Next week’s forecast shows a possibility for extreme winter weather, and City departments are preparing by staging equipment and materials. Piles of sand to help de-ice and provide traction at intersections are in place and ready to load on spreaders. Bags of ice melt are also staged at several facilities to help make entrances to buildings safer. Emergency service personnel also have plans in place to open a warming center if needed.  

Response and Recovery Information 

The best way to keep up with current information on Richardson’s extreme weather response and recovery efforts is by monitoring the City’s Richardson Today social media available on Nextdoor, Facebook and Instagram. In cases of emergency information, people are also asked to register for alerts that can be sent to their mobile device. (See links provided below.)  

Area Utilities 

Area utility providers are also preparing. Electric utility provider Oncor provides an online storm outage map at stormcenter.oncor.com, and recommends any branches located near powerlines be trimmed on personal property to help avoid outages.  

Atmos Energy is also monitoring the weather and recommends its customers signup for text alerts.  

Fire and Health Safety During Cold Weather 

Anyone new to winter weather will want to follow the safety precautions outlined below to protect from harm and property damage:  

  • Use Space Heaters Safely: 
  • Place space heaters on level, non-flammable surfaces. 
  • Keep them at least 3 feet away from curtains, furniture, bedding and all other flammable materials. 
  • Never leave them unattended. 
  • Never use an oven or a gas stovetop to heat your home 
  • Insulate Pipes:  
  • Wrap exposed pipes to prevent freezing and bursting. 
  • Protect natural gas meters: 
  • Remove snow and ice with a broom or brush; never kick or chip snow and ice away with a hard object. 
  • Ventilate Properly:  
  • Ensure that gas appliances, like stoves and heaters, vent properly. 
  • Keep Pets Indoors:  
  • Provide warm shelter for outdoor animals.  

See below under Environmental for more ways to get ready for freezing temperatures regarding pipes, plants and more.  

Website: www.cor.net/severeweather  

City of Richardson Social Media Accounts: www.cor.net/social 

Emergency Notification System: www.cor.net/alerts 

Atmos Energy emergency line: 866-322-8667 (answered 24/7) 

Oncor Outage Map: https://stormcenter.oncor.com/