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Fort Worth emergency teams report shelters, rescues during Winter Storm Fern
Summary
City emergency-management director Sonny Saxton told council Fort Worth’s Joint Emergency Operations Center remained active during Winter Storm Fern, reporting more than 1,200 people sheltered, dozens of vehicle incidents and thousands of emergency and service calls while staff urged caution around plows and ongoing field operations.
Sonny Saxton, Fort Worth’s director of emergency management and communications, told the city council the Joint Emergency Operations Center remained active and city crews were still responding to Winter Storm Fern even as temperatures warmed.
Saxton said the JEOC has operated on 12-hour shifts since last Friday and that planning began more than a year ago. “We just wanna give you a quick update on the winter storm, Fern,” he said, adding that teams had been organizing work around “community lifelines” such as safety and utilities. He cited recent incident counts and sheltering: “over 1,200 persons that were sheltered in an in our shelter system,” including nights with nearly 200 in overflow shelters.
Why this matters: Saxton framed the update around life safety and continuity of essential services, noting emergency communications and 311 remained high-volume contact points for residents. He stressed caution near response vehicles: “don’t get next to the trucks that are sanding… just back up just a little bit. Let them do their job.”
City staff reported dozens of roadway incidents and requests for assistance during the cold snap. Saxton told council crews were actively responding to more than 100 motor-vehicle accidents and about 156 stranded motorists in the last 12 hours, and that 911 and 311 lines had seen heavy use. He also urged residents to call 311 for non-life-safety service needs and to call or text 911 for emergencies.
Council members praised the partnership between city staff, transit providers and nonprofits that expanded shelter capacity during the storm. City Manager Jay Chapa singled out Trinity Metro drivers and contractors running overflow shelters and said the operation had run “one of the smoothest” in recent memory.
What’s next: Saxton warned of continued bitter cold over coming nights and noted another cold front was expected. The city will continue sheltering and field operations, and staff asked residents to give crews room to work as thawing and cleanup continue.
