We're still dealing with winter weather. Mike Schur with Abacus Plumbing gave us the tips you need to know if your pipes are still frozen and what to do for the next extreme cold front.

Houston area residents on Monday were finally able to enjoy a break from the cold that dominated the Christmas weekend.

A dangerous blast of artic air is forecast to move into the Houston area starting Thursday afternoon

A dangerous blast of artic air is forecast to move into the Houston area starting Thursday afternoon

The temperatures will continue to decline throughout the week, dropping below the freezing mark on Friday.

Many stores like Bering’s Hardware and The Home Depot say now is the time to protect your home and plants from cold weather.

Natural disasters, whether it’s a vicious hurricane or a crippling winter storm, they force municipalities and agencies into management mode. While managing the unpredictable is challenging, the approach is straightforward.

“Thank God!” said Tyrone Evan, who has been a resident at the senior living apartment complex for the last five years. Evan said residents, who are all 55 years old and older, were without running water for over a week. “When you get water and stuff from the pool, you can’t bathe and stuff in that water. You know what I’m saying.”Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey secured the trucks to bring water to the complex. “These are senior citizens, here they are not able to carry buckets of water like a lot of other folks,” said Ramsey.

“He got five teams together, he put them together and sent them out all over the city of Houston to just help folks for free. He’s been buying the supplies, providing the labor and making sure the employees are paid,” Shim said. AdSo far, they have been able to help about 120 families dealing with busted pipes but one of the biggest issues has been finding supplies. Wang has sent eight to 10 individuals to different stores, Home Depot and plumbing supplies stores just to make sure we could find supplies,” Shim said. According to Shim, they have received over a thousand requests for help and plan on doing what they can as long as supplies are available.

KPRC 2 Consumer Investigator Bill Spencer has what you need to know to avoid getting ripped off. In the midst of a weather emergency throughout Texas, 46-year-old Tamika Thomas is frightened. I don’t have no $1,200,” Thomas said. Burst water pipes are a problem many Houstonians will be facing over the next several days. If you have had a pipe or pipes burst inside your home, a certified plumber told Spencer you should expect to pay anywhere between $250 and $650 for repairs.

If water is not coming out of the faucet right now, there is a good chance your pipes may be frozen. But that doesn’t necessarily mean your pipes are busted, cracked, or broken. There are a few steps you can take right now to help prevent damage over the next few days.