Posted in News, Notices by coh_admin
🚨City Hall Closure🚨
Due to inclement weather, Municipal Offices closed today (02/01/23). Offices are anticipated to be open tomorrow (02/02/23) at 8:00 AM.
Any updates or closures will be announced on our social media channels.
The City, County, and partners strongly encourage all residents to prepare for cold weather by remembering the Four Ps: People, Pets, Plants & Pipes.
PEOPLE
Keep warm and dress in layers. Check on family, friends, and neighbors who may be more vulnerable to this week’s cold weather or may not have access to housing and heating, including the elderly and those with special needs.
The Helotes Fire Department recommends:
- Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
- Install and maintain CO (carbon monoxide) alarms to avoid the risk of CO poisoning.
- Never use your oven to heat your home.
- Never use a generator indoors.
- Always plug portable heaters directly into a wall socket (no power strips).
- Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
- Never leave children unattended in a room with a space heater.
- Test smoke alarms at least once a month.
PETS
Pets should be brought indoors and provided with a warm place to sleep.
State law dictates dogs cannot be tethered with any size chain at any time; it also states dogs cannot be left outdoors restrained and unattended in the case of officially defined extreme weather or situations in which an animal is in severe distress, including conditions in which the actual or effective outdoor temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Helotes Animal Control reminds you – if it is cold for you, it is probably cold for your pets. Keep your pets warm, cozy, and safe with these pet safety tips.
FARM ANIMALS AND LIVESTOCK
Farm animals and livestock rely on their humans to protect them and keep them safe.
- Have adequate food and water. Animals and livestock should have plenty of food and a steady water supply. During frigid temperatures, water will freeze. You will need to break up the ice or replace the frozen water.
- Provide warm bedding. Make sure that there is adequate bedding for each animal.
- Add extra feed. Animals need to eat more in cold weather to provide extra calories for heat energy.
PLANTS
Plants may need to be covered or brought inside to avoid frost damage.
PIPES
San Antonio Water System reminds residents:
- Allow one internal faucet to drip slowly to keep water moving in your pipes during cold temperatures.
- If your home has plumbing in cabinets on outside walls without insulation, leave the cabinet doors open to allow warm indoor air to circulate.
- Cover and insulate outdoor pipes. Local hardware stores have foam insulation and faucet protectors, but even wrapping pipes with rags or newspapers will do.
SAWS has created a webpage with infographics and how-to videos in English and Spanish to prepare for and prevent water emergencies at saws.org/BeReady (English) or saws.org/Preparate (Spanish).
Know where your meter cutoff valve is. If pipes freeze, SAWS has created a video on how to turn off the water at the meter:
https://youtu.be/BYp_9JZQb3AÂ (English)Â Â https://youtu.be/mghj_zDD7IUÂ (Spanish)
CPS ENERGY
CPS Energy crews are prepared to respond to any local weather-related outages. High winds are in the forecast, and CPS Energy reminds residents to stay away from downed power lines and report them at 210-353-4357 (HELP). Do NOT attempt to move or drive over the lines.
Sign up for Energy Alerts or call 210-353-2222 to provide your emergency contact information.
CPS Energy has created winter preparation pages in English at CPSenergy.com/Prepare and Spanish at CPSenergy.com/Preparar. For additional winter safety tips, visit www.cpsenergy.com/wintersafety.
REPUBLIC SERVICES
Depending on the weather and road conditions, Republic Services may not be able to collect trash or recycling for residential and commercial customers in Helotes. If collections are postponed, trash and recycling collections will resume on the next scheduled date.
RESOURCES
- For the latest forecast from the National Weather Service, visit weather.gov/ewx.
- Download a Winter Preparedness Guide and plan today at Winter Weather | Ready.gov
- For information on roadway conditions, visit DriveTexas™ or call 800-452-9292
- For travel planning and other tips, visit TxDOT Safety Guide for Winter Travel.
- SAWS media materials available for download at https://bit.ly/SAWSbeReady
Follow local media, such as the NWS Austin/San Antonio, for breaking news.
The City of Helotes and TxDOT recommends staying home to minimize driving on roadways as they can quickly become hazardous. If you must travel, review the following links for winter weather driving tips.
To report public safety issues in the City of Helotes, call the non-emergency phone at 210-695-2500. Always call 911 during an emergency.