The City of Seabrook is working with area partners to ensure the safety of motorists and residents in anticipation of freezing weather moving into the region. Current predictions call for freezing rain, sleet and possibly snow beginning late Sunday night and into Monday morning next week. The potential for icy conditions are forecasted.
City administrative offices will be CLOSED on Monday, February 15, 2021 and may have a delayed opening on Tuesday, February 16. Pine Gully Park will also be closed all day Monday. Updates on trash services will be announced as soon as they are made available by Waste Management. Utility customers are urged to pay their utility bills in person on Friday, February 12, 2021 or to drop off their payments using the City Hall Utility Dropbox located in the parking lot at 1700 1st Street. Payments may also be made online at www.seabrooktx.gov/payments.
Residents should prepare for the winter weather by remembering the four “P’s”.
- People: Keep your family warm and check on any elderly family or neighbors that may need extra blankets, winterizing their homes or a warm place to stay. Remember If you are using a space heater, place it on a level, hard surface and keep anything flammable at least three feet away – things such as paper, clothing, bedding, curtains or rugs.
- Pets: Dogs and cats get cold too. Bring them inside when temperatures drop to keep them healthy and safe. If they can’t come inside, make sure they have enough shelter to keep them warm and that they can get to unfrozen water.
- Plants: Either cover plants to keep them warm or bring them inside so they can flourish.
- Pipes: Cover exposed pipes to prevent freezing or breaks. Residents may also consider allowing a faucet to slowly drip when temperatures drop below freezing for prolonged periods. The constant drip relieves pressure that is building up in the pipes between the ice blockage and the faucet and helps to prevent them from bursting when the pipes begin to thaw.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will have crews pretreating bridges and overpasses along State Highway 146 with magnesium chloride, which is used to minimize freezing due to accumulated water on roadways. In addition, crews will be on standby to treat icy conditions as needed throughout the event. Should portions of SH146 close during the storm, updates will be posted to www.sh146.com, on social media and sent out through our Seabrook Alert system.
The City of Seabrook Public Works Department will also have crews available during normal business hours and standby crews available after hours for emergencies. Freeze precautions are in place city-wide and the water system, the wastewater treatment plant and all lift stations will be monitored closely.
Sleet, ice and freezing rain can create dangerous driving conditions, which is why the city strongly advises drivers to stay off the roads as much as possible. If drivers must be on the road, please remember to:
- Slow down.
- Increase your following distance.
- Use extra caution on bridges, ramps and overpasses – DO NOT PASS ON BRIDGES OR OVERPASSES.
- Stay back at least 200 feet from vehicles treating roadways.
- If you start to slide, ease off the gas pedal or brakes and steer into the direction of the skid.
- Avoid unnecessary travel.
Please do not call 911 for updates on road conditions or electricity outages. Electricity outages may be reported directly to CenterPoint by calling (713) 207-2222 or (800) 332-7143 in addition information on current outages is available through CenterPoint’s Outage Tracker.
For road conditions and closings please contact either Houston TranStar at (713) 225-5627 or TxDOT at (800) 452-9292; you may also visit DriveTexasTM online at www.DriveTexas.org.
Please follow the City of Seabrook on social media as the storm moves into our area and also be sure to sign up for emergency alerts at www.seabrooktx.gov/alerts.