Acres Homes families describe surviving historic winter storm
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The thought of a snow day sounded fun to 14-year-old Lilian Valentine, but things quickly changed for families who thought they would have a fun winter wonderland.
"We got snow in Houston, and I did not like it," said Valentine.
Her grandmother, Cynthia Thomas, said she opened her home to neighbors as the storm started to knock out power and burst water pipes.
"Four kids on the floor, two adults on the couch," said Thomas. Ten people ended up staying in the home, according to Thomas, and they all struggled to stay warm.
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"We have a gas stove and we kept pots of water boiling," she said.
Their concerns over running a gas stove were heightened as they learned of families and children were dying of carbon monoxide poisoning across the Houston area.
"We were scared because it's a silent killer. We can all go to sleep and everybody's gone," Thomas said.
Heading into the weekend, they face the same struggle as so many across the Houston area.
"We went to three places to get water," she said. "We found no water.
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"I try not to complain because it could be worse than that," said neighbor Eve Thompson. "You know, some people have nowhere to stay and people are dying."
