The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has responded to the winter storm as well as heating and fuel shortages affecting 34 states this week a regional emergency declaration.
Some school districts, such as Knox County Schools in Tennessee, have temporarily canceled in-person classes, while continuing virtual learning. However, in states such as Texas, where the storm has caused power outages, all classes have been canceled this week.
“The final round of snow is winding down this afternoon,” reads a winter storm warning issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday. “The heaviest snow is over but additional accumulation of less than half an inch is possible from San Antonio [Texas] westward before snowfall ends by early this evening. Difficult driving conditions are expected across this region today and travel is highly discouraged.”
Hays Consolidated Independent School District (CISD) located southwest of Austin, Texas, released a statement encouraging families to stay at home until the severe weather subsides enough to safely reopen school facilities.
The school district also volunteered its school buses to help residents without power stay warm.
“We are especially proud of our transportation team for volunteering to come in and offer school buses as community warming stations,” a Hays CISD press release stated.
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Meanwhile, Dallas Independent School District also canceled classes through Friday and stated that students will not be required to make up the days. The district opened warming stations for the community that will adhere to social distancing guidelines.
The Texas Division of Emergency Management tweeted that there are now over 200 warming centers open across the state of Texas.
The Austin Transportation Department issued a warning on the dangerous driving situation and asks residents to stay at home and off the roads while repair crews work to restore safe transportation conditions.
