Hays County prepares for harsh winter

Agencies across central Texas are preparing for potential severe weather events this winter after a historic snowstorm hit the state earlier this year.

When a Valentine’s Day snowstorm turned into days of record-low temperatures and impassable roads, power and water went out for millions of residents around Texas. As winter begins again, governmental entities at every level have prepared for the chance that severe weather returns with it.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott met with energy leaders on Thursday, Dec. 16 to discuss actions already taken by energy providers and the state. These included updated winter preparedness plans; ongoing meetings with plant managers; and the implementation of insulation, heat tracing and windbreakers at power plants.

“The state of Texas has taken unprecedented steps to protect our critical power infrastructure and increase power generation to ensure that our electric grid is reliable and capable of meeting demand,” Governor Abbott said in a statement. “We will continue to work collaboratively with energy providers across the state to further improve the dependability of the grid and ensure that Texans do not face power outages like those experienced last winter.”

Meanwhile, the Hays County Office of Emergency Services has stocked up on resources, such as water and shelf-stable food, and has coordinated with community organizations for shelters and warming stations — should they be needed. However, OES Director Mike Jones said he wants to focus on building a more resilient community, empowering Hays County residents to take care of themselves.

“February’s freeze event showed where we have a need in the community,” Jones said. “When the power and water went out for days at a time, we saw how unprepared most of our res idents were. Despite having food and water to distribute, it was a challenge to attempt to drive anywhere for the first two days after the major snow fell.”

Easy winter preparations for inside the home include cleaning chimneys; inspecting furnaces; testing carbon monoxide and smoke alarms; sealing leaks around bathroom and kitchen pipes; checking attic insulation; and stocking up on bottled water, nonperishable food and batteries. Outside the home, residents should trim overhanging trees, clean gutters, winterize pools and find and test their water shutoff valves, according to the Texas Department of Insurance’s website.

Alternate sources for cooking and heating food should be also considered, whether that is an outdoor grill, a propane burner or something else, Jones added.

Another important part of severe weather preparedness is communication. For this, the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency said it recommends creating a family emergency communication plan. Plans can be completed at ready. gov/make-a-plan.

Hays County residents can also sign up to receive emergency alerts via phone, email or text through warncentraltexas.org.

For more emergency preparedness tips and see important emergency information, visit haysinformed. com or visit the Hays County and OES official Facebook pages.