Texas under hard freeze warning, Abbott issues disaster declaration in 17 counties

Texas is under a hard freeze warning through Saturday and 27 state agencies are working around the clock to ensure that Texans receive the help they need.

In an effort to not repeat the power failure and lack of preparedness and communication of last February that resulted in some Texans dying and millions of Texans without power, heat or water, Gov. Greg Abbott has been holding multiple press briefings touting the measures the state is taking to provide support and resources to Texans.

In addition to issuing a disaster declaration in 17 counties affected by icy conditions, Abbott says 27 state agencies are working to provide continual support and resources to residents.

The Texas Division of Emergency Management has published winter storm resources, and there are 185 warming centers open statewide with 156 on standby.

"The State of Texas has deployed a plethora of resources to ensure our communities have the support they need to respond to this storm," Abbott said. "Texas is experiencing one of the most significant ice events in decades, but we have taken unprecedented steps to ensure that our power grid continues to function reliably despite treacherous weather conditions. As we continue to face freezing temperatures, precipitation, and other dangerous elements, I urge Texans to be prepared and heed the guidance of their local officials as we all work together to keep people safe."

A hard freeze warning is in effect through Saturday morning, the National Weather Service reports in most parts of the state, when temperatures drop below freezing. Bitter cold temperatures from the single digits to around 10 degrees are expected throughout the western part of the state and north to Dallas stretching down to Waco and Lampasas.

Hard freeze conditions will possibly damage unprotected plumbing, including sprinklers, the NWS Alert warns. “Make sure outdoor pets have adequate protection from the bitter cold temperatures, or bring them indoors,” it said in an announcement.

In the Gulf region and Houston area, which rarely experiences winter weather, Texans are under a wind chill advisory through Friday. Freezing rain and slippery road conditions are expected with additional ice accumulations of a light glaze, the NWS reports. A wind chill of as low as 5 above zero is expected in part of south central and southeast Texas.

“The cold wind chills could result in hypothermia if precautions are not taken,” NWS warns.

NWS says, “the hazardous conditions could impact the morning commute,” although officials have encouraged Texans to stay inside and off the roads due to icy conditions. The Texas Department of Transportation has already transitioned from pre-treatment of roads into clearing and de-icing.

Texans are encouraged to monitor road conditions at www.drivetexas.org. Stranded motorists can call 1-800-525-5555 for assistance from Texas DPS.

The Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas have reported that the power grid is not experiencing any issues and plenty of power is available.

There have been reports of localized power outages due to ice and heavy winds. Power providers have been working to address these outages, the governor said. More than 10,000 linemen are on the ground with another nearly 2,000 deployed from other states. Abbott’s disaster declaration waived regulations to ensure that additional linemen could more rapidly repair power lines.

Texans are encouraged to call their local power provider to report local outages. They can also access power line safety reports and learn more information at www.puc.texas.gov/storm.

Texans are also encouraged to be prepared in the event of a water line break and monitor announcements from their local governments and water providers. They can also visit www.tceq.texas.gov to learn how to turn water off in the event of a line break.