Joe Brown met with three other “city dwellers” outside the George R. Brown Convention Center on Sunday afternoon, each wearing several layers of donated clothing and carrying garbage bags with their belongings.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo ushered in “a few incredibly challenging days” by signing a local disaster declaration. A federal disaster order was also signed. During a press conference on Sunday afternoon, Hidalgo noted that “the window to prepare for this historic storm has closed.”
“This is unprecedented. We are not used to this climate, ”she said. “But we are strong and resilient people. We’ve been through a lot together. Nobody knows how to take shelter in the place like us. “
WINTER STORM: 10 car pile-up accident south of downtown Houston amid freezing rain
Houston was expected to see the first big wave of winter precipitation beginning Sunday night through Monday, with freezing rain likely changing overnight into sleet and snow, according to Space City Weather meteorologist Matt Lanza. Between 1 to 3 inches of snow can fall at noon, mainly northwest of the city center, while about 10 to a quarter inch of ice is expected further south-east, Lanza said.
Monday temperatures are expected to stay below freezing, with a high of 23 degrees and a low of 12 degrees at night, according to the National Weather Service Houston / Galveston.
“Therefore, whatever falls will remain in place during the day and until Monday night,” wrote Lanza.
Warnings of severe freezing and wind cooling will remain in effect for the region until noon on Tuesday, with conditions likely to kill unprotected vegetation and damage external plumbing in that period. Pets must also have adequate shelter, food and water, officials warned.
Residents should keep an eye on the forecast throughout the week. Another winter storm is due to arrive on Wednesday, potentially bringing more freezing rain to the Houston area, according to Space City Weather.
STORM PREP: A major winter storm is heading for Houston. See how you can prepare for the freeze.
All metro services will remain suspended until Tuesday or until conditions improve. Traveling will become “difficult or impossible” during this stretch, according to the National Weather Service. Those who must drive should go slowly and carry blankets, shovels and sand in their cars.
Harris County deputies at 3 pm responded to nearly 30 traffic accidents, five of which were described as serious. Some of these collisions involved vehicles that slid against walls along a stretch of US 290 from Farm-to-Market 2920 to Texas 99.
The Texas Department of Transportation began handling reported icy roads from Texas 6 to US 290 and Montgomery County along Interstate 45 areas. Ice has also been reported on FM-1488 on FM-149 and Texas 249 near FM -149.
“Conditions are only going to get worse,” warned Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Meanwhile, Houston fire chief Sam Peña urged residents to practice heater safety. Keep heaters away from fuel, he said at a news conference, adding that the department has already responded to three fires caused by incorrectly placed heaters.
Peña noted that ambulances will now transport patients to the nearest hospital, not the hospital of their choice. Authorities have also warned of carbon monoxide poisoning, warning of attempts to use gas stoves to heat homes and start cars in closed garages.
The storm is expected to affect the state’s power grid. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages the flow of energy to more than 26 million Texas customers, predicted last week that the state could set a record winter demand on Monday.
ENERGY EMERGENCY: Blackouts are possible as cold temperatures overwhelm Houston’s power grid
The Texas Public Utility Commission asked Texans to save electricity by Tuesday, as the extra use of energy could “narrow the margins between the demand generated by the cold and the supply of available energy”.
The commission asked families to keep their thermostats set to 68 degrees or less and to avoid using large appliances, such as ovens or washing machines.
CenterPoint Energy officials said on Sunday that their electrical crews in the Houston area began working 16-hour shifts in the event of a power outage.
Local governments began announcing the closure of some services and schools at the end of last week. Houston’s municipal courts closed operations until Tuesday. Harris County services and buildings will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, and Fort Bend County offices will be closed on Monday.
Cold wind can make the outside look 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, heating centers have been established across the city, including Lakewood Church. Other shelters have been opened in the Cypress area, including Copperfield Church at 8350 Texas Highway 6 North and The Foundry UMC at 8350 Jones Road, according to a list published by the Coalition for the Homeless.
The convention center reached capacity for about 500 people within hours of opening, according to Mary Benton, spokesman for Mayor Sylvester Turner. Each person will have their own crib, and pet boxes have been made available, she said.
On Sunday night, people seeking shelter were referred to Lakewood Church, she said. She said the city was balancing the COVID-19 protocols with the need for space.
“We don’t want to be in a situation where we pile up a lot of people in this dedicated space,” she said.
Turner said that more shelters not yet publicly named will be online as needed, and he asked those who need shelters to call 211 or 311 so they can be directed to the nearest one.
At the convention center, people like Tramon Barnes, 42, got a line in the beginning of Sunday and waited until five o’clock.
“We are like statues,” he said. “We are freezing.”
Brown was grateful on Sunday for joining more than 200 homeless people who were waiting in line in a 35 degree rainy weather outside the convention center.
“We are old and injured, and that is making things 10 times worse,” he said, adding, “We would not survive without the generosity of people.”
Amanda Drane contributed to this report.