Shelby County Today

February 22, 2021 - In response to Texas’ request for a federal disaster declaration related to the recent winter storm, the Office of the Governor announced that the President has approved a Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance in 77 counties and for Public Assistance (Emergency Protective Measures Only) in all 254 counties.

The following counties were approved for Individual Assistance:

Angelina, Aransas, Bastrop, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Brazoria, Brazos, Brown, Burleson, Caldwell, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Collin, Comal, Comanche, Cooke, Coryell, Dallas, Denton, DeWitt, Ellis, Falls, Fort Bend, Galveston, Gillespie, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Hays, Henderson, Hidalgo, Hood, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Kaufman, Kendall, Lavaca, Liberty, Madison, Matagorda, Maverick, McLennan, Montague, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Nueces, Orange, Palo Pinto, Panola, Parker, Polk, Rockwall, Sabine, San Jacinto, San Patricio, Scurry, Shelby, Smith, Stephens, Tarrant, Travis, Tyler, Upshur, Van Zandt, Victoria, Walker, Waller, Wharton, Wichita, Williamson, Wilson, and Wise Counties.

Individuals and business owners in counties included in the President’s declaration who sustained losses in the designated area can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-462-7585.

For more information on presidential disaster declarations, including the distinction between Individual and Public Assistance, see FEMA.gov.

In addition, the Office of the Governor and the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) are encouraging Texans to complete the Self Reporting Damage Survey to help the state identify damages across Texas and help emergency management officials gain an understanding of damages that occurred during the recent winter weather. This data is also needed to provide information to FEMA and highlight the need for federal disaster assistance for individuals in all 254 counties, including the ones that have not yet been included in the President’s disaster declaration.

Businesses and individuals are encouraged to fill out the Self Reporting Damage Survey. The voluntary survey, available in both English and Spanish, can be accessed by visiting www.TDEM.texas.gov/warm. (NOTE: Reporting damage to the Texas Division of Emergency Management is a voluntary activity, is not a substitute for reporting damage to an insurance agency, and does not guarantee disaster relief assistance.)

February 20, 2021 - Yesterday and overnight, crews have restored power to over 7,000 members across the service area. Above freezing temperatures, accessible roads and more crews have contributed to this progress. Again, restoration is expected to be a slow process due to outages being scattered across our 8 county system vs isolated to specific areas. This coupled with yesterday being the first day we could really make some ground, estimates of restoration for each area are just not available yet. If you have an alternate location with power that you can retreat to, our safest suggestion is to take family and friends up on their hospitality until we can get your power restored. If you are in a serious emergency situation, always call 911. Officials have established 211 if you need to seek necessary resources or a shelter.

Currently DETEC is reporting 15,099 members without power.

• Nacogdoches Co: 5,107
• Newton Co: 2
• Panola Co: 194
• Rusk Co: 1
• Sabine Co: 1220
• San Augustine Co: 1,387
• Shelby Co: 7,188

Several members have expressed concern of not seeing trucks in their area yet. Please know that crews are working all areas. In order to restore power to your home, crews must first restore power to the transmission lines that feed our substations. After the transmission lines are repaired, we focus on any substation damage. DETEC owns and operates 35 substations. At this time, all transmission and substations are restored. Next we repair the distribution lines. These lines currently have much damage as trees and limbs have fallen from the weight of the ice. While we maintain a 20 foot right-of-way to the best of our ability, our 80-100 foot tall Pine Trees will hit the lines when they fall. It is simply the nature of our beautiful area. Currently we have hundreds of reports of trees and limbs on the distribution lines. The DETEC service area includes over 7,000 miles of distribution lines. After a distribution line is repaired, we can then work on the service line, transformer and fuse to your home. Currently we have thousands of reports of these service lines on the ground. This process to restore power to your home is happening and if you are not seeing a crew in your area, they are still working on the distribution line to get power to your home. We are not making excuses, but no amount of prep work to the lines by your local utility could have been done to prevent damage from this statewide historical weather event. Ice damage and the load issues from the state’s power grid are unrelated issues at this point.

In the office, we have been working diligently to resolve phone issues so that we make take your outage. Most members are able to report their outage, but many have reported issues with either receiving busy signals, dropped calls or a message detailing that we are unable to report your outage at this time due to high call volume. Busy signals are a result of all lines being utilized with calls, this is a issue we cannot resolve, please continue calling until you get through. Dropped calls is being investigated and we will continue to work with the telephone network provider to resolve this. Our automated system is designed to take your outage by automation if you correctly enter your telephone number and meter number to the location. We do know that this system was not working properly. As a result, much testing has been done and the system should be working as it should now. If you do not know your account information and you select “no,” the system will attempt to connect you with a live agent. Due to call volume, you may not be connected. Please locate your meter number before calling. This number is located on your bill or you may find it by looking at the meter at your location. The meter number is the six digit number located after DETEC on your meter. If you have had problems in the last few days getting through on the 1-800-392-5986 outage line, please try again. Today, we also have all local Member Service representatives to take your call. We do not have as many local representatives as we do within our contracted call center, so you may experience holds. Our local number is 936-229-4000. This line will be open until 5 PM today. After 5 PM, this line rolls over to 1-800-392-5986. Every day, around the clock, representatives are working to take your call.

