KERRVILLE, Texas – As the temperatures continue to drop around San Antonio and the Hill Country, Kerrville Fire Chief Eric Maloney said that his city’s situation appears to be improving.
Despite initial concerns that the cold front could bring severe weather, as of 10 p.m. Wednesday, the forecast has since weakened into a low-impact event, primarily consisting of cold rain.
Still, officials are taking precautions. Mahoney said the city is treating the event as a “good trial run” for future emergencies.
“This is an opportunity to get together as a team and do some of the prep work ahead of time,” said Maloney. “Planning is most of it when it comes to emergency management, and the more planning you do, the more prepared you are when you need to pivot.”
As for residents in the area, they are no strangers to cold weather events.
Cristal Garza, a Kerrville resident, shared her thoughts on the unpredictability of the state’s climate.
“Texas weather is crazy in general,” Garza said. “You can expect whatever.”
The weather event was initially expected to be much more severe but it has since fizzled out some as it approaches. Many areas are now anticipating only cold rain.
Lucia Garcia, who lives in Junction, noted how quickly the weather can change in Texas.
“We’re in Texas. The weather changes very frequently, so you never know,” Garcia said on Wednesday.
Although this event is mild, many people KSAT spoke to recalled previous winter events, such as the February 2021 winter storm.
Garza recalls her experience from that storm, describing it as less than ideal, though her kids found joy in the snow.
“We were out of water and light for a couple of days, and it wasn’t cool,” Garza said. “My kids enjoyed it though because of the snow.”
In 2022, big rigs were stranded on Interstate 10 in Kerr County for days due to icy conditions.
Garcia, who was traveling at the time, had to sleep in her truck after a semi-truck flipped on the highway.
“A semi-truck had flipped on Interstate 10, like, 12 miles from Junction, so I had to literally sleep in my truck,” Garcia said. “I was not happy.”
In response to the potential for weather disruptions, the Kerrville City Street Department has already begun preparations.
While major highways and freeways will be treated, for now, only the bridge on Holdsworth Drive will be treated in Kerrville. Officials plan to re-evaluate the need for further treatments at 5 a.m. Thursday.
The city’s emergency management team said it is prepared to respond should conditions change.
