Several days of subfreezing temperatures have resulted in frozen water pipes that now are leaking in homes across Texas. With temperatures warming above the freezing mark, homeowners began to discover the leaks and rushed to call plumbers for help.
By several days ago, more than 3,000 insurance claims from broken water pipes had been reported with many more insurance claims expected as the temperature continued to rise. The bulk of the claims were in Houston and Dallas.
"Water claims can be expensive and the sooner a homeowner can detect a leak, the better," said Mark Hanna, a spokesperson for the Insurance Council of Texas. "Undetected, oftentimes for days, water leaks can destroy walls and flooring."
The damage from a leaking water pipe can easily cost thousands of dollars, the Insurance Council of Texas noted in a statement.
"We have been swamped with calls from people with either frozen pipes or water pipes that are leaking," said Tara Holman with Johnny Rooter Plumbing in Austin. "All of our plumbers are really busy and working all hours to help our customers."
Ms. Holman said many of those who called for help either saw water leaking, heard it, or saw their water meter spinning without any water tap running.