CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Beeville City Public Works Department was busy treating roads and overpasses ahead of Tuesday night's freeze warning.
Crews were spreading the sand out along the various bridges in town. There were nearly 30 that were addressed because of the possibility that they could ice up overnight if the temperatures go below 32 degrees.
"We are not sanding the roadways, because the ground temperature we think based on the forecast, we won't get ice on the roadways," said Beeville City Manager John Benson. "But potentially, with the moisture in the air, and on the road surfaces, bridges may ice."
The city has also put heat lamps at several different water station locations around town. That in an effort to ensure that the water continues to flow if the temperature does plunge below 32 degrees.
"Started wrapping and insulating and putting heat lamps on gauges, valves, the necessary equipment on our water distribution system," Benson said, "and at our water treatment plant to make sure everything continues to work properly, and it's not affected by the cold temperatures."
Beeville Fire Chief Bill Burris said his department is going to drain the water out of the brush trucks to keep them from freezing over and being knocked out of service. He also cautions residents to use proper heating sources to stay warm.
"Your kitchen stoves are not a heater," Burris said. "We've gone to several calls that people are using their stoves or ovens as a heater in the house and they're not designed for that."
If residents can't stay warm, they are encouraged to head over to the corner of Cleveland and North Saint Mary's. That's where the first United Methodist Church is located and is setting up a warming center inside its gymnasium.
"I will be set up here and setting these cards out for individuals or families. It needs to get out of the cold weather if their pipes burst and they have an emergency or even the homeless will come in, so I'll set these cots up out in the sleeping area," said warming center manager Richard Perry.
The church will open its shelter doors at 7 p.m. and will allow people to stay until 9 a.m. on Feb. 3.