/dRnsrUT0xI — Amber ✿ ♡・ (@utsukushhi) 1613488025.0 Swimming pool iced over at the home of family in north Texas. They have no power also. 🥶😥 Pray for our frozen Count… https://t.co/4NTmDlMYmR — Mermaid (@rkmeeks72) 1613529695.0 Getty/ Go Nakamura Getty/ Montinique Monroe The latest Life 7 months pregnant on the campaign trail: How motherhood has changed the way I view politics Style Zooey Deschanel’s tips on how to get holiday party-ready (without putting your finger through your tights while your kids are yelling for dinner) Motherly Stories What is the ‘gratitude trap’? How gratitude can keep us stuck Getting Pregnant What to know about using supplements for fertility—and when to start taking them in preconception