The former mayor of Colorado City in Texas said that residents who are dealing with electricity and water problems because of the winter storm need to “sink or swim” and to come up with their own plans on how to survive, local media stations reported.

“If you don’t have electricity, you step up and come up with a game plan to keep your family warm and safe,” the former mayor, Tim Boyd, wrote in a post on his Facebook page on Tuesday.

“The City and County, along with power providers or any other service owes you NOTHING!” he wrote.

The post was later deleted but KTXS and local media stations and newspapers republished it.

Mr. Boyd also suggested that residents should “think outside of the box to survive and supply water to your family.” He later said, according to the news articles that used screenshots identified as his posts, that he was writing as a citizen and was no longer the mayor, after resigning unannounced without plans to run for re-election.

“I would never want to hurt the elderly or anyone that is in true need of help to be left to fend for themselves,” said Mr. Boyd. “I was only making the statement that those folks that are too lazy to get up and fend for themselves but are capable should not be dealt a handout. I apologize for the wording and some of the phrases that were used!”

The posts struck a nerve in a state where hundreds of thousands of people have been without power and water in freezing temperatures for days because of the winter storm.

Criticisms and reactions to the posts were made on the Mitchell County Issues Facebook page, where residents were sharing information on how to help each other by driving in with bottled water using private vehicles, raising funds, sharing tips on how to keep warm, and offering to help with vital appointments.

Temperatures were in the teens on Wednesday in the Colorado City, which lies about 200 miles west of Dallas and has a population of about 4,000 people.

Mr. Boyd could not be reached by telephone on Wednesday. A call to City Hall was answered, but the person said he no longer worked there. County commission offices were closed. Mitchell County Sheriff Patrick Toombs was not immediately available to comment on Wednesday because he was out helping to distribute water, his office said.

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