Texas weather: Williamson County officials say they're ready for freeze
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas - Williamson County Emergency Management officials are working alongside the state to keep Central Texans safe during the freeze.
"We are ready for it, and that's the best thing we can do is be prepared," said Connie Odom, the Director Of Communications for Williamson County.
In Williamson County, 400 tons of sand are ready to go at a moment's notice.
"Our crews are ready and on call," said Odom. "We have all the equipment ready to go, and just as we want our residents to be prepared, we're prepared."
Williamson County has its road and bridge crews on stand by.
Along with a massive amount of sand, it also has 27,000 gallons of chemical de-icer to treat roads.
"They're going to be out monitoring the roadways," said Odom. "They check the temperature on the pavement, check for any ice if we happen to get some precipitation, and then they'll be able to treat the roadways when that happens."
Emergency management is also pulling from other county departments to prepare for calls for help.
"All the sheriff's office deputies are ready to be on call, EMS is fully staffed, so we're ready to respond to any type of emergency that people need," said Odom.
Parks will close, too, and turn off fountains until temperatures reach above freezing, as the rest of the county heads home to hunker down, hopefully preparing themselves for the arctic blast.
"We want people to prepare now so that it's not a last minute thing," said Odom.
The county said that looks like checking off the Four P's: Bring people, plants, and pets inside and protect pipes.
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"We want to make sure that we have everything on hand, so that we have our supplies," said Odom. "If we wait to the last minute, the supplies may not be there."
Another way you can prepare now is to set up emergency alerts with warncentraltexas.org.
No matter what Central Texas county you’re in, local officials can contact you in your community in case of a winter emergency.
Track your local forecast for the Austin area quickly with the free FOX 7 WAPP. The design gives you radar, hourly, and 7-day weather information just by scrolling. Our weather alerts will warn you early and help you stay safe during storms.