Burst pipes reported across North Texas

As the sun came out Monday and temps warmed to the mid-20s, Milestone Home Service said the influx of calls noticeably changed.

“This afternoon, when we got above 25 degrees, the pipe started thawing out, and we started getting a lot of calls, you know, water coming through ceilings, water coming out of the walls,” said master plumber David Butler.

Cell phone video shows at least two Dallas apartment complexes where fire alarms rang as water poured from units.

In a scene reminiscent of February of 2021, residents rushed to salvage what they could.

Butler said it’s just the start of what’s likely to be a long couple of days.

“A lot of pipes are going to start refreezing, so things that might be thawed out now are going to freeze again, and they may lose water again tonight if they even had water today,” he said.

At Grapevine Fire Station 1, Chief Darrell Brown said the department had shifted into a modified response plan, enabling the Fire Marshal’s Bureau to handle responses.

He said while the city preemptively shut off water in some locations, the department expects to be busy with calls.

“Come Wednesday, most every fire department across the metroplex will be running broken pipes and shutting off water. We may not have time to help clean up any messes because we’ve got to get to the next one to shut the water off just to try and prevent further damage,” he said.

With the freezing temperatures far from over, Butler urged people to continue dripping faucets.

“Make sure that everyone keeps those faucets trickling hot and cold. Don't turn them off until Wednesday afternoon,” he said.

He also recommended keeping cabinet doors open and keeping thermostats set no lower than 70 degrees.

For those whose pipes freeze, Butler said the best move may be to shut off water until a plumber can get there to help search for leaks.