Update at 2:20 p.m. on Tuesday, January 31:
Gov. Greg Abbott said in a news conference on Tuesday, January 31 that 1,600 roads in Texas have been impacted by the winter weather conditions. He urged Texans to stay off the roads as the icy conditions will remain dangerous for the next 24 to 48 hours.
Abbott said that road crews are trying to apply more than 1.3 million gallons of de-icing fluids around the state during the weather event. The governor added that there have been about 7,000 power outages across the state but stressed that the outages are not related to a power grid issue at the moment.
Officials at ERCOT stated in the conference that the state’s power grid is holding steady. Officials said that they aren’t asking for any areas to conserve power and that they are confident Texans will avoid any power problems similar to the snowstorm in 2021.
Crashes due to icy roads
In Travis County, a deputy was injured after pulling over and exiting his vehicle to assist the driver of an 18-wheeler that had gone off the roadway in the 9300 block of SH 130 northbound. While assisting that driver, another 18-wheeler slid on the icy roadway. The deputy was struck by that truck and was pinned beneath one of its tractor tires.
He is currently in surgery and is expected to survive his injuries.
The icy roads caused a crash involving a Boerne Police officer after a truck lost control and crashed into the patrol car near the intersection of South Main Street and I-10, according to officials.
Neither the driver of the truck nor the officer sustained major injuries, officials said. The officer was transported to the hospital but has since been released after the collision occurred around 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
Update at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 31:
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has announced several road closures due to the icy weather conditions in San Antonio on Tuesday, January 31. According to the office’s Facebook post, here are the following closures:
- Boerne Stage Road at Baywater Stage closed due to ice on the bridge.
- 11300 Block of State Hwy 211 has closed due to ice on the bridge.
- 24900 Block Scenic Loop has closed due to ice on the bridge.
- E. Evans Road at E. Loma View has re-opened.
Please check back for any additional closures.
Original story:
A winter storm has brought ice and sleet across Texas, causing dangerous road conditions for drivers. One person has already been confirmed dead in a 10-car pile-up in Austin, according to the Austin Fire Department.
In San Antonio, cameras from the Texas Department of Transportation show multiple vehicles that lost control while driving on Highway 281 at Loop 1604 due to the icy road conditions. Cameras also show emergency vehicles and police responding to the incident. Officials have not released more details on the crash.
The City of Kerrville posted on Facebook on Tuesday, January 31 how there are 18 wheelers involved in a traffic accident on westbound Interstate 10 at the Kerr-Kimble county line.
Officials in North Texas have responded to more than 100 incidents since the start of the weather event, according to NBC-DFW. Most major highways north of downtown Fort Worth and the Interstate 30 corridor reportedly had patches of ice and black ice, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.
TxDOT officials said it is dangerous on the roads right now and they are asking people to avoid driving unless it’s an emergency. If you do get into a wreck, do not get out of your vehicle. Officials said the safest place is in the protection of your car until first responders arrive.
If you do need to drive, TxDOT encourages drivers to drive slowly with cruise control turned off, accelerate and brake gently, and approach turns slowly.