Houston officials are taking no chances ahead of a predicted arctic blast, urging residents to stay indoors and prepare for the potentially dangerous cold. With the temperature expected to plummet this weekend, Mayor John Whitmire and emergency leaders addressed the public with a series of safety precautions. "Be prepared for your family, your neighbors, your employees, your pets, your pipes, your plants. We're prepared for the expected and the unexpected, but we need everyone's cooperation," Mayor Whitmire emphasized in a statement obtained by the Houston Chronicle.
The call to stay vigilant and ready for the freeze comes as the city braces to confront the first major cold weather event of the year. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner highlighted the plight of the city's unhoused population, urging residents to report any individuals in need of shelter ."We have our homeless outreach team; they are going to be out even before the major cold weather comes in looking for those individuals that we can get to a warmer place," Finner told the Houston Chronicle. The fire chief, Samuel Peña, drew attention to the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and the need for Houstonians to carefully heat their homes. "We don't want you all to sacrifice safety for warmth," Peña said, pointing out the common mistake of improperly using generators and heaters.
With the worst of the cold snap anticipated to hit on Sunday, officials are rapidly opening warming centers and providing free transportation to these. The Houston Chronicle reports that centers such as Acres Homes Multi-Service Center and Sunnyside Health and Multi-Service Center will operate from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday. Carol Haddock, the Public Works Director, offered advice on preventing pipes from freezing, suggesting Houstonians leave faucets partially on to maintain a drip of water.
Mass awareness and prevention are key as the National Weather Service predicts light precipitation and icy roads alongside freezing temperatures. Peña advised residents to be especially careful with space heaters, recommending a three-foot safety zone and never going to sleep with the heaters on. "If we get power outages, or if you use generators, ensure that those generators are operated outdoors. Do not operate the generators inside the home or even in the garage. Don't use your stove or your oven to heat your home," he warned according to the Houston Chronicle.
