As freezing temperatures, refreezing roadways, and power outages continued, Gov. Greg Abbott declared 219 counties a disaster on Sunday. State and federal officials put in place emergency measures to secure the electricity grid and support communities.
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As winter weather threatened travel, electricity infrastructure, and public safety, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott added 85 counties to the state's disaster declaration on Sunday, bringing 219 of 254 counties under emergency status.
The modified order activates statewide emergency management procedures and allows Texas to deploy state and federal troops, equipment, and National Guard pre-positioning. Abbott requested the enlargement because freezing temperatures and refreezing roads exacerbated the storm.
Abbott said this weekend's winter weather affected communities across the state. “I am updating my disaster declaration to include more counties to help more Texans during these freezing temperatures.”
State and local officials can coordinate emergency response efforts, expedite assistance, and request federal funding through a disaster declaration. Residents should monitor forecasts and road conditions, the governor advised.
The majority of the 83,000 Texans without power on Sunday afternoon were in East Texas, according to FindEnergy.com. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas claimed the disruptions were local and not grid-wide.
In case of grid strain, the U.S. Department of Energy authorized ERCOT to require major industrial customers to switch to backup generators on Sunday. State officials said the measure was precautionary due to overnight temperature drops.
Forecasters warned that any melted ice during the day will likely refreeze overnight into Monday morning, making travel dangerous in North and Central Texas.
A devastating storm has hit. A North Texas sledding mishap killed a youth and critically injured another, exposing the dangers of slick surfaces and rain.
Also affected were state government operations. Winter weather will close the Texas State Capitol on Monday, Jan. 26, but vital services will continue.
Sunday evening saw the end of freezing rain and sleet in Central Texas, but officials warned of overnight subfreezing temperatures.
Abbott commended emergency management officials for their contributions “around the clock” to community recovery amid worsening conditions.
State leaders claimed the governor's office had the full list of counties in the declaration.
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