Texans travel the extra mile to get pipe supplies for winter storm damages
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- For the past week, lines have been long and the supplies have been hard to come by.
"[It's] very hard. Everywhere you go there's a line or they don't have the parts," said Eunice Ponce.
Ponce's mom had seven pipes burst due to the last week's arctic freeze and she can't seem to find what she needs.
SEE ALSO: Customers turn to mom-and-pop stores to find plumbing supplies during shortage
"It's been like a hunting game and you wait in line and they don't even have the parts when you show up," said Steve Hernandez with Alamo Plumbing.
Thankfully for Steve, he was able to get the last of the supplies he needs for his customers at Universal Plumbing Supply east of downtown.
"I have never seen anything like this and I have been through several freezes," said Melvin Cweren, owner of Universal Plumbing Supply.
Cweren said his employees have been working non-stop. Last week he had thousands of customers and with no power, yet he still managed to give everyone what they needed.
SEE ALSO: Plumbers receive record amount of service calls for broken pipes
"A lot of them are doing it themselves, they don't know what they are doing and so we have to work harder to please them," he said.
Some are even going the extra mile, literally, to find what they need.
"Went ahead and went to Louisiana and picked up as much stuff as we could in my truck and brought it back," said logistics director for Pour into Houston Jose Hernandez.
SEE ALSO: New Jersey plumber, family travel to Texas to help make critical repairs after storm
Jose is with the local nonprofit group, Pour into Houston, which provides affordable mental health care services. They have been able to help families fix their homes and are still coordinating efforts to get more supplies and cases of water.
"It's been hectic but you just have to be patient. That's all you can do," said Steve.
