Ellis County Office of Emergency Management Update

By
News Staff
-
0
Ellis County Emergency Update

Ellis County Emergency Management Winter Weather Update

Ellis County Vaccination Hub UPDATE

Due to the ongoing winter weather response, the Ellis County Vaccination Hub will be closed for the remainder of the week.

Warming center update: Midlothian Conference Center remains open as a warming center. Bring your own personal supplies, blankets, and snacks. No pets, please. Wearing masks, social distancing and frequent sanitizing are being observed in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Last round of accumulating winter precipitation through midday, but very cold and sub-freezing temperatures will persist into Saturday morning for most of the area. Melting of snow and ice off of roads will be a gradual process Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

WAXAHACHIE FAMILY YMCA – Select YMCAs, including the Waxahachie Family YMCA, are opening their doors to those in the community without power and or water as a safe place to warm up from 10:00am – 5:30pm on Wednesday, February 17.

Hot coffee, charging stations, WiFi access and water stations will be available. Locker rooms at these branches are also open for those who need a hot shower – families can have exclusive use of the locker rooms for showers in 20-minute intervals.

We are asking people who come to please wear a mask and stay within their family unit while inside the branch. Families can access the facility for 3 hour windows but can stay longer if there is no waiting list for folks to come in, and the facility is not at capacity.

Fitness equipment is available to those who would like to use it. Families may also bring food to warm up in microwaves where available. Spaces will be set up to maintain social distancing. More information can be found in the attached flyer and on our website, https://www.ymcadallas.org/blog/ymca-winter-warming-centers

  • FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH – (adjacent to sports complex on 287 service road)
  • WAXAHACHIE BIBLE CHURCH – (on Grand Ave. across from SAGU)
  • FARLEY STREET BAPTIST CHURCH – (on Brown St just south of 287)
  • THE AVENUE CHURCH – (on 77 just north of 287)
  • RED OAK – 48-hour warming shelter at Live Oak Gymnasium (old Red Oak ISD Junior High), 200 Live Oak St., Red Oak
  • RED OAK – OAKS CHURCH – 777 East i-35 Service Rd (1pm-5pm)
  • GLENN HEIGHTS – HARVEST OF PRAISE (2603 S. Hampton Rd., Glenn Heights, TX, 75154)
  • OVILLA – GRACE CHURCH OF OVILLA (519 South Westmoreland Road)
  • ENNIS – The Ennis CARES Program is providing overnight shelter to those without heat or electricity. Please call the Bluebonnet Call Center at 972-695-3524 if you need shelter from the extreme cold

Overview

  • Another Trace to 2” inches of snow will occur this morning mainly from around the DFW Metroplex into northeast Texas.
  • Another Trace to 0.25” of ice accumulation will occur this morning mainly for the area that is east of I-35 and south of I-20.
  • Very light freezing drizzle or snow possible this afternoon but no significant additional accumulations.
  • Winter Storm Warnings will be cleared during the day as precipitation comes to an end.
  • Temperatures will be in the upper teens and 20s for most of the region today through Thursday evening. Heavily traveled streets may see slushy parts during the day that refreeze at night.
  • Turning colder again Thursday night with lows in the upper single digits to lower teens and wind chills 0 to 10 degrees by Friday morning.
  • “Warmer” with sunshine Friday afternoon will bring temps above freezing for some areas for a few hours.
  • Melting will occur during the day Friday but slush will re-freeze Friday night possibly making road conditions even worse into Saturday morning.
  • Above freezing areawide during the day Saturday with lows staying above freezing Saturday night, allowing gradual melting to continue into Sunday.
  • As temperatures warm and power is restored, ruptured water pipes will become more frequent.

Ellis County Power Outages Continue

Unfortunately many in Ellis County are still without power and have been for over 48 hours. Residents are desperately seeking heat, gas, wood to burn in fireplaces and food. Angry residents have take to social media to vent their frustrations and ask what has city leadership done to improve the situation in Midlothian.

City Councilman Justin Coffman responded with the following: “Here is some….(a small piece) of what I have personally witnessed your Mayor and several city council members doing over the last few days.

    1. Constant communication with city staff regarding TxDOT, roadway issues, Oncor issues, emergency management coordination, etc.
    2. Working with the city staff to establish a “warming center” so people can warm up, charge up, etc.
    3. Needs assessments for those at the warming center.
    4. We’ve had city council members personally driving around town to pick up and deliver families to the warming center who cannot drive.
    5. We’ve had council members cutting and giving away all of their personal firewood to community members that they knew needed it, until they were out!
    6. Our mayor and a councilmembers have communicated about needs through the city FB page as well as their personal pages and FB groups.
    7. Our Mayor, county judge and councilmembers have assisted in making sure that the homeless in our area have a place to go.
    8. Assisted in finding a place for a newborn baby and mom to stay as they were discharged from a hospital to a home without power. https://www.facebook.com/RenoForMidlo/posts/4941492359258181
    9. Equipped the city staff with the means necessary to repair the water main breaks all over town.

     

  2. Seriously…..the list goes on and on. You may not always agree with every decision made by the council….but I can ASSURE you that this city council cares deeply about you, your well being and this community. TRUST ME…..we are doing EVERYTHING WITHIN OUR POWER to get things back to normal and meet the needs of our city.
  3. Thank you to all who understand the role of the city council and are attempting to bring truth and education.”

The City of Ferris Manager has drawn a lot of attention as he posted to Facebook about a conversation he had with ERCOT. Many Ellis County residents have praised Brooks Williams for his efforts, and it seems he’s considering running for Governor.

When the snow melts, the roads clear and our stores are restocked, everyone in Texas will need to evaluate our storm preparations and readiness. Anger and frustration are natural reactions, but for now, let’s use our resources and energy to help those in need. There will be plenty of time to investigate and hold leaders accountable when this is over. For now, we encourage all of our readers to check on neighbors, share what’s open and what’s closed and help each other like Texans always do.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR