HOUSTON – Houston Mayor John Whitmire says the city is prepared as best as it can possibly be going into its second freeze of the year. Whitmire acknowledging he’s not only keeping an eye on Houston but also Austin.
“I’m going to be in contact with the state leadership and they keep me informed on a regular basis,” said Whitmire.
The mayor tells KPRC 2 Investigates that twelve warming centers will be open up around the city with mental health services provided at two of them. The services are for the homeless who rarely come in off the streets.
ERCOT on Monday issued a weather watch for extreme cold weather from Wednesday through Friday across its service region. ERCOT says they are expecting normal grid conditions as the temperatures drop with the grid seeing higher demands and lower reserves.
There is a silver lining to this freeze.
“The good news is there is not going to be moisture involved,” says Whitmire.
The mayor is correct with the assessment as it translates to no equipment freezing up or tree limbs breaking which can contribute to power outages.
Construction Manager Chris Carson summed up our city perfectly while on a job in downtown on Monday.
”It’s Houston we get used to the warm weather. We don’t do well with the cold,” Carson said.
However, this freeze is a quick one. Not like February 2021 or last month’s snow fall. But it will still impact those who have to work outside.
“Wrap and work,” said Jeremiah Palmer.
Palmer was helping oversee some work beside a downtown hotel when he shared his advice of grabbing a piece of equipment and getting to work to get warm.
Yet while this freeze may lack moisture, it will still impact construction according to both Carson and Palmer as workers will call out and some materials can’t be used because the temperatures will be too low to use. The end result, a one day loss can result in a project’s completion delayed by days.
