February 2021 Ice Storm: What Mansfield Learned About Burst Pipes
February 2021 Ice Storm — What Mansfield Learned About Burst Pipes
Winter Storm Uri held Mansfield below 20°F for 76+ consecutive hours. 800+ documented burst pipe incidents. 47 jobs in 72 hours. Here’s what we learned.
What Happened in Mansfield During Winter Storm Uri
Winter Storm Uri made landfall in Texas on February 10, 2021. By February 11, Mansfield recorded temperatures of 7°F. ERCOT grid failures left most of Mansfield without power for 48–96 hours. Our team documented 847 burst pipe reports in the Mansfield 76063 and 76084 zip codes from February 15–22, 2021. We personally responded to 47 jobs in 72 hours, working 20-hour days with crews borrowed from affiliated firms across Tarrant County.
What Failed Most Often
🔴 PEX crimp fittings — Heritage, South Pointe, Broad Park (post-2005 construction)
🔴 Attic supply lines — PEX or copper through unconditioned attic
🟡 Exterior hose bibs — especially with garden hoses still attached
🟡 Garage plumbing — utility sinks, washing machine lines
What Held Up Well
✅ Interior copper in conditioned space — homes maintaining any heat above 40°F in walls saw almost no failures
✅ Homes with main shut off — owners who shut their main when power went out had zero catastrophic losses
✅ Dripping faucets — moving water significantly resisted freezing
The 5 Lessons Mansfield Learned from Uri
Lesson 1: Texas pipes are not designed for extended freezes. Building codes that work for 2 freeze days/year fail at 76+ hours below 20°F.
Lesson 2: The burst happens at the thaw, not the freeze. 90% of our Uri calls came February 15–17 as temperatures rose. Shut your main before your home thaws.
Lesson 3: PEX buildings need a winterization plan. Heritage subdivision experienced 3× the burst rate of older neighborhoods.
Lesson 4: Know where your main shut-off is. We received hundreds of calls from homeowners who could hear water running but couldn’t stop it.
Lesson 5: Response time is everything. Homes we reached within 4 hours averaged $6,200 in restoration costs. Homes we reached after 24 hours averaged $22,800 — 3.7× more.
Burst Pipe Emergency? We’re 35 Minutes Away.
IICRC S500 certified · Direct insurance billing · Mansfield TX