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Dallas readies city operations and shelters as winter storm approaches
Summary
City of Dallas officials said Thursday they are in a preparedness posture for an expected winter storm, increasing staffing at the emergency operations center and urging residents to follow four quick protections — people, pipes, pets and plants — while utilities, public works and public safety teams stage resources.
City of Dallas officials said the city is in a preparedness phase ahead of a winter storm expected late Wednesday night into Thursday, and they described a coordinated mobilization of emergency operations, utilities and public works to protect residents and critical services.
Kevin Oden, director of Emergency Management and Crisis Response, told media the city will increase emergency operations staffing beginning Thursday at 5 a.m. and will provide daily briefings and press availabilities. "We have 2 current main objectives: 1st is to put the resources in place that serve our residents prior to any impacts being felt. And secondly, to provide timely and accurate public information before and during the event," Oden said. He urged residents to remember the "4 P's" — people, pipes, pets and plants — as immediate steps to reduce risk.
The city described pre-deployment of other operational resources: Dallas Water Utilities said teams will support street operations with roughly 50 trucks, and the Department of Aviation said it has sweeper trucks and "over 40,000 gallons of deicer" for airport surfaces. Transportation and Public Works emphasized that crews are focusing on major thoroughfares that provide access to critical infrastructure such as hospitals and fire stations and will prioritize traffic-signal repairs if outages occur.
Public safety agencies said they are prepared to expand staffing and services. Interim Assistant Chief Scott Pekko of the Dallas Fire Department said salt distribution, station support and paramedic staffing at shelters are in place; Police representatives said operations remain 24/7 with adjusted staffing to meet likely increases in accident and call volumes.
Officials also addressed potential utility impacts. Oden said the city has invested in fixed-site generators at city facilities to preserve shelter and emergency services during outages and that the city is coordinating with utility partners including Encore and state-level regulators when relevant.
City officials urged residents to avoid travel if possible. "If you don't need to be traveling, don't be traveling in this type of weather," Interim Executive Assistant Police Chief Jesse Reyes said, noting that fewer cars on the road reduce accidents and allow first responders to manage urgent calls.
The city will issue media advisories and post operational updates at dallascitynews.net and on official social platforms; reporters were directed to media@dallas.gov for follow-up and to call 311 for nonemergency service requests.
