Austin weather: First responders report thousands of calls for service during winter storm
Some icy road conditions remain amid Central Texas thaw
The Austin Police Department, Travis County Sheriff's Office and Austin Fire Department broke down their calls for service during the winter storm this past weekend.
AUSTIN, Texas - First responders have been busy during this winter storm.
Austin police, the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, and the Austin Fire Department have reported thousands of calls for service.
What they're saying:
Roads in Central Texas are still dangerous after the winter weather.
TxDOT crews have been working around the clock for nearly a week now treating Central Texas roadways.
"Crews are still out treating hot spots and clearing accumulation in the northern and western parts of the city and surrounding areas," TxDOT spokesperson Kellen Mohrmann said.
Winter weather: Icy road conditions in parts of Austin
Any streets in Austin have thawed, but danger remains on bridges and overpasses
Even with constant treatment, TxDOT said refreezing overnight continues to cause dangerous conditions.
"A lot of stuff overnight, even though we got out there and we were treating, there were areas that refroze. And so, it's an important reminder, we're in the fourth quarter of this event. It's not over," Mohrmann said.
TxDOT is urging drivers to slow down, stay alert, and avoid travel unless necessary.
"Drivers, it's really important that they're still careful, that they go and check DriveTexas.org before they hit the road to see where those ice passages might still be and be really careful out there," Mohrmann said.
By the numbers:
Emergency responders are feeling the impact.
From Sunday morning to Tuesday morning, Austin police handled more than 2,200 calls for service.
Jan. 25 through Jan. 26 from 9 a.m. to 7 a.m.
- 967 total calls for service
- 69 Crashes
- 91 Traffic Hazards
Jan. 26 through Jan. 27 from 7 a.m. – 7 a.m.
- 1,324 total calls for service
- 118 Crashes
- 135 Traffic Hazards
"We want to remind our community of the importance of staying home and off the roads during weather events like these. We’re thankful to all our first responders who worked in these conditions throughout the entire event to keep our community safe," APD said in a statement.
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Travis County deputies reported responding to more than 300 calls for service since Saturday. They said calls tied to icy roads, collisions, and traffic hazards nearly doubled from Monday to Tuesday.
Jan. 24 through Jan. 27 from 12:01 a.m. – 10 a.m.
- 333 total calls for service
- 67 traffic hazard
- 70 collision types
- 8 check welfare
- 50 assist motorist
- 6 assist other agency types
- 24 animal types
- 25 assist complainant
- 8 Fleet Damage/Highway Enforcement & Accident Team Request
- 1 AutoPED
- 1 Flooded Roadway
- 1 Damage to County Property
- 66 Icy Roadway
- 1 Information
- 1 Special Assignment
- 4 Reckless Driving
From Saturday through Monday, the Austin Fire Department responded to 430 fire alarms, 175 traffic incidents including vehicle rescues, 91 broken water pipes, 72 public assists, 35 carbon monoxide calls, and 26 structure fire alarms.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Meredith Aldis