During a virtual press conference on February 3, the City of Dallas provided an update on storm conditions affecting the area, following the first night of a severe winter ice storm.
Last February, a winter storm crippled the state’s power grid, leaving thousands without power and causing extensive damage. Following the first night of storm Landon this week, the city reports that it was “a non-event event.”
Rocky Vaz, the Director of Emergency Management, said that there were far fewer emergency situations this year. As of 11:00 a.m. CT, around 1,700 Dallas residents were without power, but utilities were anticipated to be restored within two to four hours.
“Temperatures are going to stay below freezing and we don’t see any thawing out tonight,” Vaz said. “Tomorrow we should see some progress towards that but then again, it’ll refreeze at night. We are on guard and we’re going to be staying on guard and providing the resources needed to address any issues or problems that we are aware of. Overall, like I said, things are pretty quiet.”
Vaz said that Atmos Gas did not report any issues with natural gas service interruptions and that most of the electrical grid problems were related to tree limbs falling on power lines. Public Works Assistant Director Tina Richardson later added that the department had received twenty reports of downed trees, which the department is in the process of clearing.
Terry Lowery, Director of Dallas Water Utilities, reported that the city’s three water treatment plants and two wastewater facilities operated through the night with no interruptions.
Most Dallas residents appear to have stayed off the roads during the storm, according to Dallas Fire-Rescue Assistant Chief Justin Ball. He said that only forty-five accidents were reported in a twelve-hour period, about half the number of a typical day. Only one fatality was reported due to a traffic accident during the night.
“Unfortunately, the accident happened on the I-45 on the bridge yesterday evening, I believe it was around 10 o’clock,” said Ball. “The 18-wheeler flipped over and I believe the driver was ejected and fell off the bridge.”
Ball also reported that the department received a total of seven calls for structure fires, but only two of those calls resulted in emergencies.
The city also provided information on the status of inclement weather facilities that provide shelter and warming locations for Dallas residents who live in their cars or are homeless.
“The automobile park at Fair Park is where the homeless shelter is at, and it’s going fine,” Christine Crossley, director of Homeless Services, reported. “We have about 500 guests, I think 495 plus five dogs and one cat. Everyone is doing well and intake is going smoothly.”
Crossley said that the city has several library branches open for normal business hours that provide warming stations for those in need. Only about ten individuals were reportedly using those facilities at the time of the press conference.
“Talking to our utility partners and all the other partners, everybody was very confident in our response and recovering if needed, based on lessons learned from last year,” said Vaz. “Last year’s major issue was the loss of power, widespread throughout the city. With that not occurring, we were in a much better position to manage and handle localized issues that cropped up in the last 12 to 24 hours. [Residents] did their part, stayed off the streets and stayed home, and they got their groceries and their supplies on time. So we are thankful for all of that. So at the end of the day, this is an ongoing weather event. We will stay on top of anything that we need to respond to, to provide the comfort that our citizens need,” Vaz said.