Although students received an extended break from school last week, several other entities were impacted by frigid temperatures and hazardous road conditions.

Garland ISD closed all schools and facilities from Tuesday, Jan. 31, until Friday, Feb. 3, with students returning to all campuses Monday, Feb. 6. On the district website, it said two bad weather days were built into the existing school calendar.

With two additional days remaining from the closure, Garland ISD officials will evaluate the potential of applying for a make-up day exemption waiver from the Texas Education Agency or announcing make-up days soon, according to a severe weather update on the district website.

Athletic activities resumed Feb. 3, but all other after-school activities were canceled during the closures.

Wylie ISD also closed schools Jan. 31-Feb. 3 with a plan to reopen campuses fully on Feb. 6. Similar to Garland ISD, Wylie ISD has not revealed its make-up day plan as of presstime Feb. 6 as it determines how it will approach the missed classroom time.

Initially, the district announced two make-up days, but it has revised its stance to one of evaluation for handling the nearly weeklong closure.

Similar to Garland ISD, all other after-school activities were canceled during the closures while athletics began competing again Feb. 3.

Additionally, city offices and facilities in Sachse were closed over the same period. Trash pickup in the city was impacted Jan. 31-Feb. 1 with trash-only pickup resuming Thursday, Feb. 2 as long as road conditions permitted.

Residents were encouraged to leave their trash cans out by the curb until 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5. 

Fire Chief Martin Wade said Sachse Fire-Rescue did not see many wrecks, citing residents heeding calls to avoid the roads when possible. The department responded to a total of three wrecks during the winter storm, he added, but there were no major injuries.

Wylie ER Director of Marketing Jennifer Christoferson said most of the walk-in traffic was down during the winter weather although it saw more visitors as a result of car wrecks. The business also booked hotel rooms nearby for its staff who had to commute from a distance, she added, so that they could still provide care while the roads were icy.

Wade said the department performed its regular wellness calls to assisted living and memory care facilities. The total volume of medical calls was lower despite an uptick in fall-related calls for service.

There were no department responses to stranded residents inside a vehicle, said Wade, nor were there any officially reported power outages during the winter weather. There were also no calls to respond to busted pipes on fire sprinkling systems.

Wade said he did increase staffing levels at the department to account for longer turnaround times from hospital visits and longer response times because of the icy roads.

As ice melted, Christoferson said a major hazard could be falling ice because it has the ability to cause injuries. It can also damage vehicles by sliding off the roof or other parts of the car onto roadways creating hazards for other motorists.

Mayor Jeff Bickerstaff, known by many for his weather expertise, said attentive residents may have heard a rare occurrence of “sleet thunder” during the winter storm Jan. 31. Bickerstaff said the phenomenon occurs when the ground temperature is below freezing while the air’s temperature is above freezing.

The difference between the temperatures create unstable conditions that can lead to the formation of a thunderstorm with lightning overhead, he added, despite the rain converting into sleet as it fell to the ground.

County services were also impacted by the winter weather with Collin and Dallas counties staying closed from Jan. 31-Feb. 2. Because of the deadline to pay property taxes by Jan. 31 overlapping with the closure, both counties extended the deadline to receive taxes until the first date of reopening, Feb. 3.

Collin County opened government offices for regular hours Feb. 3, while Dallas County opened at 10:30 a.m.

As a result of potential damage, Governor Greg Abbott has encouraged residents to report using the state’s Individual State of Texas Assessment tool (iSTAT) survey, which can be accessed by visiting damage.tdem.texas.gov and clicking “Ice Storm/Winter Weather Jan. 29-ongoing.” The damage survey helps state officials understand the impacts and identify any necessary resources to assist in disaster relief. Reporting is voluntary and does not preclude individuals from reporting to their insurance company nor does it guarantee assistance.

“As ice begins to thaw in many communities, the winter weather impacts to homes and businesses are revealing themselves,” said Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd. “I urge any Texan who sustained property damage to report it in order to aid officials in identifying community needs.”

Information provided in the survey will also help the state determine its eligibility for federal assistance.

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