A report detailing the city of Waco’s response to February’s freeze recommends stockpiling fuel and supplies, developing emergency housing plans with designated shelters, investing in snow plowing equipment and arming more city facilities with backup generators.
The report details what happened when the unprecedented nine-day weather event caused havoc with the state’s power grid, the erratic and long-lasting power outages that put lives in danger throughout Texas and the ensuing water pipe ruptures that spread throughout the city, putting the water system in jeopardy until a combination of round-the-clock work and water conservation measures helped it recover. Critical infrastructure in the city had not been reported to Oncor, the company that manages power distribution in Waco, something the report suggests correcting as soon as possible.