Joe Brown was hanging out with three other ‘centers’ outside the George R. Brown Convention Center on Sunday afternoon, each wearing a low-cut gift and carrying trash with their belongings.
Judge Lina Hidalgo of Harris County marked the beginning of an “incredibly challenging few days” by signing a local disaster statement. A federal disaster order has also been signed. During a news conference Sunday afternoon, Hidalgo noted that ‘the window to prepare for this historic storm has closed’.
“It’s unprecedented. We are not used to this weather, ”she said. “But we are tough, resilient people. We’ve been through a lot together. No one knows how to hide in a place like ours. ‘
WINTERSTORM: The stack of ten cars is south of downtown Houston amid icy rain
Houston is expected to see the first major wave of winter precipitation from Sunday night to Monday, with icy rain likely to turn to snow and sleet overnight, according to Space City meteorologist Matt City. Between noon, between 1 and 3 inches of snow can fall, mostly northwest of downtown, while a tenth to a quarter of an inch of ice is expected more to the southeast, Lanza said.
According to the Houston / Galveston National Weather Service, temperatures will remain below freezing on Monday, with a high of 23 degrees and a minimum of 12 degrees at night.
“So whatever falls will stay through the day and until Monday night,” Lanza wrote.
Warnings for severe freezing and wind cold will apply in the region until Tuesday afternoon, with conditions that could potentially kill unprotected vegetation and damage plumbing work abroad in time. Pets must also have proper shelter, food and water, officials warned.
Residents should stay informed of the forecast throughout the week. A further winter storm is expected on Wednesday, which could lead to more icy rain in the Houston area, according to Space City Weather.
STORMPREP: A major winter storm is on its way to Houston. Here’s how to prepare for freezing.
All metro services will be suspended until Tuesday or until conditions improve. According to the National Weather Service, it will become ‘difficult or impossible’ during this stretch. Those who need to drive should go slowly and carry blankets, shovels and sand in their cars.
Delegates in Harris County by 3 p.m. responded to nearly 30 traffic accidents, five of which were described as significant. Some of the collisions involved vehicles sliding into walls at a stretch of US 290 from Farm-to-Market 2920 to Texas 99.
The Texas Department of Transportation has begun treating icy roads reported from Texas 6 to US 290 and in Montgomery County along areas of Interstate 45. Ice is also on FM-1488 at FM-149 and in Texas 249 near FM- 149 reported.
“Conditions are only going to get worse,” Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez warned.
Meanwhile, Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña urged residents to practice heater safety. Keep space heaters away from flammable substances, he said in a news conference, adding that the department has already responded to three fires due to incorrectly placed heaters.
Peña noted that ambulances will now transport patients to the nearest hospital, not to their hospital. Officials also warned against carbon monoxide poisoning and warned against attempts to use gas stoves to heat homes and to turn on cars in closed garages.
The storm is expected to take a toll on the state’s electrical network. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages the power flow to more than 26 million Texas customers, predicted last week that the state could set a record for winter demand on Monday.
ENERGY EMERGENCY: Blackouts are possible because icy temps span Houston’s power grid
The Public Utility Commission of Texas has urged Texans to save electricity until Tuesday, as the extra use of power could reduce the margins between the demand for cold and the supply of available power.
The commission asked households to keep their thermostats at 68 degrees or lower and avoid using large appliances, such as ovens or washing machines.
CenterPoint Energy officials said Sunday that their electrical teams in the Houston area have begun working 16-hour shifts in the event of a power outage.
Local governments began announcing the closure of some services and schools late last week. Houston municipal courts closed their operations until Tuesday. Services and buildings in Harris County will be closed Monday and Tuesday, and offices in Fort Bend County will be closed Monday.
The wind cold can make the outside feel closer to single-digit temperatures. Harris County and Houston officials spent the weekend handing out blankets, sleeping bags and winter coats to the homeless.
In addition to the convention center, warm-up centers have been set up throughout the city, including Lakewood Church. Other shelters have opened in the Cypress area, including Copperfield Church at 8350 Texas Highway 6 North and The Foundry UMC at Jones50 8350, according to a list published by the Coalition for the Homeless.
According to Mary Benton, spokeswoman for Mayor Sylvester Turner, the conference center reached about 500 people within hours of opening. Each person has their own crib and crates have been made available for pets, she said.
By Sunday night, people seeking refuge there had been sent to Lakewood Church, she said. She said the city balances COVID-19 protocols with the need for space.
“We do not want to be in a situation where we are pushing too many people into the dedicated space,” she said.
Turner said more shelters not yet named in public will be online as needed, and he urges those in need of shelter to call 211 or 311 so they can be directed to those closest to them.
At the conference center, people like Tramon Barnes, 42, sat in line early Sunday and waited until five o’clock.
“We are like statues,” he said. “We’re freezing.”
Brown was thankful on Sunday for joining more than 200 other homeless people waiting in the rainy, 35-degree weather outside the convention center.
“We are old and we have sustained injuries, and that makes things ten times worse,” he said, adding, “We would not survive without the generosity of the people.”
Amanda Drane contributed to this report.