Two branches of a Texas-based furniture store chain have opened their doors up to Houston residents, many of whom have been left without running water and heat amid lengthy power outages caused by severe weather conditions in the state. Jim McIngvale, owner of Gallery Furniture in Texas, said Wednesday that he decided to use two of his stores as warming centers, providing food, hot drinks, blankets, and warm clothing to the community. “A lot of people are without power. Come see us until the power gets back on,” McIngvale told told KPRC. The extreme weather has been blamed for the deaths of at least 40 people as of Thursday, some while trying to keep warm during record freezing weather in America’s central and southern states, triggered by a sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event that began disrupting the Arctic polar vortex on Jan. 5. The link between SSW events and climate change …