>> that's what's making news in america this morning. right now on "america this morning," water crisis. the historic weather disaster in texas leaving millions without water. this apartment building collapsing. fire crews say the hydrants weren't working. people now boiling snow for drinking water, bursting pipes flooding homes. waterfalls overflowing off balconies. overnight new details on the military response. the planes heading to the region today and the storm on the move. the snow and ice across the northeast this morning. cancun controversy. senator ted cruz speaking out overnight, the one-on-one exclusive interview. why he says he took a family vacation while his state was in crisis and the text message his wife reportedly sent. new lease on life.

the woman who was hiding inside a church in ohio for three years to avoid being deported finally goes home. what her case says about the current push for immigration reform. breaking overnight, the new investigation focusing on marilyn manson. caught on video, the tv reporter held up while in front of the camera. and later, going green. one determined golfer refuses to let the snow get in the way of his game. good friday morning, everyone. 12 states and washington, d.c. have declared emergencies because of the winter weather. >> at least 40 deaths are blamed on the extreme conditions. let's get to the radar now, the latest storm wrapping up in the northeast, and it was another frigid night across texas where a gradual warm-up will begin today. the power is coming back on but millions of people in texas are without drinking water. two u.s. military cargo planes will deliver water and other

supplies today, but it's not just texas that's in need, most of jackson, mississippi, was also without water overnight. meanwhile, texas senator ted cruz is under fire for traveling to cancun during the crisis. >> we will hear from him in a moment, but first the dire conditions overnight. this morning, a new crisis emerging in texas, amid extreme weather, a short supply of water. overnight, firefighters in san antonio were forced to bring in water to battle this massive apartment fire because they say the hydrants nearby are empty. >> we're constantly shuttling back and forth, so we're trying to keep the supply up, but it's difficult. >> reporter: prolonged record cold buckled the state's power grid knocking out electricity for millions of people for days. ding hes.the otest a waterfall flowing off this balcony in dallas after an apartment's fire prevention system froze over.

this truck in galveston encased in ice. above it large icicles hanging from the frozen pipes. >> we have been very thankful for our propane grill. >> reporter: overnight 13 million people in texas were being told to boil their water. julia crawford is getting creative melting snow for her family. >> we're running dangerously low on water. so now what we've been doing all day is actually coming outside, getting snow, putting it in our pots and heating it on our propane grill. >> reporter: hospitals are relying on generators and water trucks around the state. long lines are forming across the state for gas and food, and shoppers are finding empty shelves like this walmart in san antonio. the extreme weather now being blamed for a looming natural gas shortage. "the wall street journal" saying production has dropped 20% in the last week. some people in texas who have power say they're getting hit with massive bills. >> it was a negative $453. >> reporter: savannah says she switched to a wholesale

electricity provider last year, and her bill was never more than $50. but now she got a $600 bill for just two days after she says the company raised prices. >> i'm really kind of predicting that i'm going to have to pay over a thousand dollars just for one week of electricity. >> reporter: in the meantime, the winter weather making its way up the east coast. this bus in new jersey overturning injuring 15 people. north of new york city a car sliding off the road and flipping over. in pennsylvania, the driver of this suv pulled to safety after police say he tried to drive across the lake. the driver then calling 911 for help while trapped in the car. he could now face charges. >> he was lucky to get out, and we hope this serves as an example to stay off the ice in north park. it is dangerous without a doubt. >> dangerous, indeed. more snow is possible for the northeast today, and we'll have the forecast in about five minutes. senator ted cruz is responding to the outrage over his trip to cancun during the emergency in his state. he says he took a family

vacation to be a good dad. abc's alex presha picks up the story. >> reporter: this morning, senator ted cruz speaking out after facing backlash for escaping to cancun while millions of his texas constituents fight the bitter cold without power. >> in hindsight i wouldn't have done it. i was trying to be a dad. >> reporter: cameras captured cruz and his family boarding the flight from houston to mexico wednesday. a wave of fury followed after pictures were posted online. >> it appears that yesterday senator ted cruz flew to cancun. how do you feel about that? >> he can stay there actually. >> reporter: the senator returned to the airport less than 24 hours later. this time with an armed escort. cruz first seemed to indicate he was simply dropping his daughters off in mexico and returning thursday. but a source tells abc news he was actually scheduled to return on saturday with his family before changing his reservation. >> i said yes because our kids

