Austin, Travis County officials urge residents to prepare as early heat wave brings triple-digit forecasts

Mayor Kirk Watson and Travis County Judge Andy Brown urged Austin-area residents at a joint press conference to prepare for an unusually early heat wave, warning of expected triple-digit temperatures and outlining cooling resources and outreach for vulnerable people.

The warning came as city officials said today’s high was expected to reach 102 degrees and tomorrow could hit 105 degrees, with a seven-day forecast showing a string of days at or above 100 degrees. “This is the type of heat we generally don't start seeing until July,” Mayor Kirk Watson said, adding that the conditions are “unwelcome, and ... a stark reminder that we need to be prepared.”

The message was aimed at the general public and at groups at higher risk of heat-related illness: infants and young children, older adults, people with chronic medical conditions, outdoor workers, people who are unhoused, and pets. Officials emphasized specific, actionable precautions: prehydrate in the days and hours before exposure, drink water regularly while outdoors, wear light-colored loose clothing and hats, use sunscreen, take frequent shade breaks and shift strenuous activities to early morning or evening.

“Look before you lock your vehicle,” Watson said, citing heat stroke as “the leading cause of non-collision vehicle deaths in children.” Austin-Travis County EMS chief of staff Wes Hopkins described the progression of heat-related illness and the signs to watch for, saying heat exhaustion symptoms include cool, pale, clammy skin, weakness and dizziness, while heat stroke is a “time-sensitive, life-threatening medical emergency” marked by confusion, lethargy, hot red skin and a body temperature of about 103 degrees or higher. “If someone is experiencing heat stroke, please move them into the shade and call 911 immediately,” Hopkins said.

City and county officials described how government and partner agencies are responding. The city is operating library branches and Parks and Recreation recreation centers as cooling centers and said it will extend hours “when conditions warrant.” David Gray, Austin’s homeless strategy officer, said the city’s text-alert system reaches “close to 4,000 people experiencing homelessness, as well as case managers, volunteers, and community organizations,” and that the city had ordered more than 4,000 bottles of water for outreach teams. “We’re also providing people in encampments with information on cooling centers and where they can go to access clean drinking water,” Gray said.

Travis County officials said the county operates daytime cooling centers in Del Valle, Manor, Jonestown, Oak Hill, Pflugerville and Central Austin. “They're open during normal work hours, the hottest parts of the day,” Travis County Judge Andy Brown said, and county staff said they will work with the city to avoid discharging people from cooling centers into peak heat.

City Homeland Security and Emergency Management director Jim Reydick reminded residents of secondary risks tied to heat, including an observed correlation between excessive heat and drownings as people seek to cool off. “There are things that we can do to prevent heat illness and heat-related death,” Reydick said, and officials said they will issue community alerts through the city’s notification system.

Officials also addressed pets and pavement safety: Mayor Watson advised picking up small dogs when pavement becomes too hot and warned against ever leaving animals in a locked vehicle. Austin-Travis County EMS and Austin Fire Department officials stressed that animals and people who have not acclimated to heat are at increased risk and that surface temperatures on sidewalks can “cook” paws.

Austin Fire Chief Joel Baker cautioned residents about wildfire and grass-fire risk as dry, hot conditions increase the danger around open-flame activities such as grills and discarded cigarettes. “Be careful because the increase of wildland fire ... the potential danger is there,” Baker said.

Where to get help and more information: officials pointed residents to austintexas.gov/alerts and austintexas.gov/homelessness for an up-to-date list of cooling centers and hours, and urged people to register for the Warren Central text-alert system at warrencentraltexas.org for emergency notifications and heat advisories.

Officials reiterated: check on neighbors and coworkers who may be vulnerable, never leave children or pets in parked cars, and move activities to cooler parts of the day when possible.