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How the city is preparing for this week’s winter weather – Welcome to the City of Fort Worth

Published on January 31, 2022

To request city services or to report issues:

Several City of Fort Worth departments continue to monitor the low temperatures and winter precipitation forecast for later in the week. Here are the latest updates:

Sign up for emergency messages

The City of Fort Worth, through the Office of Emergency Management, has a free alert system called Fort Worth Texas Alerts. This system replaced the NIXLE system. If residents were previously registered for NIXLE alerts, they will need to register for this system in order to receive emergency notifications. Register for texts, phone calls, email or a combination of all three

Streets and bridges

  • The safety and wellbeing of all motorists is a high priority for the City of Fort Worth. The city’s Transportation & Public Works Department monitors severe weather and coordinates with the city’s Office of Emergency Management and first responders.
  • When the ground is cold enough for precipitation to stick, and the forecast calls for ice, snow, sleet or freezing rain, sanding crews are placed on standby.
  • The city can deploy as many as 30 trucks at a time, each working 12-hour shifts. Each truck can carry 6-10 cubic yards of material.
  • Before sanding activities begin, spotters drive the roadways to survey road conditions.
  • A sand-salt mixture (10% salt) is applied on top of icy pavement. It cannot be applied before the precipitation falls.
  • The city stocks more than 6,000 tons of sand, 1,500 tons of premixed sand-salt and 250 tons of salt. In an average winter, the city uses about 2,500 tons of sand/salt mixture.
  • Each truck is dispatched with a list of roads and bridges to sand. Structures such as bridges, overpasses and roadways over culverts are targeted first.
  • Neighborhood streets will likely not be sanded.
  • The City of Fort Worth works in concert with TxDOT and NTTA to ensure that all high-priority roadways are treated. TxDOT focuses primarily on interstate highways, and city crews focus on other roadways. Sometimes the two will overlap. NTTA focuses on treating the Chisholm Trail Parkway.
  • The City of Fort Worth has implemented a pretreatment program to mirror TxDOT. City crews pretreat limited roads with a saltwater brine like TxDOT.

Warming stations

Libraries and community centers can be used as warming stations during normal business hours. Residents should call to check on hours and to make sure the facility is open before traveling to the location.

Protect your water supply

The Water Department has been preparing for inclement weather. Read more about it

Residents need to also take steps to prepare for the freezing temperatures. These tips can help:

  • Make sure all outside pipes are insulated.
  • Check to see that pipes in unheated parts of your home or business (including crawl and attic spaces, under cabinets) are insulated.
  • Make sure outside faucet washers are secure.
  • Keep the lid on the meter box to better insulate it from freezing.
  • Turn off or unplug your irrigation system during the winter to prevent ice on sidewalks or streets. Drain the lines to prevent them from freezing and bursting. Use a licensed irrigator if you cannot do this yourself.
  • Commercial buildings with fire sprinklers should leave the heat on overnight and on weekends when subfreezing temperatures are forecast.
  • For residences, make sure everyone in the household knows where the main water shutoff valve is in case a pipe breaks and it is necessary to turn the water off in a hurry. Check this valve now to make sure it is working.
  • During prolonged freezes, you may want to open all cabinet doors that contain water pipes to allow heat to enter the areas. Relocate any toxic materials so children and pets cannot get to them if cabinet doors are left open.
  • Keep extra water on hand during freezing weather in case a main break or frozen pipe cuts off your water supply. There currently are no plans to distribute drinking water to residents. If the need arises, distribution sites will be announced.

Suspect a water main is broken? Report the location immediately by using the MyFW app or by calling 817-392-4477 so it can be repaired as soon as possible.

Animals

If you see pets in distress — including no shelter, no access to water or stray animals — report it by using the MyFW app or calling 817-392-1234.

Carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that is created by fuel-burning appliances and gasoline engines. When CO is trapped inside a home or business, it can make people sick and even cause death.

Symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to the flu and in most cases are quickly reversed by fresh air. Emergency responders see an increase in these types of incidents in winter months due to residents using generators inside garages and homes or placed just outside of doors. Some other causes are stoves and heaters that are not properly installed.

Follow these recommendations:

Check carbon monoxide alarms

  • Make sure there is a working smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm on every level of your home and near sleeping areas.
  • Test both alarms every month to make sure they are working correctly.
  • Replace alarms according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Prevent CO poisoning

  • If you need to warm up a vehicle, remove it from your garage even if the garage door is open.
  • Generators and grills should be used outside of the home, away from windows and doors.
  • On the outside of your home, make sure vents for the dryer, furnace, stove and fireplace are clear of snow and other debris.

Carbon monoxide emergency

  • If the alarm sounds, immediately leave the home.
  • Call 911 after you are outside the home.
  • Remain outside until emergency personnel arrive.

infographic-on-fort-worth-texas-alerts-dot-gov

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