A vicious winter storm ripped through the country at the start of February, causing at least 21 deaths across Tennessee, Texas, Kentucky and Louisiana. The snow and freezing temperatures caused many problems nationwide.

The storm, however, left over 4 million without both power and water in Texas alone. 

According to BBC, “Joe Biden has approved a state of emergency in Texas, which has seen some of its coldest temperatures in more than 30 years – some areas hit 0F (-18C) on Sunday.”

The extreme problems in Texas are due to the state’s lack of preparation for these severe weather conditions. Pipes froze and heating systems failed. Somes parts of Texas even went without power for over 30 hours, for some even longer with power coming in waves. Due to this, power prices have dramatically increased. Some are being charged thousands of dollars.

According to the National Public Radio, “The Lone Star State racked up tens of billions of dollars in electricity expenses, as a free-wheeling market design sent prices skyrocketing. It tallied tens of billions more in damage and economic losses from blackouts.”

The damage done by this winter storm could possibly exceed the $125 billion dollar price tag on the repairs after Hurricane Harvey in 2017. 

“All 254 counties (in Texas) will have been impacted in some way by the freeze,” said Lee Loftis, director of government affairs for the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas. “That is just unheard of.”

The state of Texas has a long road of recovery ahead of them, with a large portion not receiving federal aid.