Crews from Atmos Energy were forced to shut off gas service to homes in a new subdivision in Rowlett, leaving residents without heating for 24 hours amid freezing temperatures.
“It was 68 [degrees] in the house,” Madison Villareal, a resident of the Rowlett neighborhood called Villas of Long Branch, told CBS News Texas. “Got down to 48 last night.”
The arctic weather event, which began over the weekend, has brought sub-freezing temperatures to North Texas that are expected to persist through Wednesday. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the National Weather Service (NWS) for Fort Worth/Dallas issued guidelines to help deal with this week’s weather, which has impacted municipal services throughout the region.
On Monday, teams with Atmos were seen repairing a damaged gas line near the impacted Rowlett neighborhood. A malfunction forced the crews to cut off gas to the 18 occupied homes in the subdivision, leaving them without heat during the coldest night in 2024.
To offer a reprieve from the cold, the Rowlett officials opened two warming centers, not unlike those set up in Dallas.
While the issue is now resolved, Atmos has parked a compressed natural gas truck in the area to help temporarily deliver heat to the homes.
NWS expects “bitter cold through tonight” and recommends maintaining a drip on indoor faucets and checking on family and pets.
By tomorrow, the region will see southerly winds returning, sunshine, and temperatures “well above freezing.”
Still, NWS suggests residents continue to bundle up since temperatures will remain unseasonably low.
