By Amy Bearden
Publisher – MW Area News
Nobody wants a do-over of Snowmageddon, which was a historical deep freeze a few years ago impacting parts of the United States and remarkably engulfing almost the entire state of Texas.
Most remember Winter Storm Uri which brought much of the State to a standstill when an Arctic blast parked over Texas for nine days in February of 2021 causing power outages and busted frozen pipes everywhere.
The Winter storm is blamed for as many as 246 deaths across the State as people suffered through days of single digit temperatures in dark, cold homes with frozen pipes and no electricity.
It was actually Winter Storm Uri that was the wake up call to City officials that the 60-year-old dilapidated water treatment plant for Mineral Wells was on its last leg.
Uri was the lightning rod that highlighted the needs for new water infrastructure in the community and prompted the plans for Turkey Peak Reservoirs’s completion, sooner than later, to create water security in Palo Pinto County and surrounding areas for the future.
Let’s hope this upcoming storm is nothing like the one in 2021. State officials want to be better prepared this time across the region.
In hopes of being ready for the upcoming Winter storm, Governor Greg Abbot is taking proactive steps as forecasters predict very low temperatures and a chance of snow and ice across much of the state early next week.
The low temperatures in North Texas are forecasted to dip into the teens on Sunday and Monday with chances of precipitation on Monday. Fortunately, the storm is not expected to stay very long, with temperatures expected near 50 degrees by Thursday, but Abbot is still erring on the side of caution.
His office issued a Press Release to inform residents of the actions he has taken to protect people from being unprepared.
January 7, 2024 | Press Release
Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to increase the readiness level of the Texas State Operations Center to Level II (Escalated Response) as the state prepares ahead of multiple weather threats over the next several days.
“The State of Texas stands ready to deploy all available resources to take care of Texans and our communities as multiple severe weather threats begin to impact the state tomorrow,” said Governor Abbott. “To ensure that support and resources are swiftly deployed to all impacted communities, I directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to increase the readiness level of the State Operation Center. Texans in at-risk areas are encouraged to remain vigilant, monitor weather conditions, and heed the guidance of local officials and emergency management personnel.”
According to the National Weather Service, an early week system of storms will bring multiple hazards to the state beginning Monday, including strong winds, blowing snow, critical fire weather conditions, and severe thunderstorms. Snowfall and dangerous wind chills are expected to impact the Panhandle, while fire weather conditions are anticipated in West/Southwest Texas. Severe thunderstorms with large hail, heavy rainfall, and flash flooding threats are expected to impact East/Southeast Texas. Strong winds are possible across the state, with gusts reaching 60-70 miles per hour in some areas. Texans are encouraged to monitor local weather forecasts.
At the direction of Governor Abbott, TDEM has requested the following agencies report to the Texas State Operations Center and ensure their resources are standing by to deploy as needed:
- Texas Department of Transportation:Pre-treating and treating of roadways; monitoring road conditions
- Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (Texas A&M Task Force 1):Urban Search & Rescue Teams; Swiftwater Boat Squads
- Texas A&M Forest Service: Firefighting personnel; heavy equipment, including motor graders for snow removal; saw crews and Incident Management Teams
- Texas Department of State Health Services (Texas Emergency Medical Task Force): Winter and Severe Weather Packages
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Air/water/wastewater monitoring
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service:Disaster assessment and recovery agents
- Texas Animal Health Commission:Coordinating animal/agricultural resource needs
- 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 Department of Public Safety:Texas Highway Patrol Troopers and the Tactical Marine Unit
- Texas Parks & Wildlife Department:Game Wardens and Boat Squads
- Texas National Guard: Personnel and equipment to support response needs
- Texas Department of Information Resources: Monitoring technology infrastructure
- Texas Education Agency: Monitoring school district needs across the state
- Texas Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (Texas VOAD): Coordinating of volunteer organizations across the state
Last week, the Governor directed TDEM to ready state emergency response resources in anticipation of these storm systems.
Texans are urged to make an emergency plan, follow instructions from local officials and first responders, and keep an emergency supply kit nearby. Texans can access weather safety information by visiting TexasReady.gov, locate warming centers at tdem.texas.gov/warm, check road conditions at DriveTexas.org, and obtain flood tracking information at TexasFlood.org.
