OTTAWA -- The winter storm that hit much of the United States has claimed more than two dozen lives - and has left millions of people without electricity.  

Texas was one of the hardest hit states, where more than 2.8 million homes and businesses have lost power.   Many Texans are in danger, forced to sleep in their cars to get out of their unheated homes.

Former Ottawa Redblacks player Moton Hopkins now lives in Fort Worth, Texas.

"I think this is the first time in 50 years that almost every county in Texas is under a winter advisory," said Hopkins.

He says he's fortunate to have electricity and drinking water.

"There's some folks that haven't had power since early Monday."

Hopkins is no stranger when it comes to winter weather, having played in the CFL in Ottawa and Winnipeg. 

"Luckily, I still have a lot of the coats, and gloves and boots and things," said Hopkins.

Other former Ottawa residents like Timothy Bailey, who lives in Austin, Texas, aren’t as lucky.

"We stuck it out at the house for around two days, without power or water and we have three little kids," said Bailey.  "It got to a point where it was pretty evident that they weren’t going to restore power.”

He says he’s experienced with winter weather, but the infrastructure wasn't prepared for a blast of winter weather.

"I don’t think we were quite as prepared here, from the state perspective, on making sure everyone has power, drink (water), and can get warmed up."

His children want to enjoy the outside and novelty of a snow storm, but "there’s just no way to warm up after."

Bailey says the conditions in Texas are quite different.

"A foot of snow here is like a twenty foot snow fall in Ottawa.”