Miserable winter weather is still hitting Texas and it’s spreading to the East Coast

As Texans continue to cope with the effects of deadly cold weather, much of the eastern half of the country was dealing with snow, ice or rain.

The storm system that took shape this week in the South will "continue to bring significant impacts from the Mid-Atlantic to Northeast US (Thursday)," according to the National Weather Service. "Significant ice accumulations and heavy snowfall are expected."

About 78 million Americans are under a winter weather alert and more than 27 million are going to bed under a hard-freeze warning.

At least 38 people have died nationwide from winter storms or frigid conditions since last week, a time in which more than 2,500 records for the lowest maximum temperature for the date have been set. Eight other deaths are suspected to be weather-related but authorities are waiting on autopsy results.

In Texas, communities are desperately seeking warmth and other necessities without electricity in freezing or near-freezing temperatures.

Gov. Greb Abbot was reassuring citizens he will get to the bottom of why so many people lost power this week as grid operators struggle to provide electricity.

"Texans deserve answers about why the shortfalls occurred, and how they're going to be corrected and Texans will get those answers," Abbott said.

In San Antonio, Claudia Lemus said power returned to her home Wednesday night — but many stores' shelves were empty.

"We're able to get enough to get by … but the grocery stores, most of them shut down," Lemus told CNN's Jim Sciutto on Thursday morning. "And when we tried the few that are open, you have to stand in line for 20-30 minutes at a time, and then you just go in and get whatever is available, because stores are (largely) empty."

Days without power in freezing conditions have sent Texans scrambling for alternative heating, through generators, fireplaces, living in running cars, or sheltering in powered warming centers or businesses.

About 13 million people are facing water disruptions, with boil-water notices, broken pipes and failing systems, state officials said. Austin and San Antonio issued boil-water notices to their residents on Wednesday evening.

Firefighters at a large apartment blaze in San Antonio were having supply issues Thursday night. Hydrants were frozen and crews were having to go down the street to where they could get water for their trucks.

"That's our problem. Once we make a little bit of advance on the fire, we run out of water," Bexar-Bulverde Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jerry Bialick said.

Difficult weather conditions across the country, meanwhile, have had serious implications for the coronavirus pandemic: Some shipments of Covid-19 vaccines have been delayed, and someclinica had to cancel vaccine appointments.

The Houston Health Department said it will resume vaccinations this weekend with about 4,800 appointments.