WILCO – Williamson County is one of 17 counties with a disaster declaration issued by the state.
Gov. Greg Abbott issued the declaration during a press conference Thursday, Feb. 3, with an update on Texas’ response to Winter Storm Landon.
“The State of Texas has deployed a plethora of resources to ensure our communities have the support they need to respond to this storm,” said Abbott. “Texas is experiencing one of the most significant ice events in decades, but we have taken unprecedented steps to ensure that our power grid continues to function reliably despite treacherous weather conditions. As we continue to face freezing temperatures, precipitation, and other dangerous elements, I urge Texans to be prepared and heed the guidance of their local officials as we all work together to keep people safe.”
Taylor
Municipal facilities closed down in Taylor Thursday and Friday, Feb. 4. Trash pickup was suspended and would resume pending an update from the city.
S.H. 95 was shut down at Main Street’s overpass Thursday through Friday morning due to icing that glazed the elevated roadway. The 800 block of South Rio Grande Street closed due to flooding.
A warming center was set up at St. Paul House and Fellowship Hall in central Taylor Thursday and Friday. Anyone interested in a warm place to stay was invited to go to the facility.
As of press time, the Taylor Public Library, Taylor Farmer’s Market and park activities were scheduled to resume operations Saturday, Feb. 5.
Williamson County
County Judge Bill Gravell also issued a disaster declaration for Williamson County that was set to expire this past Friday afternoon. County offices were closed during Winter Storm Landon.
“We want to thank the residents of Williamson County for listening to our messages and staying home and staying safe,” said Gravell.
Prior to the storm, Williamson County’s Road and Bridge Division pre-staged sand at emergency medical services stations so crews could spread it when needed due to icing on driveways and walkways. They also pre-positioned barricades at locations where roads might need to be closed due to flooding or icing. During the early morning hours on Thursday and Friday, Williamson County’s Road and Bridge Division treated county roads and bridges with sand and de-icing material. The county ordered twice as much sand and de-icing material than in the previous year. Williamson
County Emergency Communications had 201 calls for service on Thursday. There were 30 fire calls, 84 law enforcement calls and 87 calls for EMS. The Sheriff’s Office responded to a few crashes caused by icy roads.
The county’s Mobile Outreach Team (MOT), who help those in mental health crisis, had fewer than 20 calls for service during the winter weather event compared to more than 600 during Winter Storm Uri. One homeless person was assisted with emergency shelter.
The EMS Community Health Paramedics checked on their medically vulnerable patients. They were able to help one Couplandarea resident get their generator working when Oncor had power outages in their area.
In addition to responding to crashes and reporting on road conditions, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office opened its Georgetown headquarters as a warming and charging station for residents without power.
Williamson County’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) activated their Emergency Operation Center on Thursday night ahead of the storm. They held numerous conference calls with the National Weather Service, cities, school districts and utility providers in order to determine if there were any unmet needs.
