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Governor Abbott directs state agencies to prepare as Texas faces wildfires, flooding and extreme cold
Summary
Governor Greg Abbott warned Texans of overlapping hazards — wildfire risk in West Texas, flash flooding in Southeast Texas and an Arctic cold front — and directed multiple state agencies to raise readiness, open warming centers and deploy personnel and equipment to protect residents, infrastructure and pets.
Governor Greg Abbott on Monday in Austin warned Texans to prepare for a multi-hazard weather event that could bring wildfires in West Texas, heavy rain and flash flooding in Southeast Texas and an Arctic cold front that may bring record low temperatures to parts of the state.
Abbott said the state has raised readiness and that "when temperatures get that cold, lives are at risk," urging residents to take steps now to protect themselves, their pipes and their pets. He said he has directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to increase the readiness level of the State Emergency Operations Center to Level 2 and instructed agencies to assist local governments where needed.
The governor listed a series of deployments and instructions to state agencies: the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has deployed roadway equipment and crews and pretreated bridges and roads; Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service will provide public works response teams; the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will monitor air, water and wastewater; and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension will provide disaster assessment and recovery support. The Railroad Commission was asked to monitor natural gas supplies and coordinate with the oil and gas industry.
Chief Nim Kidd of the Texas Division of Emergency Management told reporters the state is focusing first on wildfire threat in the Pecos and El Paso region and on flash-flood risk in Southeast Texas. Kidd said warming centers are listed on the state website and urged motorists who become stranded to call the number on the back of their Texas driver's license for assistance. He also warned about carbon monoxide risk and gave safety guidance for generators and fuel-burning heaters.
TxDOT officials reported more than 450 personnel helped prepare for winter weather by pretreating roadways with over 400,000 gallons of brine and more than 10,000 cubic yards of granular material, and the department advised motorists to avoid travel when conditions warrant.
Abbott said the Public Utilities Commission is coordinating with utilities and that the National Guard stands ready on a 24-hour operational basis. He also told Texans it is too early to request a federal disaster declaration for the event but that the state is prepared to seek federal help if conditions or damages warrant it.
Officials told residents to check state agency websites for lists of warming centers, licensed plumbers and outage resources and to take simple preparedness steps such as knowing how to shut off home water to limit damage from burst pipes.
The briefing concluded with officials urging Texans to monitor forecasts and heed local warnings as the state moves into several days of very cold weather.
