DALLAS – Another death has been reported in Texas, bringing the death toll to at least three from a crippling ice storm that has plunged more than 230,000 customers into the dark across the Lone Star State.
The storm that has been sliding across the region is the result of a bitter blast of arctic air that was in place across the central U.S. and is expected to continue to have a significant impact across the region throughout Wednesday.
“The best piece of advice is to wait this storm out,” FOX Weather meteorologist Stephen Morgan said Tuesday night.
THE HIDDEN DANGERS OF ICE STORMS. HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Driving proved nearly impossible for millions of people starting Monday. Rain fell through the warm air aloft to the freezing surface below, which then created a sheet of ice on roads across the region from Texas to Tennessee.
“Bridges and overpasses are considered treacherous,” White Settlement, Texas, police Chief Christopher Cook said in a tweet Monday. “People must slow down when approaching elevated surfaces.”
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The Arlington Police Department in Texas said a 45-year-old man was killed after being thrown from his vehicle when he lost control while driving over the Green Oaks Boulevard overpass at unsafe speeds.
Police said he crashed into a guardrail, the vehicle went airborne and then rolled down an embankment. Police said they don’t believe he was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
Austin-Travis County EMS said another person was killed in a crash involving at least 10 vehicles in Austin.
And according to the Texas Department of Public Safety, a woman was driving northbound on U.S. 277 late Tuesday night when she lost control of her vehicle due to the icy conditions and crashed into a tree about 8 miles north of Eldorado.
There was also a report of a fire truck that had been hit by another vehicle while it was responding to reports of a different crash on Highway 290, according to Austin fire officials. No injuries were reported in that crash.
On Tuesday morning, FOX 4 Dallas reported hundreds of drivers were stuck in a 20-mile traffic backup on Interstate 20 in Palo Pinto and Parker counties because of icy road conditions.
Treacherous driving conditions were also reported along Interstate 40 in Forrest City, Arkansas. The Forrest City Fire Department posted photos to Facebook showing a mangled mess of tractor-trailers involved in a crash because of the icy road conditions.
And a terrifying incident unfolded in Travis County, Texas, on Tuesday morning when a Travis County Sheriff’s Office deputy was hit by a tractor-trailer and became pinned beneath one of its tires.
The deputy was freed by EMS personnel and taken to a local hospital, where he underwent surgery. Officials said he is expected to survive.
“I want to offer my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who responded and assisted this deputy in his time of dire need. Both his biological and TCSO family are relieved and thankful that he’s alive,” Sheriff Sally Hernandez said. “Please, please don’t drive on these icy roadways. It’s not worth your life or the lives of the first responders who are literally putting their personal safety on the line.”
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Thousands of flights into and out of the region were also heavily impacted because of the crippling effects of the ice storm, with Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) leading the pack with the most cancellations and delays.
The Federal Aviation Administration also issued a ground stop at the airport on Tuesday because of the ice, which led to numerous delays.
And schools across the region made the decision to let students go home early or close schools altogether. This included both the Fort Worth Independent School District and the Austin Independent School District.
In addition, Oklahoma State University made the decision to close its campus at noon on Monday.
HERE’S WHAT TO HAVE ON HAND IF THE POWER GOES OUT DURING A WINTER STORM
As ice continues to build, or accrete, this can spell trouble for power lines as they become coated in increasingly thicker layers of ice.
Ice accretions of less than a quarter-inch are generally considered to be a nuisance, but impacts start to become disruptive once amounts close in on a half-inch or more. At around a half-inch, power outages can become numerous.
On Tuesday night, about 30,000 outages were reported across the region, but by Wednesday morning, those numbers skyrocketed.
Outage numbers consistently rose overnight, and the outage number was more than 230,000.
Those power outage numbers are expected to climb.
“It’s going to be rubbing salt in the wound because temperatures are going to stay below freezing, and those power lines are picking up more and more of an accretion of ice,” FOX Weather winter storm specialist Tom Niziol said.
“When the next area comes through (Wednesday), that will only add to that and that’s what raises the potential for power outages,” he added.
Power outages may lead some to resort to non-electric methods for staying warm. However, the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services urges caution.
ATCEMS is warning people not to use stoves, ovens or grills to try and heat homes when the power goes out. Emergency officials said they had received a call for carbon monoxide exposure, which can be deadly.
Anyone using a generator for electricity to heat their homes should also follow proper safety precautions.
The long-duration storm that has already impacted a large area of Texas and the mid-South will continue throughout Wednesday and should begin to wind down late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
“The good news is today is the last day,” FOX Weather meteorologist Britta Merwin said. “So we are going to see some improvements as we head into tomorrow.”
Merwin said that in the Hill Country of Texas, temperatures will rise above freezing Wednesday afternoon. But anyone out on the roads needs to remain cautious.
“We’re still going to have some very cold temperatures overnight, and so refreeze becomes a very big part of this picture,” Merwin said.
Ice Storm Warnings remain in effect until at least Thursday morning, and they extend from Del Rio at the Texas-Mexico border northward through Fort Stockton and Midland. Ice Storm Warnings are also in effect in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, northeastward into parts of southeastern Oklahoma, central and southern Arkansas, including Little Rock, and into Memphis, Tennessee.
Winter Storm Warnings are in effect from Waco to Austin and San Antonio, while Winter Weather Advisories are in effect to the north in Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
Additional ice accretion of up to a half-inch is expected across much of central and north-central Texas and parts of southern Arkansas. A quarter-inch of ice accretion is possible across larger areas, including southern Oklahoma, most of Arkansas and far West Tennessee.
Anyone driving on Wednesday in those regions is urged to take it slow on the roads or stay home if possible.