Governor Greg Abbott has declared a state of disaster in 134 counties across Texas in advance of this weekend’s winter storm. Abbott joined the head of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) Pablo Vegas, and the chair of the Public Utility Commission Thomas Gleeson, in saying the grid had been greatly strengthened since The Great Texas Freeze: February 11-20, 2021, with multiple redundancies built into the system to prevent another massive failure.
Abbott explained, “We should anticipate some local, isolated power outages because of damage to trees, damage to power lines. That’s not a grid situation. We feel very confident that for the entire grid there’s going to be abundant power available throughout this entire winter storm.” Abbott said the storm will not be as severe or as widespread as the winter storm of five years ago. But the governor cautioned that people would be making a mistake if they did not take the weather threat seriously.
Meanwhile, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is advising farmers to prepare their livestock for this weekend’s winter storm. That includes storing up plenty of water. “Prior to the event, we're recommending that everyone put out hay. More roughage you can get into your livestock, the warmer they will be. Grain does not help keep them warm. It's roughage on the inside that generates heat for the livestock.”
Miller also says it’s a good idea for everyone to open doors exposing the water pipes under their sinks and to crack their faucets open to let them drip.
In Louisiana, Governor Jeff Landry has declared a state of emergency ahead of the winter weather. With that in mind, Mike Steele, Communications Director with the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP), urges people to make their emergency kit now. “Think about the things you may need to get through a couple of days, where travel may be limited, where you may not be able to go to the grocery store, where there could be significant power loss.” The governors in Arkansas and Oklahoma also declared a state of emergency in their states ahead of the winter storm, as well.
Speaking of changes to schedules, the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra already announced that their Mardi Gras concert that had been scheduled for Saturday night at the Riverview Theater has been postponed due to the incoming winter weather.
UPDATE: The concert has been officially rescheduled for April 2, 2026.
Several local school districts, meanwhile, have announced classes will be held on Friday. That’s because the potential winter weather event is not expected to begin impacting the area until late Friday. Both the Caddo and Bossier School Districts, for example, say all Friday night and weekend activities have been cancelled.
The graphic (above) provides a list of emergency weather shelters in Shreveport. With temperatures expected to drop into the 30s, and below freezing, with periods of rain over the next several days, the Shreveport Police Department is urging residents - especially those without stable housing - to utilize available shelters and warming centers.
