City of Tyler responds to winter weather conditions

The City of Tyler is responding to weather conditions due to freezing temperatures expected from Friday, Jan. 23 through Monday, Jan. 26.

Emergency services are at full strength and are available to residents of Tyler, including personnel in the Fire, Police, Streets, Water/Sewer and Traffic departments. We encourage individuals and families to have emergency kits ready and develop an emergency plan.

Please remember to protect the four Ps: People, Pets, Pipes, and Plants. Be aware of your pet's tolerance to cold weather. Like people, cats and dogs are susceptible to frostbite and hypothermia and should be kept inside.

Tyler Street Department
The Tyler Streets and Stormwater Department has stockpiled deicer material for roadways. Starting Friday afternoon, crews will focus on clearing bridges, overpasses and the medical district and will continue treating throughout the weekend. Smaller residential roads will not be deiced.

"The goal during a multi-day freeze is not to restore full access to roads. The more vehicles on the road create melt that will then re-freeze at night, turning into black ice, which is more dangerous," said Streets Department Leader Sara McCracken. "It is important to stress that the roads are treated for emergency vehicles and first responders and that, during extreme freezes, our request will always be that residents avoid travel."

Residents are encouraged not to drive on roadways in icy conditions, as the friction from tires will cause ice to melt and refreeze, creating black ice.

All State Highways within the City are handled by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and usually follow Interstate 20 and Toll 49 in priority. TxDOT has pretreated many roadways in preparation for the icy weather. To see TxDOT road closures and conditions, visit DriveTexas.org.

The City reminds businesses and residents to turn off automatic sprinklers when temperatures drop below freezing. Sprinkler systems left on when temperate drop below freezing may cause sheets of ice to form on streets and sidewalks, creating hazardous conditions.

To report street issues, fallen trees, or limbs within Tyler City limits:
Street crews are on standby to clear fallen trees from roadways. Residents are advised to keep their distance from the trucks so the crews can do their jobs safely.

Residents can contact the Street Department at (903) 531-1393 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

After hours, please contact the Tyler Police Department's non-emergency line at (903) 531-1000.

Use the MyTyler App to report non-emergency street damage and downed trees. The app is free to download.

To report power outages:
Contact Oncor at 1-888-313-4747 or through the MyOncor App to report power outages and downed power lines.

Subscribe to ERCOT Emergency Alerts for updates on the Texas power grid.

To report downed power lines blocking roadways:
Contact the Tyler Police Department's non-emergency line at (903) 531-1000.

Residents are encouraged to sign up for RAVE Alerts, follow the City's social media channels and visit the City's website regularly during an extreme weather event for information.

Overnight Warming Shelters
Salvation Army - 24-hour shelter for homeless or near homeless with a capacity of 200. (903) 592-4361. In case of declared emergency, additional space for 250 is available in the Disaster Shelter.

American Red Cross - Open on demand. Depends on declared emergency. (903) 581-7981 or 1-866-505-4801.

Hwy 80 Rescue Mission - Open on demand. Depends on declared emergency. (903) 363-9265.

More shelters may be available depending on demand. Contact the Tyler Fire Department at (903) 535-0005 for additional locations or for more information.

Tyler Water Utilities
Tyler Water Utilities has large generators at each water treatment plant to act as backup power in case primary and secondary lines from Oncor go down. These generators have been serviced quarterly and the facilities have done a complete temporary switch to the generators to verify they are working correctly.

Tyler Water Services has portable heaters to prevent valves from freezing. Crews will be on standby during winter weather conditions to assist with water line breaks and other emergency work that may occur.

Water main breaks and emergencies during the business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. should be reported to the Water Service Center at (903) 531-1285. After hours, please call (903) 597-6541.

Water main breaks will be reported to residents through RAVE alerts.

Traffic
The Tyler Traffic Department has installed battery backups for 17 major intersections, which will automatically activate if power is lost. Additionally, eight generators will be used to power traffic lights in critical intersections if power is lost.

Signalized intersections with updated communications will assist staff in identifying power outages in real time. It will also allow for quicker updates to the public and help deploy resources more efficiently.

Solid Waste
The Tyler Solid Waste Department will pause residential and commercial collections if roads are unsafe and resume once the freeze is over. The Downtown Recycle Center will also close if there are icy conditions.

Tyler Transit
If MicroTransit routes and Paratransit services are canceled due to icy roads, the Tyler Transit Department will coordinate with other agencies to continue serving dialysis patients and taking residents to warming centers. Service alerts will be reported to residents through social media and the City's website.

Parks and Recreation
Tyler Parks and Recreation in preparation for the freezing temperatures, have temporarily turned off outdoor restroom facilities and water fountains.

Tyler Pounds Regional Airport
Customers should contact their airline for flight delays or cancelations.

American Airlines: (800) 433-7300.