I hope everyone has had a good start to the New Year so far! Although it’s balmy right now, we have seen a lot of freezing temperatures already in 2025, and I’m sure there are more to come in February.
Hopefully everyone was able to enjoy the snow we received last month! Thanks to our Public Works crews, it wasn’t too inconvenient for travel. Over the course of the three-day weather event, 19 Public Works employees worked 379 hours, using three dump trucks, two sanders, two plows, six work trucks, and one loader to get the job done, including distributing 150 gallons of pretreatment material and 441 tons of sand and salt. That’s a lot of work! I am always so impressed with our Public Works team and all of our emergency responders and Town staff for everything they do during winter storms. I am confident we’re prepped for any other weather that may head our way this season.
But I also want to make sure you’re prepared. Be sure to cover exposed pipes to prevent freezing and breaks. Make sure you know where your home’s water shut-off valve is in case you do have a pipe burst. The Town has previously shared a helpful post where you can learn more about shutting off your water (check it out at https://bit.ly/3rjJsqF). If you ever need assistance turning off your water in an emergency, please contact our Police non-emergency number at 972.539.0525. It’s also always smart to leave indoor faucets running at a trickle when we have freezing temps, and open cabinet doors.
When winter precipitation is in the forecast, Public Works does not pretreat all roadways, or any neighborhood streets. They are focused on major intersections in town, primary roadways, and bridges. Since they won’t be coming down your neighborhood street, this means we’re counting on you to turn off your irrigation systems so that we don’t see frozen roads and sidewalks! You can learn more about how to handle yard sprinklers, as well as residential fire systems, at https://bit.ly/3s7NBNE.
Check now to make sure your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms are functioning properly. Never use a gas stovetop, oven, or grill to heat your home. And of course, take care of the 4 Ps: pipes (which we’ve already discussed); people (keep your family warm and check on any elderly family or neighbors who may need extra blankets, help winterizing their homes, or a warm place to stay); pets (bring your dogs and cats inside to keep them healthy and safe); and plants (either cover them or bring them inside to keep them warm).
In the event of weather-related power outages, you can report outages in the following ways:
- Oncor: Call 888.313.4747, text “OUT” to 66267, or visit stormcenter.oncor.com.
- CoServ: Call 844.330.0762, text “OUT” to 855.938.3496, or visit CoServ.com/OutageMap.
You can also watch grid conditions on ERCOT’s dashboard at ercot.com/gridmktinfo/dashboards.
If you do lose power, and need somewhere warm to go, you can find a list and map of warming stations in our area at tdem.texas.gov/warm.
Denton County also has a free STEAR program (State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry). It allows individuals with disabilities, medical needs, or specific challenges to register your information so that the local emergency responders can be better prepared to assist you in emergency situations. You can register at stear.tdem.texas.gov.
And of course, the Town will always share any Town facility closures or schedule changes, as well as any delays or disruptions in solid waste and recycling collection, on the Town’s Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram pages, as well as on our website at flowermound.gov.
Lastly, if you’d like to sign up for emergency alerts from the Town, visit flowermound.gov/emergencynotifications.
Stay safe and warm out there this winter! Soon enough we’ll be complaining about the 100+ degree weather, so try to soak it up!
