HOUSTON – Operators and dispatchers inside the Transportation Control Center at the Harris County Office of Emergency Management are keeping a close eye on roadways overnight, especially troublesome bridges and overpasses.
TxDot will tackle those.
"They monitor where the levels are beginning to get near freezing," said Transtar spokesperson Dinah Massie. "They'll go out and they'll sand or use magnesium chloride, depending on the situation."
Upstairs in the same building was the Emergency Operations Center. It was manned specifically for the winter storm advisory by first responders from multiple agencies.
But with improving conditions officials were able to deactivate it late Tuesday evening. The downstairs control room will continue to operate but at a lower staffing level.
"We'll see some peeling back within the 24 hours after tomorrow morning," said Massie. "People will begin to go back to their regular jobs and their regular levels."
Despite the deactivation of the operations center, emergency officials are already shifting their concern to the overnight and morning hours where a hard freeze could bring ice to local roadways.
"The main concern now is to make sure people really pay attention in the morning before they drive," said Harris County Judge Ed Emmett.