AUSTIN, Texas — All hands are on deck in Austin when it comes to the winter weather response this week. With Central Texas seeing the possibility of snow in the forecast, TxDOT has been working with meteorologists to monitor forecasts for this event.
This kind of weather is difficult for those without shelter. Thomas Narde considers himself semi-homeless, living in his car with his dog and finding it hard to survive in the fluctuating Texas weather.
“It can be real brutal, because one day it’s real warm and hot and then the next day it’s in the teens,” Narde said.
Now, he is taking refuge at Oak Hill United Methodist Church, which opened on Sunday night to the homeless. There are expectations it will be open through at least Thursday morning.
Steven Sanders is the church’s lead pastor, calling it a “team effort” to get people safe.
“The constable’s office is going around to various locations encouraging people to come out of their camps with both the cold and the wet weather,” Sanders said.
More people will need to take refuge in places like these. Kellen Mohrmann, a spokesperson for TxDOT’s Austin district, is urging people to stay put and avoid the roads if they can, with crews on standby 24/7.
Crews did pretreatment over the weekend with brine, a saltwater mixture that helps prevent ice accumulation on the roadways.
“We have magnesium chloride, which is a granular substance that we can use to melt ice on the roadways, and we do have five snowplows in the Austin district,” Mohrmann said.
Mohrmann said TxDOT is prioritizing the major roadways like Interstate 35, State Highway 71 and U.S. 290. Its goal is to keep the roads passable for its first responders.
“Drive slowly and cautiously on our roadways,” Mohrmann said.
If you must travel, please check out drivetexas.org for the latest on road conditions and closures.
Oak Hill United Methodist Church is looking for more volunteers for its shelter. Church leaders ask that you call the church office at 512-288-3836 to connect with the person coordinating the volunteers.
If you want to donate anything to the church, click here. They are also looking for specific things like sweats and gently used shoes.