HOUSTON – The City of Houston handed out thousands of cases of water to Houstonians Friday.
“We’ve lost gas, water, lights, food, but we don’t lose hope,” said Percy McGee.
The need was so great, not one person untouched by the power and water crisis.
McGee is from Fifth Ward and cares for a 94-year-old woman.
“There’s no water in my community. There’s no water within a 10-mile radius, at no store, no gas station, no neighbors. No one has no water,” said McGee.
He and hundreds of others waited outside Delmar Stadium, where the city started distributing thousands of cases of bottled water.
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“No water, electric, just have to make that big sacrifice. We’ve just been eating sardines for a couple of days,” said another man.
Erica Granado lives in southwest Houston and was the first in line at 5 a.m.
“The frustration, being scared of not having no water also, I know some people didn’t have water,” said Granado.
Some confusion sparked frustration when police officers mistakenly started moving people out of the line.
“I’m running out of gas so that means to go back home without water, you hear my light coming on,” said one woman.
Pipes bursting and failure equipment throughout the city caused low pressure, which made the water unsafe.
The city hoped to lift the boil water notice by Monday.
“We have to take one day at a time, but the sun will shine and it’s shining right now, so we’re gonna live to fight for another day,” said McGee.
The city has set up other distribution sites across Houston.
Also, the city planned to deliver bottled water to disable people who cannot make it to one of them.