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City of Austin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Release Date:
Contact: Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management    
Crew clearing debris

Multi-Agency Resource Centers remain open today and debris clearing continues.

Multi-Agency Resource Centers
Multi-Agency Resource Centers (MARCs) continue to support Austin-Travis County families impacted by the winter storm. At the MARC yesterday, hosted by the Mayor and City Council District 9 offices, community organizations and city departments came together to support 160 families and provide 400 meals. A final MARC is open today.

Date: Saturday, February 11
Times: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: Austin Community College Riverside Campus, 1020 Grove Blvd, Austin, TX 78741

Additionally, the City encourages all residents in need to visit the "virtual" resource center, which can be accessed online 24/7. More information about the in-person and virtual MARCs can be found at AustinTexas.gov/Recovery.

Clearance of Debris in Rights-of-Way
Approximately 180 Austin Public Works employees continue to work today to clear the right-of-way of downed trees and debris. That includes a Street & Bridge crew that is responding to reports of hanging tree limbs.

Crews are using a grid system approach to methodically address debris that is located on streets and sidewalks across the city. To date, they've assessed approximately 97% of the grid system map and cleared debris from over 1,412 sites. The effort to clear the full city's rights-of-way may take another week or more. Please use caution while traveling and slow down around work crews.

Clearance of Debris on Private Property
Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) has increased the help it is getting from contractors to speed up storm debris collection efforts. More than 70 crews are collecting large branches and tree limbs from ARR customers. So far, over 58,000 cubic yards of storm debris have been collected in more than 1,050 loads. ARR customers can request a collection of large storm debris by calling 3-1-1 (or 512-974-2000) or submitting a storm debris collection request through the Austin 3-1-1 mobile app or at Austin311.org.

Limbs should be at the curb ready for collection. Customers can also drop off tree limbs and branches at no charge at Austin Water’s Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant, 2210 FM 973, Austin, daily from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. More than 2,015 loads of storm debris have been dropped off at the facility by customers, weighing in at 921 tons (through February 9). Learn more at AustinRecycles.com.

Power Restored to Nearly All Customers, Stay Safe, Watch for Scams
Austin Energy crews continue to work around the clock to bring power back to customers impacted by the storm. As of 10:30 a.m. Saturday, fewer than 70 customers remained without power due to storm-related issues.

Some outages require an electrician to repair your equipment before Austin Energy can reconnect your service—find more information below. The utility thanks customers for their patience as they near 100% complete storm outage restoration.

Beware of Scams
Emergencies bring out scammers. They are already taking advantage of this natural disaster. Scammers sound urgent, scary or even overly positive and friendly. They offer bogus discounts on utility bills or say they have rebates. Then they steal customer credit card information.

Austin Energy will never ask for your credit card or wire transfer information over the phone. If you get a suspicious call about your account, hang up. Then call Austin Energy Customer Care at 512-494-9400. Learn more about how to spot scams.

Limb Removal Around Power Lines
Utility crews continue to work on removing limbs around power lines. If cut limbs land on private property, property owners are responsible for discarding these limbs. Please bring all limbs to the curb for collection by Austin Resource Recovery. Anyone who is physically unable to move limbs should contact Austin 3-1-1 for support by dialing 3-1-1 or 512-974-2000 by phone, using the Austin 3-1-1 mobile app or at Austin311.org. Additional help may be available through the Austin Disaster Relief Network.

This week Austin City Council waived late-payment fees on City of Austin utility bills with due dates between Jan. 31 – Feb. 17, 2023, to assist customers who experienced outages, storm damage or postal delays.

Here are some links to additional resources:

Code Compliance Resources
The Austin Code Department remains dedicated to addressing unsafe conditions that put the health and welfare of our community at risk and to serving as an educational resource to impacted residents. Residents with code violation concerns are encouraged to submit those through Austin 3-1-1.

Parkland Assessments and Cleanup
Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) crews have nearly completed parkland assessments at Austin's 330 public parks and other PARD-managed properties. Due to the severity of the storm, tree remediation will likely take months. PARD crews have begun cleanup and tree pruning, with hanging branches being their top priority. PARD is also working to add warning signs to priority sites encouraging visitors to use caution. When visiting a park, please be aware of your surroundings and be cautious around trees until remediation is complete.

Cleanup Assistance
Residents with physical limitations or financial needs requiring help cleaning up winter storm debris can request volunteer assistance through the Austin Disaster Relief Network. File a request by completing this form or calling 512-806-0800. (Note that this phone line is for new requests only.)

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