wanted to do it, and this has been a tough year for kids across the state and across the country, and so school had been canceled. it was something that we could do, and we were trying to -- trying to take care of our family, which is what millions of texans are doing, but at the same time you're right, as a leader you need to be here. >> reporter: "the new york times" reports it wasn't just cruz's children pushing for the trip. "the times" published what it says are text messages from cruz's wife heidi inviting neighbors to stay at the ritz-carlton hotel in cancun. heidi reportedly texted the group that their house is freezing asking, anyone can or want to leave for the week? this morning, calls for cruz to resign are growing louder from protesters outside his home and beyond. but he is finding support from fox news host sean hannity. >> i think you can be a father and be the senator of texas all at the same time and make a round trip quick drop-off trip

and come home. >> well, sean, that's right. >> reporter: senator cruz's past criticism of democrats now resurfacing. in december he criticized the mayor of austin for traveling while telling people to stay at home during the pandemic. kenneth and mona. >> all right, alex, thank you. new details about the attack on the u.s. capitol last month. 35 police officers are now under investigation for their actions during the riot. capitol police are now requesting that the fencing and razor wire around the capitol stay up until september. turning to the coronavirus pandemic, doctors are raising new questions about the number of vaccine doses people really need. meanwhile, the extreme weather is posing more than just a speed bump in the race to vaccinate. here's abc's megan tevrizian. >> reporter: this morning, the winter weather creating vaccine chaos, slowing shipments and delaying tens of thousands of vaccinations across at least 42 states. in new york, two mass vaccination sites set to open this week delayed because of shortages. in los angeles, 12,000 vaccine

appointments canceled because there's not enough supply. while states deal with the backlog, new questions about vaccine doses. some researchers now claim one dose of the pfizer vaccine is already highly protective. they're urging authorities to delay giving second doses until all priority groups are vaccinated first. and now the johnson & johnson vaccine still awaiting fda approval could end up being two doses due to concerns about new variants of the virus. >> i believe that next friday the vaccine will be reviewed and probably approved at one dose and it'll only be more helpful if we can then give boosters later in order to ee affect the immunity towards the variants. >> reporter: meanwhile, pfizer will now test the vaccine on 4,000 pregnant women. a group excluded from the first round of trials. we're now hearing from a new york waitress who lost her job after telling her boss she's hesitant to get the vaccine because she wants to start a family.

what's your biggest reservation about getting the vaccine? >> i just need more time. i need more research to come out, and i have my reservations about fertility. >> reporter: but two florida women in their 20s wanted the vaccine. they were so desperate to get their second dose, they dressed up as elderly women, but it didn't work. >> i don't know how they escaped the first time, but they came vaccinated. the gloves, the glasses, the whole thing, and they probably were in their 20s. >> reporter: meanwhile, a controversy here in california where a local school board member was overheard saying parents are only angry about school closures because they want their baby-sitters back. some parents are now demanding those board members resign. kenneth, mona. >> megan, thank you. time for a look at your friday weather forecast. good morning, mona. much of the deep south is still dealing with the deep freeze. subfreezing temperatures again for wake-up on friday from new

orleans all the way down to brownsville, texas. that citrus crop still taking a hit. now, we've got a big i can't rememberup planned for the entire center of the nation from omaha to chicago all the way to dallas. early next week you'll be 30 to 50 degrees warmer than you were this week. that's just what we need. now, this isn't just what we need, another three to six inches from boston to scranton of snow on friday. back to you, mona and kenneth. coming up, what's next after the successful landing on mars. but first it's happened again. a wild crash as another driver goes plunging off a highway overpass in wisconsin. and a story of heroism as a gas explosion rips apart a family's home. the front door ending up in the power lines.

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back now with the second driver this month flying off a highway overpass in milwaukee. police say a woman launched off the ramp clipping another highway before landing. she survived and was arrested for dui. it happened just days after a man's truck fell 70 feet off a different highway in milwaukee in the icy conditions. he also survived. here in new york city a man is being hailed a hero for helping to save a family after a massive explosion, which tore apart their home. this morning, authorities in new york are investigating a building explosion so powerful it blew out windows, buckled the brick facade and ripped a door off its hinges sending it flying into the power lines across the street. >> it blew out most of the windows and doors as you can see. >> we've got jumpers out the window. >> reporter: fire officials believe it was a gas explosion in the second story of this condominium in the bronx injuring at least ten people including six children. >> i'm hearing screams coming from the holes in the walls.

