Montgomery County is expected to face some of the strongest impacts of the winter storm moving into Texas this weekend, with ice accumulations of .10 to .25 inches possible starting Saturday night and into Sunday. Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough says the ice creates a unique threat, unlike cold or wind. "When you have icing, then it freezes on the lines, and then you have snow and that begins to melt and it freezes again, you can say goodbye to a bunch of your power lines," he tells KTRH.
To that end, the county is working with energy providers to prepare infrastructure ahead of time and to be ready for any power outages. "We will be coordinating a rapid restoration," says Keough. "After (Hurricane) Beryl, we have developed a far superior relationship with CenterPoint and Mid-South in our area, and we're confident they'll do a great job."
Keough also reminds residents to have a few days worth of food and supplies on hand, and gas in the car ahead of time. "We don't know what's going to happen, so make sure you've got gas in your cars...don't wait or you'll be facing long lines like we had the last time we had a storm up here," he says.
Ultimately, Keough is confident the county will be prepared for whatever comes this weekend. "I am issuing a disaster declaration ahead of the storm, and the reason is to make sure we have all the resources on hand so we're ready to respond, and that we will be reimbursed," he says.
"We're just going to have to see what happens, but we're going to hope for the best, plan for the worst."
Photo: iStockphoto
