Texas winter weather: Gov. Abbott gives update on preparation, response

AUSTIN, Texas - Ahead of winter weather expected to impact Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott and other state officials discussed how the state is preparing.

In the next few hours and days, the weather is expected to change drastically for most of Texas. 

Gov. Abbott said:

"Because of the size of Texas. And, you know, the Panhandle to Brownsville. From Texarkana all the way over to El Paso. There are almost always a lot of conflicting weather events across the entire state of Texas. Yes, we've been able to deal with massive flooding and fires on the same day, tornadoes and some areas and cold regions in other areas. Again, just because of the sheer size of our state, it's not uncommon for us to be able to deal with multiple weather events at any one particular time. That's why, and I cannot emphasize this enough, Texas has the number one division of emergency management in the chief, Chief Kidd, of any city in the United States of America. We have better leaders in all of these positions than any other state that are experienced at dealing with these multifaceted weather events, and they will be able to work us through this weather event successfully, just like they have hundreds of other times."

Monday into Tuesday

There are fire-based concerns in West Texas from El Paso to Pecos. And then after that, there's going to be a storm coming in that will bring a lot of heavy rain to East Texas and Southeast Texas. Emergency officials are monitoring for potential flooding situations in those areas.

After the rain, there will come what will likely be the coldest weather event of the year. In some places in the state of Texas, it may be the coldest event ever marked in history in the state of Texas. Extreme cold in North and Northwest Texas should begin on Tuesday morning. At that time, some wind chills may be as low as zero or even below zero.

Wednesday and Thursday

Going into Wednesday and Thursday, there will be widespread freezing across almost the entire state of Texas with temperatures near zero degrees and wind chill factors below zero.

"When temperatures get that cold, lives are at risk. People need to be very cautious here in the coming days as the temperatures plummet. Make sure that you take care of yourself. Temperatures are going to be colder than what most Texans have experienced. The more you expose your body to temperatures outside, the more you pose a risk to your health and safety, especially for prolonged periods. So just be very watchful and cautious about your exposure to ultra cold temperatures," said Gov. Abbott.

Preparing for the cold

When freezing temperatures hit, it could impact your pipes in your home. You can take action today to help you winterize your pipes and your homes. 

"People need to do the best they can, not to expose themselves or their pets or their family members to the ultra cold weather," said Gov. Abbott.

TxDOT Preparations

Over this past weekend, more than 450 TxDOT personnel prepared for winter weather by pre-treating roads, bridges and overpasses with more than 400,000 gallons of brine and more than 10,000yd³ of granular material, according to Gov. Abbott. 

"I've also directed the Texas Department of Transportation to deploy winter weather roadway equipment and crews to not just pre-treat roadways, but to maintain the treatment of roadways as the temperatures plummet and as certain regions, especially in north Texas, may get some level of precipitation, whether it be ice or potentially snow. I've also directed the Texas Department of Transportation to provide both personnel and equipment to assist with traffic, road closures and safety," said Gov. Abbott.

Chief Nim Kidd of the Texas Division of Emergency Management says if you find yourself out driving around and stranded on the side of the road in these ultra cold conditions, don't forget on the back of your Texas driver's license is an 800 number. That number is 1-800-525-5555. That will be answered by the Texas Department of Public Safety. And if you're stranded there and need help, there are resources that are ready to come and get you and assist you in either getting home or to a warming center. 

"We're really going to focus on taking care of our people in our pipes and our pets," said Chief Kidd. "As the governor mentioned, our website will hold a list of all the licensed plumbers in the state of Texas."

Take the time now to go figure out how to shut the water off to your house in case you do get a broken pipe so that you can mitigate some of that loss. 

Don't forget, carbon monoxide is a silent killer. It is odorless and colorless and tasteless. Do not burn wood burning appliances that are not approved for use inside your home. Be sure if you have generators running, or you're going to use heaters that are fuel burning. Make sure that you keep those outside or with good ventilation.

Warming Centers

Gov. Abbott has instructed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to have field staff work with local partners to update warming centers around the state. 

"It's going to be very important," he said. "As temperatures get so, so low, warming centers are available in all these various regions so that we can protect the safety and the lives of our fellow Texans."

Public Works Response

The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service will provide public works response teams in all the affected regions across the state. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will provide air, water and wastewater monitoring. The Texas A&M AgriLife extension will provide disaster assessment and recovery agents, as well as county extension agents in the affected regions across the state. 

The Public Utilities Commission will monitor power outages and coordinate with utility providers across Texas. 

The Railroad Commission is monitoring the natural gas supply and "communicating with the oil and gas industry to make sure that we have the supplies of natural gas that will power our generators and electric power grid system across the state as we make our way through this winter storm."

Schools

The Texas Education Agency is monitoring school districts' needs across the state.