The powerful winter storm that is wreaking havoc across Texas has also caused problems across the border. The cold snap led to power outages across Northern Mexico on Monday, including a blackout throughout most of Ciudad Ju谩rez.
Rafael Torres woke up to total darkness early Monday morning.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 have water, and we don鈥檛 have electricity,鈥� he said, standing near a small gas heater in the home he shares with his wife and two teenage children in Ju谩rez. 鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping it returns soon.鈥�
The storm knocked out electricity for more than 4 million people across northern Mexico, , the Comisi贸n Federal de Electricidad. Pipelines froze, and .
At a press conference, Mexican president Andr茅s Manuel L贸pez Obrador said the storm led to outages in multiple northern states, including Nuevo Le贸n, Coahuila, Tamaulipas and Chihuahua, and stressed that the utility was working hard to get everything back online.
Some power was restored in Ju谩rez by Monday afternoon, but many were still waiting in the dark and cold.
Maria del Rayo Blanco Garcia said the snow was a nice Valentine鈥檚 Day surprise, but she wasn鈥檛 prepared for a blackout. The internet was down, so it was hard to get news.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 know if this will go on for the rest of today or tomorrow,鈥� she said, adding that the lines to buy gas for emergency heat were getting long.
Water was also in high demand. Rafael Torres joined a long line of people hoping to pick up five-gallon, plastic jugs. He was preparing for a possible night off the grid.
He planned to buy some candles, so his family could see in the dark.
鈥淵ou just wrap yourselves in blankets, to stand the cold,鈥� he said.
