Disaster declaration issued as winter storm settles over Jack County

Jack County Judge Keith Umphress issued a declaration of local disaster as cold temperatures moved in Friday and accumulations of sleet and snow overnight and in the coming days threatened residents, infrastructure and property throughout the area.

Umphress issued the declaration early Saturday, Jan. 24 after reports of insufficient heating in homes in Jacksboro flooded Jack County Sheriff’s Office dispatch as well as social media pages.

Texas Gas Service was made aware of the issue and responded quickly to discover that due to the extreme cold, there was not enough pressure in the natural gas line to adequately supply homes, preventing furnaces from operating properly.

The issue was reported to be resolved around 1 p.m. Saturday, but any residents still experiencing natural gas-related issues were encouraged to call the Texas Gas Service emergency line at 800-700-2443 to make a report.

Residents without heat in their home should call the JCSO non-emergency line at 940-567-2161 for help. The city of Jacksboro was prepared to open a warming center at Twin Lakes Activity Center should the need arise.

In addition to the heating emergency, property damage was also reported. Sections of the beef pavilion at the Jack County Youth Fair barn collapsed under the weight of ice and snow.

Umphress added that though damage assessments were ongoing, local emergency management and response resources were fully engaged and working to address those conditions.

The judge said given the scale and severity of the extreme winter weather event, the county could require additional state assistance and resources to protect public health and safety and to support recovery efforts.

The disaster declaration would remain in effect for the next seven days unless renewed or extended by the commissioners court.