State emergency response resources activated ahead of winter weather closing in on Texas
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to activate state emergency response resources ahead of severe winter weather expected to impact the state this week.
Abbott's office said the National Weather Service expects temperatures at or below freezing across large areas of the state this week. Some areas may face disruptive snow, ice and freezing rain.
According to KXAN meteorologists, rain and a few thunderstorms will arrive from the southwest moving northeast on Thursday. Several locations in the Hill Country may get a wintry mix in the form of freezing rain or freezing drizzle. Rain and a wintry mix will continue Thursday night into early Friday morning.
Further north, the forecast gets messier, trending slightly lower with snow totals but higher with icing risks in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to the First Warning Weather team. The DFW area will be under a Winter Storm Watch, especially from Thursday into Friday morning. Around 3 to 6 inches of snow is forecast for the area.
According to Abbott's office, more than 700 Texas Department of Transportation personnel prepared for winter weather by pre-treating roads, bridges and overpasses with over 500,000 gallons of brine and approximately 800 cubic yards of granular material.
“The State of Texas is working around-the-clock to ensure Texans have the resources and support needed as severe winter weather impacts communities across Texas,” Abbott said in a release. “As temperatures begin to drop below freezing and regions of Texas face snow, ice, and freezing rain, it is crucial that everyone remain weather-aware, check DriveTexas.org before traveling, and heed the guidance of state and local officials. Texans can find the warming center nearest them at tdem.texas.gov/warm. I thank emergency management personnel and first responders for working tirelessly to help Texans prepare and stay safe during this winter weather.”
TDEM activated the following state emergency response resources to support winter weather response operations:
Texas Department of Transportation: Winter weather roadway equipment and crews pre-treating and treating roadways; personnel and equipment to assist with traffic control and road closures
Texas Division of Emergency Management: Incident Management Teams; personnel working with local partners to update warming center maps
Texas A&M Forest Service: Saw crews; motor graders and personnel to assist with snow/ice clearance
Texas National Guard: High-profile vehicles and personnel responding to support stranded motorists
The following state emergency response resources have also been placed on standby for deployment as needed:
Public Utility Commission of Texas: Power outage monitoring and coordinating with utility providers across the threat area
Railroad Commission of Texas: Monitoring of the state’s natural gas supply and communication with the oil and gas industry
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Air/water/wastewater monitoring
Texas Department of State Health Services (Texas Emergency Medical Task Force): Winter Weather Packages including medics and ambulances
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: Disaster assessment and recovery agents
Texas Animal Health Commission: Coordinating animal/agricultural resource needs
Texas Department of Public Safety: Texas Highway Patrol Troopers to patrol Texas roadways
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department: Game Wardens to support local law enforcement; high-profile vehicles to assist stranded motorists
Texas Department of Information Resources: Monitoring technology infrastructure
Texas Education Agency: Monitoring school district needs across the state
Texans are urged to monitor local forecasts, check road conditions before traveling on roadways and follow instructions from emergency officials.