Frigid Weather Prompts Guidance From Round Rock Officials

ROUND ROCK, TX — The coldest weather since 1989 descended on the region, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) Austin-San Antonio, prompting the city to issue guidance to residents on Sunday.

The temperature Sunday night dipped to around 13 degrees, and the high temperature on Monday is expected to climb no higher than 31 degrees. The wind chill factor will make matters worse, weather officials added, making temperatures feel between zero to 15 degrees below.
The "stay home" directive appears to be the order of the day. But even at home, city officials said, certain steps should be taken:

Protect water pipes

• The City of Round Rock encourages residents to protect pipes during freezing weather. Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.
• When the weather is very cold outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe – even at a trickle – helps prevent pipes from freezing.
• If you have a swimming pool, keep the pool pump running continuously.
• Let faucets drip inside your house, especially the faucets located near exterior walls.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.
• The city strongly recommends residents and businesses turn off their irrigation/sprinkler systems to avoid damage and freezing due to the cold temperatures. Runoff from sprinklers causes hazardous conditions on roadways.
• If a resident experiences broken pipe, the city recommends turning off water flow into the home at the shut-off valve located by their meter. Then call a plumber to make the repair on private property.
• If assistance is needed to get water shut off to their house, residents can call the Utility Department at 512-218-5555 and we will send a crew member to help.

Reduce electricity use

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is asking consumers and businesses to reduce their electricity use as much as possible Sunday through Tuesday. Tips to reduce electricity use include:

• Turn down thermostats to 68-degrees.
• Close shades and blinds to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows.
• Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances.
• Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible.
• Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.
• Avoid using large appliances (i.e., ovens, washing machines, etc.).
• Report power outages to Oncor. The city does not operate an electric or gas utility.

Stay off roads

Residents are urged to stay home due to hazardous road conditions, particularly on elevated roadways and bridges. If you must drive, please drive with extreme caution, slow down and leave plenty of room between yourself and other vehicles. City crews have been pretreating bridges and certain roadways for ice as conditions allow.

On Monday and Tuesday, Capital Metro will implement a late start of service at 7 a.m. Other changes for Round Rock transit users include:

• Service will start at 7 a.m. for Round Rock Routes 50 and 51.
• No Rail Connector Service.
• No service on Round Rock Route 150 to Howard Station and Route 152 to Tech Ridge.
• No Express Service.
• No UT Shuttle service.
• Free fares.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency offers information here on preparedness for freezing weather. In addition to protecting pipes, it's important to protect pets and plants. The city also recommends going to WarnCentralTexas.org to sign-up for emergency alerts.