Breckenridge Texan

By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan

In response to this week’s winter storm and the ongoing below-freezing temperatures, Stephens County Michael Roach, Breckenridge Mayor Bob Sims and Breckenridge Interim City Manager Heather Robertson-Caraway have declared a local state of disaster beginning at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 17.

Their action follows a similar actions by Gov. Greg Abbott and President Joe Biden for the State of Texas.

The local leaders decided to declare the disaster after determining “that extraordinary measures must be taken to mitigate the effects of the severe weather emergency and to facilitate the efficient, rapid, and cooperative response to the emergency.”

The declaration enacts the Stephens County Emergency Management Plan and will be in effect indefinitely from the date of the declaration until rescinded by the County Judge and the City Commission. Click here to read the entire declaration.

Also on Wednesday afternoon, Roach announced on the Stephens County Facebook page that he had spoken with Oncor representatives and power should begin to be restored to most of the county soon. However, occasional outages due to rolling blackout could still happen. “We may still see outages until Friday, and you may lose power again. But, things are getting better,” he said in the post.

The weather situation has left several inches of snow and ice on some roadways in Stephens County. Some homes in the community have been without electric power for two or three days, and many more in the community have had intermittent power since Sunday.

Additionally, many of the rural water customers have been without water for a couple of days, since the Stephens Regional Special Utility District‘s water treatment plant lost power on Monday. Power has been restored to the plant, and water service is expected to be back by today or Thursday. The SRSUD has issued a Boil Water Notice for all of their customers.

Due to the weather, the following closures and other adjustments have been announced:

• The Stephens County Courthouse is closed Wednesday, Feb. 15, and Roach said they hope to reopen on Thursday.
• The Grand Jury for the 90th Judicial District of Stephens County scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 18, has been canceled. Call 254-559-3151 for a new summons date.
• Schools: Breckenridge Independent School District has canceled classes through Friday, Feb. 19. The decision was made due to the weather, power outages and busted water pipes at East Elementary. If possible, classes will resume on Monday, Feb. 22. Texas State Technical College classes are canceled through Friday, Feb. 19.
• Medical Services: ResourceCare Community Health Center is closed on Wednesday, Feb. 17. Breckenridge Medical Center will offer telehealth phone call service on Wednesday, Feb. 17. The phone number is 254-559-3363. Stephens Memorial Hospital’s Urgent Care Clinic and Emergency Room are open.
• Many churches have canceled their Wednesday night services or are offering them online. Check with your church for their schedule.
• The Elks Lodge #1480 is closed for the rest of the week.
• In Breckenridge, some stores and restaurants have been able to open while others have remained closed. Call before you go.

According to the National Weather Service, today’s high temperature is supposed to be near 28 degrees with an overnight low around 16. On Thursday, the high is predicted to be 28, again, with a lower overnight low of 9 degrees. By Friday, Feb. 19, the forecast calls for a warming trend with a high of 43 continuing on to near 70 by Tuesday, Feb.  23.

Cutline, top photo: Temperatures near 0 degrees led to parts of Hubbard Creek Lake freezing, as seen in this photo taken in the Tanglewood Island area off of FM 2231. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)