HOUSTON - Mayor Sylvester Turner, the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and other city departments are working with the National Weather Service to monitor the severe winter weather projected through the weekend and early next week.
OEM urges residents to prepare for extreme winter weather. Residents should plan to stay home and avoid travel from Sunday night to Tuesday morning as roads are expected to be in dangerous conditions.
Protective Measures
During periods of extreme cold and/or winter weather, remember to protect the four P’s: People, Pets, Pipes, and Plants
- People should dress warmly and in layers. Check on family, friends, and neighbors who may be susceptible to this week’s cold weather and/or not have access to housing and heating, including the elderly and those with special needs.
- Pets should be brought indoors or provided with a warm place to sleep.
- Pipes that run outside or under a house should be wrapped in pipe insulation to avoid cracks due to water freezing in them.
- Plants may need to be covered or brought inside to avoid frost damage.
Beyond the 4 P’s OEM urges residents to practice home safety by:
- Not using the stove as a home heating sources as this could result in carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Not using power generators inside their home.
- Setting their thermostat to a modest temperature as not to overwhelm the regions energy grid.
Stay Informed
- Sign up for emergency notifications via AlertHouston: Alerthouston.org
- Download a Disaster Preparedness Guide (available in six languages) and make a plan today: http://bit.ly/2NmO8IZ
- For information on roadway conditions, visit houstontranstar.org or follow the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) on Twitter @TxDOTHouston.
- For the latest forecast from the National Weather Service, visit weather.gov/houston.
The George R. Brown Convention Center will be opening Sunday at 4:00 p.m. as a warming center to assist those who are experiencing homelessness and need protection from the winter weather. The City of Houston is coordinating with METRO to assist with the transportation to GRB.
The Houston Emergency Operations Center will activate on Sunday evening at a Level II, Partial Activation. In addition, the City of Houston has activated a Joint Information Center (JIC) to manage public information related to this week's weather and the City's response. JIC staff will provide weather updates and public safety messaging via AlertHouston, www.houstonemergency.org, and OEM's social media accounts: Nextdoor, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Media may call the JIC at 832.224.6397 or email [email protected].
Any questions related to the City of Houston's response to this week's weather should be coordinated through the JIC.
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