Central Texas is currently in the grip of the most severe winter weather emergency in 30 years.  This emergency has brought well below freezing temperatures, ice accumulation and record snow levels.  Heavy ice has broken many trees, damaging power lines, and the state power grid is completely overwhelmed due to frozen wind turbines and frozen natural gas lines throughout the state.  Millions of Texans are without power, heat and water in these emergency conditions that are not expected to clear until well into the weekend.

Our team is working diligently to route emergency calls to vendors.  Response times have been severely impacted or completely stopped by the road conditions resulting in slow or extremely delayed responses by city emergency and utility crews.  With further rounds of extreme weather forecasted including heavy freezing ice and more snow, the conditions will certainly worsen and further impede response times.  Vendors are preparing to handle the most immediate needs as soon as the roads are safely navigable.

We are experiencing major freeze damage to pipes in some occupied homes, which although shocking is normal under these temperatures for some property types.  Vacant homes are even more vulnerable and will be assessed on a priority level.

 

Our team will be assessing all properties for damage and any urgent needs immediately when the roads are safely navigable.  At this time all ALPS staff and residents are taking emergency action to protect their families from the winter emergency.  The power at the office location has been down for over 24 hours, however the web-based phone system is working and properly routing to the emergency call center.  In many emergency cases we have not been able to respond promptly or at all, until the emergency situation is lifted.

 

A backyard after a big snowstorm