City of College Station

What you can do, what the city is doing ahead of freezing conditions

Posted on 02/11/2021

With freezing temperatures in our forecast for the next several days, we wanted to share the following information to help you be prepared and to let you know that we are ready.

If you haven’t already, be sure to read these helpful tips from Water Resource Coordinator Jennifer Nations on protecting your pipes and irrigation system.

Portable heater, additional safety tips from College Station Fire Department

• Keep three feet of space around portable heaters
• Never leave a portable heater unattended
• Never use your oven or cooking appliances to heat your home
• Test your smoke alarms once a month
• Invest in a carbon monoxide detector if you have a gas furnace
• Click here to learn more about heater safety from Stu the Fire Guy.

Hypothermia-related tips from College Station Fire Department

• Check on elderly neighbors and family members. Hypothermia can strike inside a cold house -- you don’t have to be outside to become hypothermic.
• Know the signs and symptoms of hypothermia:
• Adults: Shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech and drowsiness
• Advanced age: Diabetes, anorexia and alcohol intoxication make adults more susceptible to hypothermia
• Infants: Bright red, cold skin and very low energy

Pet safety advice from Aggieland Humane Society
If it is not possible to bring your pet indoors, please ensure your pet’s outside area has appropriate coverage and dry, warm bedding, such as hay.

City staff readiness
Meanwhile, here are a few ways City of College Station staff are prepared for the harsh conditions:

• Extra crews are being reserved for possible power outages.Sanding crews are on standby and will pre-treat fire stations and emergency room driveways.
• Traffic operations crews stand ready to quickly resolve any signal outages or downed signs.
• Extra precautions will be taken at accident scenes to protect first responders and those who are being treated.

If you see our staff on the side of the road, please slow down and give them plenty of room so we all stay safe.