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Austin and Travis County officials urge residents to prepare for winter storms and outages
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Summary
City and county officials warned of possible winter storms and power outages, announced warming shelters and outreach efforts, and urged residents to sign up for Warn Central Texas and the Ready Central Texas app for alerts and shelter information.
Austin and Travis County officials urged residents to prepare for colder weather and possible power outages at a joint briefing, emphasizing shelter availability and steps households can take now.
At the briefing, county and city emergency-management officials said warming shelters were opened the previous night and said the city and county are coordinating to minimize outages and restore service quickly when interruptions occur. A county staff member said 143 people used the shelter that night and two families were placed in hotels.
Jim Reddit, director of emergency management, said the goal is a single, shared plan for the community. "Entonces, nuestra misión como ciudad, una comunidad, tener un plan que vamos a todos utilizar para comunicarnos unos con otros," he said, urging residents to prepare family and business emergency plans and to check on neighbors.
Emergency medical services emphasized health risks from cold. "La hipotermia puede empezar en minutos," Robert Gregs, an EMS official, warned, and he urged residents to layer clothing, watch for carbon-monoxide symptoms and ensure extra batteries and backup oxygen are available for medical devices.
The fire department urged simple, preventative steps to reduce winter fire risk: have furnaces and chimneys inspected, keep space heaters at least three feet from combustibles, and test smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms. "De acuerdo a FEMA, los incendios ocurren en los noviembre, diciembre, enero y febrero," Deputy Chief Jack Kennedy said, adding that dry holiday trees and ember travel can spread fires.
Officials repeatedly urged residents to sign up for local alert systems and use official resources for preparedness and shelter locations: Warn Central Texas (WarnCentralTexas.org) and the Ready Central Texas app. City and county staff described daily evaluations for shelter activations, text-notification procedures and outreach to known encampments to offer transport and services.
Officials also cited National Weather Service guidance for the area, noting forecasts for the next one to two weeks may trend warmer but that high-impact winter storms often occur in January or February and conditions can change rapidly.
The briefing closed with officials thanking media and community partners and reminding residents to stay informed, register for alerts and check on vulnerable neighbors. For shelter and outreach information officials directed residents to the city website and local alert platforms, and provided a local fire department contact for safety- and inspection-related assistance.
The briefing did not include any formal votes or policy decisions; it focused on operational preparedness, messaging and shelter operations. Officials said they will continue to monitor conditions and evaluate activations daily.
