Harris County, TX, January 18, 2024 – Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo held a press conference today where she was joined by Houston Mayor John Whitmire, along with emergency stakeholders including Chief Meteorologist Jeff Lindner, Chief Laurie Christensen from the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office, Chato Woodard, Sr. from Local Plumbers Union 68, Harris County Homeland Security & Emergency Management (OEM) Coordinator Mark Sloan, TxDOT’s Southeast Public Information Officer Section Director Raquelle Lewis, Manager of Local Government Relations for Centerpoint Paul Locke, Chairman of the Board of Directors with Coalition for the Homeless (CFTH) Chris Hanslik, and other key county, city and community stakeholders.
“There is winter weather coming here on Monday and we need to take it seriously. We need to prepare now. By the time your outside pipes, your plants, your pets and others start to see impacts, it will be too late if you don’t do the preparations this weekend, ideally before Monday, when it’ll be below freezing,” said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.
Officials note that as the cold front moves through the area, they anticipate chilly conditions Sunday morning, with an even stronger push of cold air arriving in the evening into Monday morning. Additionally, there’s a chance of precipitation Monday night, which means there may be snow and/or ice. The Harris County Office of Emergency Management will formally activate on Monday to a Level 3: Increased Readiness status.
To support those in need, Harris County OEM is working with the City of Houston, the Coalition for the Homeless, and the Sheriff’s Office Homeless Outreach Team to open 35 warming centers across Harris County. The majority of these centers are set to open on Monday, January 20, providing our vulnerable populations with safe and warm spaces to shelter from the cold. Information on the warming center locations can be found at ReadyHarris.org.
Judge Hidalgo also shared that she has been in contact with CenterPoint Energy and ERCOT. At this time, neither is anticipating widespread power outages or any issues with the power grid. CenterPoint has already been preparing for the incoming weather and is continuing to monitor the forecast closely to address any concerns proactively. Additionally, she urged residents to stay off of the roadways as the storm comes into full effect, being especially aware of overpasses, bridges, and ramps that may be icy.
“TxDOT’s focus is maintaining the system to help with quicker system recovery – it is NOT intended to facilitate routine travel,’” stated Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.
Officials urged residents who have a medical condition or think they may need additional assistance to register with the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry, or STEAR. Operators will work to connect residents with the appropriate services, whether that’s transportation assistance during a home evacuation, medical care or anything else that is needed. You can register by going to www.stear.tdem.texas.gov, or by calling 2-1-1 and saying you’d like to sign up.