TED CRUZ cut-short a family vacation in Cancun after facing backlash for fleeing Texas as a snowstorm wreaked havoc and left millions without power or water.

A series of text messages appear to show the Lone Star senator's wife, Heidi Cruz, talking to neighbors about a getaway to Cancun as the state suffers the worst storm in its history in February 2021.

What did Heidi Cruz say in group texts about going to Cancun?

Ted Cruz's wife invited a number of friends and neighbors to join them on a last-minute Cancun getaway on February 17, 2021, while winter weather left millions without power in the Lone Star State.

In group messages obtained by The New York Times, Heidi Cruz complained that her house was "FREEZING".

The text said: "Is everyone warm? That's a must! We could all huddle in one house, [name's] had heat.

"Anyone can or want to leave for the week? We may go to Cancun, there is a direct flight at 445pm and hotels with capacity. Seriously."

She invited an unspecified number of people to join her family for a trip to the Mexican vacation spot until Sunday February 21.

The messages, which were verified by a second, unnamed person in the thread, invited the friends to join them at the Ritz-Carlton in Cancun and noted the room price this week at $309 per night.

She added that her family had stayed there "many times" and tried to entice her associates by boasting that there was a direct flight, a hotel with availability, and the opportunity to get tested after the trip.

Meanwhile, millions of Senator Cruz's constituents lost power and access to sanitary water as the storm Uri ravaged Texas.

Dozens died in houses without heat or as a result of unconventional methods trying to warm their homes.

Over 8.8million Texans, or about one third of the state's 29million people, reported outages, spread across 199 counties in the state.

When did Ted and Heidi Cruz fly to Cancun?

Business Insider reports the number identified as Heidi Cruz sent information for United Flight 1020 leaving Houston at 4.45pm on Wednesday, February 17.

The original return date to Houston on United Flight 1019 was on Sunday, Fdebruary 21.

In a matter of hours after news broke of Cruz's vacation, the Texas Senator was forced to cut the break short and book a standby flight on Wednesday, February 17.

He arrived in Houston in the early hours of Friday, February 19, 2021.

The following day, President Joe Biden declared a major disaster in Texas, making federal funding available to 77 counties.

What has Ted Cruz said about the trip to Cancun?

Ted Cruz said the leaked text messages sent by his wife Heidi show "how ridiculously politicised and nasty" things have become and that she was "pretty p****d" about it.

The messages were first publicised by Reform Austin, a local media outlet, and were verified by others on the text chain.

The Senator said: "We’ve got a number Republicans who are neighbors, but we also have a number of Democrats, you know, folks on our street who put up Beto (O’Rourke) signs which I thought was a little rude. But I didn’t, like, hold a victory party in their front yards when we won.

"It’s a sign of how ridiculously politicized and nasty and just…you know, here’s a suggestion, just don’t be a******s

"Treat each other as human beings, have some degree, some modicum of respect."

Cruz began the interview by referencing the wacky conspiracy theory that he is the unidentified Zodiac Killer, saying, "I haven’t had this much negative press coverage since northern California in the 1960s."

He had previously blamed the media for spewing "venom and vitriol" as part of a phase of "Trump withdrawal".

He told Sean Hannity's Fox News show: "They’ve attacked Trump every day for four years, they don’t know what to do. So they obsess over my taking my girls to the beach."

Protesters have continually gathered outside the Cruz home in Texas since they were spotted boarding a flight to Mexico, greeting the senator with chants of "resign".

A mariachi band also made an appearance at his residence.

In a statement on February 18, 2021 Cruz said he accompanied his family to Cancun a day earlier after his daughters asked to go on a trip with friends, because he "wanted to be a good dad".

He said: “My staff and I are in constant communication with state and local leaders to get to the bottom of what happened in Texas.

“We want our power back, our water on, and our homes warm.”

Cruz told reporters on Thursday, February 18, that he returned to the US because he realized he needed to be in Texas, although he had originally been scheduled to stay in Mexico through the weekend.

He added: "I didn’t want all the screaming and yelling about this trip to distract even one moment from the real issues that I think Texans care about, which is keeping all of our families safe.

“It was obviously a mistake, and in hindsight, I wouldn’t have done it."

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Over 8.7 million people remain under boil water notices in the state after the catastrophic storm contaminated the water supply.

The family of an 11-year-old boy who froze to death in their mobile home have filed a $100m lawsuit against power companies for negligence.

So far, around 80 people have died as a result of the storm and its effects, according to the Associated Press.

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