i'm hearing my baby, my baby, this, i'm thinking of the kids. >> reporter: a mother was left with no choice but to toss her baby out a window. a neighbor, elvis copo, was there to help the child. >> i heard the lady screaming because she had the baby right there. so i run to it, and i grabbed the baby. that was the only reaction to do it. >> reporter: a baby-sitter later clutching the child in a blanket. his mother close behind. >> the family that lived in the house with the explosion are not doing too well. >> reporter: after catching the baby, copo climbed a ladder going inside before firefighters arrived to help a woman with a broken leg after hearing her scream. >> i had to panic because someone was screaming inside. >> a firefighter was also injured. two in critical condition but expected to survive. the mars rover, perseverance, is sending photos of the red planet back to we're w e step cser to learning if life ever existed on mars. the answer may lie in ancient rocks th g the tea position to transmit the best images of

the martian surface we've ever seen. >> that's one of the key things we're trying to do in these early days is get that communication link working. once we deploy the masks, that's when we'll take those initial images with our double e cams. they're color this time. in the past they've been black and white. >> the rover took seven months to reach mars. mission control erupted in cheers, as you see there, after it survived a very difficult descent. >> a cool and historic moment there. coming up, a price also diamond is stolen. the suspects now under arrest. also ahead, an ohio woman who spent three years hiding in a church to avoid being deported finally goes home. thousands of women with metastatic breast cancer, which is breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, are living in the moment and taking ibrance. ibrance with an aromatase inhibitor is for postmenopausal women or for men with hr+/her2- metastatic breast cancer,

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27 vitamins and minerals, and nutrients to support immune health. back now with the arrest of an alleged gang of diamond thieves near paris. they're accused of pulling off a major heist. police say they stole this purple diamond valued at $18 million from a seller in barcelona, spain. caught on camera, a tv reporter and his crew were robbed during a live broadcast. a masked gunman interrupted pointing a gun at the reporter and his cameraman in ecuador. the thief took a phone and escaped on the back of a motorbike. back in this country, a woman in columbus, ohio, who spent years living in a church to avoid being deported, has a new lease on life. she took a gamble and walked out of that church, and her gamble paid off. [ cheers and applause ] this morning, after three years of hiding in plain sight, edith espinal is waking up at home. with her family in ohio.

>> i'm really happy to have -- that i can go. thank you, everyone, for being here. >> reporter: back in 2017 the feds ordered espinal to be deported to her native mexico. instead took refuge in a local church, a place where agent was not pursue her due to government policy. she never went home until now. >> i'm happy now to get my life back. >> reporter: with a new president in office, espinal and her lawyer decided to test the waters leaving it to immigration officials. >> we've been telling ice for a long time, this is a woman who has been in columbus, ohio, going back over 20 years. >> reporter: espinal winning a reprieve, agents saying her deportation is no longer a high priority. it comes as democrats in washington outline a sweeping new immigration reform plan. it calls for an eight-year path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants. they acknowledge the bill is a long shot with several republicans already slamming the bill as blanket amnesty.

>> democrats admit it's going to be hard to get republicans on board with this. now, they could try to go it alone, but that would require that they water down this bill significantly. >> reporter: back in ohio, edith espinal has been ordered to keep checking in with immigration officials. critics say, quote, why not just become a citizen? espinal's lawyers say because of a labyrinth of immigration laws she would have to leave the country for ten years first. >> it's complicated. it's not as easy as go ahead and file something. >> the democrats' plan would only affect immigrants in the u.s. before january 1st of this year year. critics want a smaller law. the l.a. county sheriff's department confirms it's investigating marilyn manson looking into domestic abuse claims made by several women between 2009 and 2011 when he lived in west hollywood. a safety recall this morning involving snowblowers. toro is recalling 6,700 of them because of a potential amputation hazard. the recall affects the 2021 max

snow thrower model, which may fail to disengage when the control lever is released. coming up, how to play golf in the snow. also ahead, a surprising decision from dolly parton.

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member along with kareem abdul-jabbar and karl malone. >> he is the youngest to reach the 35k mark, but the lakers lost that game last night. the stars of "home improvement" are heading back to the workship. >> tim allen and richard carne are reuniting years after the start of "home improvement" to judge a competition show where contestants will make things out of household items. >> a live version of "tool time." i'm not going to do it for you. i'm not going to do it. finally the perfect golf game in a winter wonderland. >> so a man in pennsylvania misses warm weather so much, he spray painted a golf green in the snow. take a look at his first chip shot. >> did that go in? no, it didn't. >> what? >> it's a hole in one. >> wow. >> video or it didn't happen. >> that's very impressive there in the snow too. >> in the snow as well.

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walk-in shots, where eligible san francisco residents can go today to get the covid vaccine. >> we made it to friday, it is february 19th. >> i'd rather be dry but at least i'm alive. meteorologist mike nicco talking about rain this morning. hey mike. >> yeah, definitely is pretty wet out there. we're hope for friday light. nobody wants a