Photos: Texans struggle during catastrophic winter storm

Frigid winter weather across the U.S. hit Texas particularly hard, at one point leaving nearly 3 million people without power and many others without water.

"This is the winter version of Hurricane Harvey," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told Houston ABC station KTRK.

At least nine people have died in Texas, according to The Associated Press. The number included three young children and their grandmother who died in a Houston-area fire, which likely began while they were using a fireplace to keep warm during a power outage, a fire official said.

The weather emergency forced the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the agency that oversees the state's electric grid, to use rolling blackouts to conserve power early in the week. The decision created issues with the supply of heat, food and water. Burst water pipes have added to the critical situation.

People have been forced into shelters and their cars to keep warm or to huddle for warmth in homes with no heat. Gallery Furniture store owner Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale opened the doors of his Houston and West Houston stores for people in need of a warm place to stay.

Though the outages have improved as of Thursday, many Texans continue to struggle in freezing temperatures with more bad weather in the forecast.