911 Phone Lines in Texas Are So Busy, Operator Is Sleeping at Call Center

A torrent of urgent calls are pouring into police across the state of Texas about weather-related flooding. Pipes are bursting in Texas houses unaccustomed to below-freezing temperatures, wreaking havoc on homes and businesses. Emergency calls are spiking so much that 911 operator Julia Maschmann has resorted to sleeping in the call center. This comes as she goes without power or water at her own house. She says that calls have jumped from a little over 200 per day to over 1,000.