“I WAS REALLY TAKEN ABACK WITH AREAS OF TOWN THAT LOOK LIKE A BOMB WENT OFF. ESPECIALLY SOME OF OUR OLDER AREAS THAT HAD MORE MATURE TREES; THEY’RE JUST DECIMATED.” CHRISTINE DELISLE, LEANDER MAYOR
GOVERNMENT
Due to severe ice accumulation from the recent winter storm, residents across Leander and Cedar Park have experienced fallen trees in their yards. (Courtesy Kristi Sparks Blincoe)
Cities oer support as residents clean up after February ice storm
Following a winter storm that moved through Central Texas Jan. 31-Feb. 2, coating the area in ice, Cedar Park and Leander residents are left to clear debris and assess damage caused from downed trees. During the week of the storm, both Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell and Travis County Judge Andy Brown issued local disaster declarations, which allow some people with property damage to receive nancial assistance. Similarly, on Feb. 4, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also issued a disaster declaration for aected counties— including Travis and Williamson— which will free up additional aid, he said in a release. The area has seen more tree dam- age this winter storm compared to previous years because of ongoing drought conditions, Southwestern University Landscape Architect Stephanie Krull said. “The less water that’s in [a tree], the less exible it is. So when we’re in a drought period, which we are, the trees are a little more stressed than they are when they have regular rainfall,” she said. Both Cedar Park and Leander BY GRANT CRAWFORD, CLAIRE SHOOP & ZACHARIA WASHINGTON
will provide residents opportunities to dispose of downed trees through curbside collection and drop- o events. “The ice really impacted power lines and trees. I was really taken aback with areas of town [that] look like a bomb went o,” Leander Mayor Christine DeLisle said. “Especially some of our older areas that had more mature trees; they’re just decimated.” Due to fallen tree branches, many experienced house and car damage. Local ocials are encouraging res- idents to report damage to the Texas Division of Emergency Management. Shantelle Dunn Brannon, deputy director of Williamson County’s Oce of Emergency Management, said as of 9 a.m. Feb. 3, 205 Williamson County residents had done so. “Based on what we are beginning to see, the recovery period will take some time,” Cedar Park Mayor Jim Penniman-Morin said in a Feb. 3 statement to Community Impact. Unlike Winter Storm Uri, which caused many to be without power due to the demand on Texas’ elec- tricity grid outpacing the supply, power outages this time were in large part due to downed lines and infrastructure damage, said Eddie Dauterive, the chief operations ocer
Residents can report damage to the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
Both cities will provide residents opportunities to dispose of tree limbs and brush.
COURTESY GABBY FALLACARA
COURTESY KRISTIN CARROLL
BRUSH CLEAN UP
Cedar Park Curbside: Debris can be bundled in groups weighing less than 40 pounds and no larger than 4 square feet and placed for trash service. Drop-o : An event for Feb. 11-12 was in planning but not nalized as of press time Feb. 6.
Leander Curbside: Clawson Disposal will pick up bundles of brush weighing less than 35 pounds on normal trash collection days. Drop-o : Residents can drop o tree limbs and shrubs at 607 Municipal Drive on Feb. 11 and Feb. 18 from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
SOURCE: CITIES OF CEDAR PARK AND LEANDERCOMMUNITY IMPACT
of Pedernales Electric Cooperative, in a Feb. 2 release. Five days after the storm moved through the area, 18 PEC customers in Leander and 50 in Cedar Park remained without power as of 9 a.m. Feb. 6, according to the entity’s online outage map. Austin Energy—which also serves a portion of Cedar Park—stated Feb. 5 restoration work could continue until Feb. 12. There were 23 AE customers in the area without power as of 9 a.m. Feb. 6.
Icy road conditions, power outages and debris cleanup also caused Leander ISD to cancel school Jan. 31-Feb. 3. Chief Communications Ocer Crestina Hardie said district buildings were in “great shape,” and crews worked to remove downed trees from school grounds prior to classes resuming Feb. 6. Due to waivers issued by Edu- cation Service Center Region 13, Hardie said the district will not need to adjust the calendar to make up for missed school days.
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CEDAR PARK LEANDER EDITION • FEBRUARY 2023
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