Temperatures expected to hit high teens Monday, Tuesday
BY JEFF B. FLINN Managing Editor
The 5 P’s: Pipes, pets, plants, pumps and people. Kendall County residents are spending the weekend prepping for the arrival of the first severe winter weather of the new year.
With overnight lows predicted in the high teens on Monday and highs at the freezing mark Monday and Tuesday, city officials urge residents to ensure they have protections in place before temperatures drop.
Unlike the February 2023 freeze, which resulted in icy roads, walkways, yards and houses, the coming Arctic blast is not expected to bring much moisture with it, according to the National Weather Service.
Police Chief Steve Perez said the city of Boerne and Hill Country Family Services are teaming up to provide two warming stations for residents to utilize: one at the Patrick Heath Public Library, 451 N. Main St. behind City Hall; and at Boerne Church of Christ, 1 Upper Balcones Road, behind Starbucks.
Both locations will be open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. stocked with blankets, clothes, coats, socks, scarves and hand warmers. There will be water, coffee, tea, soup and snacks also available. Both sites are going to be pet friendly as well, so Rover and Tomcat do not have to left behind, but will have to be kept in a carrier or crate at the sites.
Perez urges people to stay in contact with friends, neighbors and loved ones if conditions make travel difficult.
“Stay in touch with each other and check on any elderly family or neighbors,” Perez said. “If we have to close any roads, we will post them on social media and on the city of Boerne’s web page.”
Perez said residents should not call 9-1-1 if power goes out, or pipes freeze. “If we should lose power, do not call 9-1-1. Please keep our 9-1-1 lines for emergencies only.”
The plummeting temperatures can make for several unpleasant -- and costly days if residents are caught unprepared.
Zack Cook, owner-operator of Hill Country Plumbing, said getting pipes wrapped and insulated is the way to go.
“We really want to get all these things protected that are exposed to the elements, especially hoses, things like that,” Cook said. “You really want to pay attention to anything on the north side of the house. Those winds are going to be coming in, and it could be really cold.”
Cook said to use whatever
WARMING
S TATIONS The city of Boerne and Hill Country Family Services are offering two Warming Stations:
PATRICK HEATH PUBLIC Library, 451 N. Main St.
(behind City Hall) BOERNE CHURCH OF CHRIST, 1 Upper Balcones Road (behind Starbucks) OPEN: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; pets welcome (in secure carriers-crates). In stock: Blankets, coats, socks, scarves, hand warmers.
Also: Water, coffee, tea, soup and snacks will be available.
is available to cover pipes and spigots – insulation, heat tape, towels, boxes, anything at your disposal.
“We also want to make sure that they are going to be protected from any type of water, and you want to keep them dry,” Cook added.
Cook said homeowners should keep a small steady stream of water running inside the house, to keep water running through the pipes, which makes it harder to freeze.
“That week-long freeze we had back in 2021, a drip wasn’t going to cut it. With the lows they are calling for this time, we’re going to want to see a steady flow,” Cook said. “If you’re able to drip any faucets inside, it would behoove to do something like that.”
Hill Country Plumbing received about 700 calls in two days following the February 2023 ice storm.
After the initial snow, Cook said his crew handled what they could. When the second snowfall buried the area, he said “we were blowing and going ... all my guys were putting in about 15-hour days Sunday to Sunday that whole week, trying to get water to everybody.”
Pipes can be wrapped, but pets must be brought inside, according to Stefanie Fisher, Boerne Animal Care Services supervisor.
“Ideally, we would like to see you bring your animals inside,” Fisher said. “If that’s something that just can’t happen, please call the shelter. We have some dog kennels, some dog houses, that we would be happy to give you to use.”
For care of animals outdoors, Fisher said get adequate cover, and use straw – not hay or blankets or towels – to provide warmth for the creatures.
“That (straw) won’t mold, and it’ll hold the heat,” she said. “Straw will dry out. If you put hay in there, it can mold and can make the animal sick.”
People who have outside cats are still responsible for them and need to provide a means for them to escape the cold. She suggested taking old ice chests, cutting a small hole in one end, big enough for the cats to enter, and providing a layer of straw underneath towels.
Pets that are kept outside will need to have access to water. Fisher said pet owners need to be prepared to check on a water supply, preferably with plastic, and not metal, bowls.
“Unfortunately, unless you have a heated bowl, you are going to be responsible to see that pet has water, multiple times a day,” she said. “Whether it’s dumping it out, or putting hot water on top of the cold, you’re going to have to make sure the animal has access to water.”
Plants are a passion activity for many Boerne residents, and Cynthia Brown of the Native Plant Society of Texas-Boerne chapter was busy Thursday moving her potted plants into her house when she took time to speak on “The Boerne Brew” on Boerne Radio 103.9 FM.
“My back is hurting right now because I’ve been moving in some of my potted plants that are exotic plants, and will not survive this freeze,” Brown, a past president of the Boerne chapter said. “There’s no way to protect those plants without bringing them into a heated area.”
Plants that are native to the region, she said, are more likely to survive the freeze, just as they did the extreme heat of this past summer.
“The native plants, I’m happy to say, don’t need anything done to them. That’s why we really like our native plants,” she said. “They are equipped to handle the extremes in temperature we experience here in Boerne.”
Brown said plants not native to the area might need some protection.
“If you have a tender, exotic plant, there's not much you can do to keep it alive,” she said, referring to “Plankets” sold in stores that will help keep frost off the plants. “But we’re (forecasted) to be going down to like 14 degrees one night. It won’t survive,” she added.
Boerne Utilities will be monitoring the city’s power supplies, as will other electrical companies, like Bandera Electric and Pedernales Electric.
Perez said first responders and utility crews will monitor and stand ready to respond to any issues that arise from freezing temperatures.
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