Photos: Millions without power as extreme cold blasts US

People line up to fill their empty propane tanks at a business on the North Freeway in Houston. A massive winter storm bulldozed its way across the southern and central United States leaving millions of people without power amid freezing temperatures, sending vehicles crashing into one another on ice-glazed highways and bringing blizzard-like conditions to places where snowfall is usually the news from elsewhere.

Millions were left without power as a winter storm gripped the southern and central United States Tuesday with record-low temperatures in ill-prepared areas, and a tornado claiming three lives. More than 20 storm-related deaths have been registered so far, including in traffic accidents in Texas, Kentucky and Missouri, according to local media. Above, Howard and Nena Mamu eat dinner at their home in Glenwood neighborhood in Hutto, Texas.

The storm was notable for its enormous reach - 150 million people were under storm warnings - and for a particularly perilous element it brought nearly everywhere: ice. It left a treacherous varnish on roads across a midsection of the country, including places where driving on ice is a rarity. Above, people wait in line to purchase food and snacks at a timewse gas station in Pflugerville, Texas.

Kristen Young sips a spoonful of soup as her one-year-old son Shawn watches at a warming center they visited after two days without electricity, in Beltway Park North Church in Abilene, Texas.

Ashely Archibad sings with her children from left to right Avett,8, Cohen 4, Luella 10, and Sanders,6, while their father Brett pays his guitar at their home in the BlackHawk neighborhood in Pflugerville, Texas.

People help a motorist up a snow and ice-covered road in Austin, Texas. As a winter storm forced the Texas’ power grid to the brink of collapse, millions of residents were plunged this week into darkness, bitter cold and indignation over being stuck in uncomfortable and even dangerous conditions.

It was as confounding a storm as it was punishing. Snow blanketed Gulf of Mexico beaches and people went ice sledding on the roads of southern Louisiana. Alabama was warned of brutal ice storms in some places and of possible tornado outbreaks in others. Temperatures were lower in Austin than in Anchorage, Alaska.

Shaemiya Taylor, left front, and Marsha Williams, right front, play a board game as Jeremiah Murphy, left rear, and Khloee Williams, right rear, look on at a warming shelter in Richardson, Texas. In cooperation with the cities emergency management center, this location is one of seven that have opened in the city, offering those in need a place to keep warm and have access to power supply to charge devices. This particular location is a 24-hour location whereas the six other locations will be open on Wednesday, and Thursday if needed for limited hours.

People wait in line to purchase food and snacks at a timewse gas station in Pflugerville, Texas.

Howard and Nena Mamu grabs what they can from their home in Glenwood neighbourhood in Hutto, Texas. The Mamu family says that they will try a Hotel after they found out that they will not get any power until Friday, Feb.19th.

Shell timewse gas station in Pflugerville, Texas turned away people that needed gas on Tuesday.

Multiple traffic lights on Grant Avenue are left without power.

Shoppers purchase bottled water at an Abilene, Texas supermarket .The extreme cold is increasing energy demand at the same time the storm has reduced energy generation. The city had released an emergency message that due to all three water treatment plants losing electricity, there was only 2-3 hours of water left.

Residents of Cedar Crest Drive walk past their burning house as firefighters, who were only able to draw water from one hydrant because all three city water treatment plants were offline due to cold weather power outages, try to contain the fire in Abilene, Texas.The house could not be saved due to the low water pressure.

Brett Archibad tries to entertain his family as they try to stay warm in their home the BlackHawk neighborhood in Pflugerville, Texas.

Maria Pineda warms up in her car outside her home on Garden Street in East Austin during a power outage caused by a winter storm. Pineda said her home has been without power since early Monday morning.