Governor Abbott has Alerted Texas Agencies to Prepare for Bad Winter Weather

Governor Abbott at a weather response in February 2021Photo byTwitter

The National Weather Service is forecasting severe weather and flash flooding. Texas Governor Greg Abbott is used to weather emergencies in Texas as well as other locations.

This past fall, Governor Abbott alerted Task Force 1 to help Florida as Hurricane Ian came through.

Now the state is expecting some bad weather along the Eastern part of Texas. As winter has started, the weather service is expecting damaging winds, tornadoes, large hail, snow, and heavy rainfall.

Governor Abbott said:

“The State of Texas is proactively working to ensure Texans and their property remain safe from severe weather threats that could impact eastern regions of our state today and early tomorrow. As we monitor conditions and potential threats, I urge Texans in affected areas to heed the guidance of local officials and remain weather-aware as severe weather systems develop. We will swiftly provide all necessary resources to address severe weather and protect our communities.”

The news took a look at weather events of last year:

Governor Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to activate the following agencies and resources in Texas:

• Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service: Texas Task Force Two — Urban Search and Rescue Team

TDEM requested the following agencies on standby for deployment if needed:

• Texas A&M Forest Service: Saw crews and Incident Management Teams
• Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service: Disaster Assessment and Recovery agents
• Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Boat teams to support water rescue operations and helicopters with hoist capability
• Texas Department of Transportation: High-profile vehicles
• Texas National Guard: Transportation platoons and helicopters with hoist capability
• Texas Department of State Health Services: Texas Emergency Medical Task Force Severe Weather Packages
• Texas Department of Public Safety: Texas Highway Patrol helicopters with hoist capability
• Public Utility Commission of Texas: Power outage monitoring/coordination with utility providers in the threat area
• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Personnel to monitor drinking water, wastewater, and air quality
• TDEM: Mass care coordination

The governor’s office requests Texans should be prepared and have emergency resources available.

Are you ready for this year's Texas winter?