Uncommon Knowledge
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Texas
Drinking water warnings issued to thousands in Texas
Officials in Texas continue to urge nearly 163,000 residents to boil their drinking water several days after Hurricane Beryl exited the state.
Beryl made landfall in Texas on Monday as a Category 1 storm near the coastal town of Matagorda, before whipping northeast to directly batter the city of Houston, where over 2.5 million in the area quickly lost their power.
The storm continued to roar through Texas and other portions of the U.S. in a northeasterly path, sparking a swarm of tornadoes in multiple states as it diminished in strength and eventually passed into Canada.
While Beryl left at least 10 people dead in Texas and inflicted significant damage to property, many residents impacted by the hurricane in the Lone Star State were also continuing to struggle with a lack of power and clean drinking water four days later.
TomBegasse
By Friday, Texas had more than 700,000 power outages that remained unresolved, while some 162,895 residents in 22 counties were under a “Boil Water Notice” (BWN) due to drinking water systems that had been compromised by the storm.
“As of 12:30pm today, we are tracking 259 drinking water systems that are on a BWN serving a population of 162,895,” a spokesperson for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) told Newsweek via email on Friday. “The drinking water systems on BWNs are spread across 22 counties impacted by the hurricane.”
The following is a list of the affected counties, water systems and number of residents that were still being asked to boil their water as of Friday afternoon:
- Angelina County: 1 water system under BWN, affecting 53 residents.
- Brazoria County: 67 water systems under BWN, affecting 28,460 residents.
- Chambers County: 3 water systems under BWN, affecting 446 residents.
- Fort Bend County: 7 water systems under BWN, affecting 10,206 residents.
- Grimes County: 3 water systems under BWN, affecting 756 residents.
- Hardin County: 1 water system under BWN, affecting 108 residents.
- Houston County: 1 water system under BWN, affecting 9,557 residents.
- Harris County: 57 water systems under BWN, affecting 32,719 residents.
- Liberty County: 9 water systems under BWN, affecting 9,557 residents.
- Matagorda County: 11 water systems under BWN, affecting 4,051 residents.
- Montgomery County: 35 water systems under BWN, affecting 19,963 residents.
- Nacogdoches County: 2 water systems under BWN, affecting 9,834 residents.
- Orange County: 1 water system under BWN, affecting 99 residents.
- Polk County: 33 water systems under BWN, affecting 24,285 residents.
- San Augustine County: 5 water systems under BWN, affecting 4,170 residents.
- San Jacinto County: 12 waters systems under BWN, affecting 5,687 residents.
- Trinity County: 4 water systems under BWN, affecting 3,038 residents.
- Tyler County: 2 water systems under BWN, affecting 5,880 residents.
- Upshur County: 1 water system under BWN, affecting 3,038 residents.
- Walker County: 2 water systems under BWN, affecting 653 residents.
- Waller County: 1 water system under BWN, affecting 240 residents.
- Wharton County: 1 water system under BWN, affecting 40 residents.
Residents who are uncertain about the safety of their drinking water should contact their local water utility for additional information and updates.
Water systems can be damaged by hurricanes and other powerful storms due to power outages, service line breaks or flooding, potentially allowing what would otherwise be safe drinking water to become contaminated by dangerous pathogens.
In systems under a BWN, water may not be safe to drink unless it has been boiled vigorously for at least two minutes. The TCEQ website offers a series of safe water use tips for those affected.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Saturday started out a bit warm and sticky outside in North Texas, but there will be plenty of sunshine in the afternoon. Temperatures are expected to climb into the upper 80s. Most of the area will stay dry today, but there is a chance for an isolated storm that could reach severe criteria late tonight for counties to the northwest of the metroplex.
Make sure you have an indoor plan for Mother’s Day celebrations tomorrow! Sunday morning will start warm, muggy, and dry for most with the exception of an isolated storm possible along the Red River.
A First Alert Weather Day is in place on Sunday due to a front that will swing across North Texas in the late afternoon through the evening. All modes of severe weather will be likely, but the main threat includes a significant risk of hail up to 2 inches in diameter and winds up to category 1 hurricane strength.
Once the front moves through, cooler temperatures will settle into the forecast on Monday. However, the cool down won’t last long. A warming trend returns and temperatures climb into the 90’s once again at the end of the next week. Stay tuned!
Just days before Mother’s Day, a North Texas father is grieving the sudden loss of his wife and unborn son after she died unexpectedly, only days before her due date. Avi Carey said he is still in shock over the death of his wife, Tiffany, whom he described as his “rock” and “soulmate.”
“Tiffany’s smile, her radiance, her presence … she didn’t meet a stranger,” Carey said.
Nearly two decades together
The couple had been together for nearly two decades, raising two children, Kingston and Kasyn, and preparing to welcome their third child, a baby boy they planned to name Kylo.
Carey said Tiffany began complaining of a severe headache just days before she was due to give birth. He recalled her sitting on the couch, dozing off multiple times – something he said was unusual.
A short time later, Carey found her unresponsive.
“I saw her face … her lips were blue. And I already knew,” he said with tears in his eyes.
A celebration turned to heartbreak
Tiffany Carey and her unborn son died May 2, leaving behind a grieving husband and two children. The loss came less than a week after the family had celebrated a baby shower.
“We went from celebrating the baby shower to planning a funeral in less than five days,” Carey said.
A crisis affecting Black mothers
Health officials say cases like this highlight a broader crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women in the United States are more than three times as likely as white women to die from pregnancy‑related causes, and most of those deaths – around 80% – are considered preventable.
Carey said he is still searching for answers and now lives with questions about whether warning signs were missed.
“I would say educate yourself. Take everything seriously,” he said. “That should have been a red flag … the headache.”
Honoring Tiffany’s legacy
Now, surrounded by baby supplies meant for a child who never arrived, Carey said he is focused on honoring Tiffany’s memory and raising their children with the values she lived by.
“She always said, ‘You’ve got to lead with love,’” he said. “She did that in everything.”
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