COLLIN COUNTY, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – Some North Texans have been without power for so long due to power outages that they have resorted to living in their car.
It’s been a frustrating struggle to keep warm.
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There have been warnings of short, temporary power outages in neighborhoods to meet overwhelming demand, but some say they have been blown away by how long their electricity has been denied.
“I wear several layers of clothing to keep my body warm,” said Clint Cash, a Collin County resident.
The 44-year-old lives in the city of Nevada.
He is bundled up and driving through the bitter cold in his car parked in front of his house.
“The electricity has been turned off from about 5:30 am, 5:30 am to 6 am last night,” he said.
Clint Cash lives in his car during the power outage. (credit: Clint Cash)
Cash is one of many North Texans who have no power in their home due to a power outage.
He said his house was going to be dark on Sunday afternoon.
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‘I think it came back up around 7:30 and then I went down again. I’ve tried to stay in my bed, but it’s hard to eat a lot because I had microwave meals that I bought in case I got stuck and can’t use the microwave, ”he said.
Those microwave meals are now kept in the snow.
Cash says the streets around his rural home are dangerous.
So for now he uses the heat from his car, which is parked in an open space, to stay warm.
“It was terribly cold and of course it was getting colder, but to be honest I slept in all my clothes, pretty much what I’m wearing now, I slept. I take it minute to minute from day to day. I’m not going to drive, ”he said.
Cash is also unable to use his blood pressure machine that he uses at night to monitor heart disease.
Still, he tries to stay both positive and warm.
“It’s miserable, but it’s not the end of the world. We can take it, ”he said.
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For now, Cash and others like him rely on their vehicles, fireplaces, or lots of extra layers of clothing to keep warm until the power returns.