February 19, 2021 - The 11th week of vaccine distribution starts February 22, 2021 and Shelby County has one provider on the list. Hope Community Medicine is allocated to receive a total of 200 vaccine doses.

Shelby County, a part of Public Health Region 4/5N, reports 1,107 people have been vaccinated with at least one dose and 635 people are fully vaccinated. Shelby County has an estimated population of 19,449 of people 16 years of age and older. With the 11th week shipment, the county has received 1,200 doses.

Past weekly vaccine allocations for Shelby County:

• Week 8, February 1 - Hope Community Medicine 300 vaccine doses
• Week 4, January 4 - Aurora Concepts, PLLC 100 vaccine doses
• Week 4, January 4 - Hope Community Medicine 100 vaccine doses
• Week 2, December 21 - Aurora Concepts, PLLC 100 vaccine doses
• Week 2, December 21 - Brookshires Pharmacy 300 vaccine doses
• Week 2, December 21 - Hope Community Medicine 100 vaccine doses

CDC continues shipping vaccine for the current week, delayed due to weather

As Texas thaws from this week’s winter storms, COVID-19 vaccine will again be distributed across the state in larger amounts. Texas providers have been allocated 591,920 first doses of COVID-19 vaccine from the federal government for the week of Feb. 22. The Texas Department of State Health Services has instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ship those doses to 563 providers in 230 counties across Texas, including 84,240 doses for large vaccine clinics in Harris, Dallas and Tarrant counties supported by the federal government.

The added first doses directed to the federal sites over the next three weeks will allow Texas to allocate additional doses to communities where vaccine supplies have been much more limited, leading to vaccine distribution to the largest number of counties of any week so far.

In addition to the first doses mentioned above, the state is ordering 364,830 doses intended as the second dose for people first vaccinated a few weeks ago. People who had second dose appointments delayed by winter weather should rest assured knowing that vaccine will be available, and their appointments will be rescheduled. Even if they receive the second dose outside of the recommended six-week time frame, they will get the full protection of the second dose and will not need an additional booster shot.

The federal vaccine tracking system shows more than 100,000 first doses and 300,000 second doses intended for delivery this week still awaiting shipment due to weather conditions around out-of-state warehouses and across the country. Those doses are expected to be delivered in the first half of next week, followed by the vaccine allocated for next week.

Texas providers have administered more than 4.3 million doses of vaccine. More than 3 million people have received at least one dose, and almost 1.3 million have been fully vaccinated.

Texas continues to vaccinate health care workers, residents of long-term care facilities, people 65 and older and those with medical conditions that put them at greater risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19. Vaccine remains limited based on the capacity of the manufacturers to produce it, so it will take time for Texas to receive enough vaccine for all the people in the priority populations who want to be vaccinated. Currently, there is not enough vaccine to supply every provider with vaccine every week.

Per a recent label change, each vial of Pfizer vaccine now contains six doses leading to a minimum order of 1,170. People can find more information on COVID-19 vaccine at https://www.dshs.texas.gov/covidvaccine/.

Helpful links:

•  Weekly vaccine allocations, including the full list for the week of Feb. 22
•  Vaccination hub providers with contact information
•  DSHS/TDEM map of vaccine providers
•  Texas Vaccine Data 
•  Texas COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Wasted Report

February 19, 2021 - Shelby County Judge Allison Harbison signed a Declaration of Disaster on Wednesday, February 17, 2021.

WHEREAS, the County of Shelby, Texas, on the 17th of February, 2021, has suffered widespread and serious property damage, resulting from severe weather conditions, such as freezing rain, ice, snow, and critically low temperatures.

WHEREAS, such conditions have created a public safety hazard.

WHEREAS, the County Judge of Shelby County, Texas, has determined that extraordinary measures be taken to protect life, as well as, to protect and/or rehabilitate property, and are necessary and hereby ordered. 

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the County Judge of Shelby County:

I. That a local state of disaster is hereby declared for Shelby County, Texas, pursuant to Section 418.108(a) of the Texas Government Code. 

II. Pursuant to Section 418.108(b) of the Texas Government Code, the state of disaster shall continue for a period of not more than seven days from the date of this declaration unless continued or renewed by the Commissioners' Court of Shelby County, Texas. 

III. Pursuant to Section 418.108(c) of the Texas Government Code, this declaration of a local disaster shall be given prompt and general publicity and shall be filed promptly with the County Clerk.

IV. Pursuant to Section 418.108(d) of the Texas Government Code, this declaration of a local state of disaster activates the county/city Emergency Management Plan. 

Ordered this 17th day of February, 2021.