HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced on Friday that he assembled a team to help the city get through the cold weather.
Whitmire said the city is doing everything possible to make things safe, including opening 10 warming centers across the area.
You can view a map with the warming locations available through the City of Houston Office of Emergency Management:
The locations include:
The city said the centers opened to the public on Sunday, Jan. 19, at 6 p.m. and remain open 24 hours a day until midday on Thursday, Jan. 23.
Starting Sunday, January 19, at 6 p.m., the City will open 10 warming centers across Houston to provide shelter and relief to those in need. The warming centers will remain open 24/7 until midday Thursday, January 23 (subject to change). pic.twitter.com/AJXt20HL1l
— Houston OEM (@HoustonOEM) January 17, 2025
Whitmire said people who arrive with items will be allowed to keep them with them while they are at the warming centers, which are staffed with health and public safety personnel and equipped with basic necessities.
If someone needs a ride to a warming center, they can call 311 and request a Z-Trip to take them to any open warming center.
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The City of Houston is not the only area with open warming centers.
In Harris County Precinct 4, Commissioner Lesley Briones opened the Bayland, Burnett Bayland, and Radack Community Centers as places of refuge for any resident in need from January 20 - 22 from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Residents are welcome to bring crated pets to any warming center.
Fort Bend County is doing the same. Those locations include:
Overnight centers: Attack Poverty | Friends of North Rosenberg, 1908 Ave. E, Rosenberg Texas 77471, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.Daytime only centers:Libraries 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
YMCA 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Available warming centers for Wednesday, January 22, 2025 pic.twitter.com/Ioy4Z1MsdE
— Fort Bend County Office of HS&EM (@fbcoem) January 22, 2025
One big question residents in the region have is whether the lights will stay on. It's been four years since the 2021 freeze when that wasn't the case. ABC13 asked the mayor how things are looking from that standpoint.
"Our state officials and everyone is obviously preparing," Whitmire said Friday during a press conference for the Chevron Houston Marathon. "In terms of generation, power coming into the city -- that's an ERCOT-related matter. Depends on what day of the week it is-- their reply, but today they are saying they (have) sufficient power."
ERCOT has issued a Weather Watch for Monday through Thursday.
READ MORE: ERCOT issues Weather Watch from Jan. 20-23 for next week's arctic cold front