The Austin-Travis County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activated this morning at 7 a.m. in response to anticipated winter weather. Austin’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (HSEM) is coordinating the City’s response to this event along with other city service departments and non-governmental organizations. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Central Texas beginning at 6:00 p.m. Monday, January 20, and effective until Tuesday, January 21 at 6:00 p.m. 
 
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Travis County Judge Andy Brown held a joint press conference to discuss the current winter weather event, activation of the Austin-Travis County Emergency Operations Center, and update community members on the situation and operations, as well as how the City has been preparing for the storm.

“We, as a City, are prepared for winter weather by making sure our utilities are ready for severe weather, providing warming centers and shelter for those who need it, delivering vital information to community members as quickly and as broadly as possible to help Austinites stay safe and informed,” the Mayor told reporters at the press conference. “We are also working to keep roads as safe as possible and continuing to deliver the critical city services our community depends on, despite challenges the weather may bring.”

Travis County Judge Andy Brown also spoke, offering preparedness tips and advice on how to stay warm in frigid temperatures.

“We want everyone to be prepared to safely keep your house warm, travel responsibly, and prepare for time outside in the cold. It’s best to stay indoors, but if you have to be outside, dress in warm layers and wear hats, scarves, and gloves,” Judge Brown said. “Please remember to also check on seniors, those with medical needs, and neighbors.”

Additionally, the City announced that Cold Weather Shelters (CWS) will continue 24-hour operations through Wednesday morning, January 22. Shelter guests who stay overnight Tuesday night are invited to remain in the shelter throughout the day, instead of having to transfer to a Warming Center. A total of 376 guests utilized CWS overnight on Sunday.

The Austin Public Library has opened three branches from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. to serve as Warming Centers. Those branches are:  

• Terrazas Branch – 1105 E. Cesar Chavez St. 

• Ruiz Branch – 1600 Grove Blvd. 

• Little Walnut Branch – 835 W. Rundberg Ln. 

Austin Energy is monitoring grid conditions and is ready to respond to any outages. Customers can report power outages on their website, texting “OUT” to 287846, or by calling 512-322-9100. Current outages and status updates are available on the Austin Energy Outage Map.

Transportation and Public Works is pretreating Austin’s critical roadways and structures to prevent ice accumulation, but drivers should still exercise extreme caution while operating vehicles overnight. As of this release, all traffic signals are functioning properly, but the public is encouraged to call 3-1-1 if they encounter a non-functioning signal and to treat them as an all-way stop.

CapMetro announced this morning that all services will conclude at 9:00 p.m. on Monday, January 20, with potential impacts to services on Tuesday. Updates regarding the resumption of operations will be posted CapMetro’s website and sent through CapMetro Alerts. A date for restarting operations will be determined Monday afternoon. 

Public Safety Updates:

Austin-Travis County EMS responded to 11 cold-related illness incidents on Sunday, January 19.

The Austin Fire Department responded to one structure fire overnight that was determined to be potentially weather-related.

Updated area closures:

• All City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department facilities will be closed on Tuesday, January 22, with the exception of those being utilized as Warming Centers.

• Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax announced the City will be under modified operations on Tuesday, January 22, requiring critical employees to telework if they are able.

• All Austin ISD schools and offices will be closed on Tuesday, January 22. 

Safety Tips:

• Protect the 4 Ps: People, pets, plants, and pipes.

• Learn the signs and symptoms of cold-related illness, remember the "umbles:" 

• Grumbling -- a change in behavior or irritability

• Fumbling -- loss of fine motor movement, dropping things, poor coordination

• Mumbling -- slurred or incoherent speech

• Stumbling -- loss of coordination or control over movement, inability to walk, appearing stiff

• Other symptoms include shivering, exhaustion, confusion or memory loss, and cool or cold skin.

• If someone is suffering from symptoms of cold-related illness, move them out of the environment, warm them with blankets, hot packs, or hot water bottles, and call 9-1-1. 

• The very old, very young, and medically fragile are at an increased risk for cold-related illness and should exercise additional caution in cold environments.

The EOC will remain operational until further notice. In addition to the Alerts page listed above, updates will be posted on @AustinHSEM social media accounts on Facebook, X/Twitter, and Instagram and shared to the official City of Austin accounts.   
 
Everyone is encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts through Warn Central Texas. 

Please do not call 911 unless you have a medical or life-threatening emergency. If you need other types of service or assistance from the city, please call 311 or 512-974-2000 or download the 311 mobile app. Keeping 911 lines clear for only emergencies will allow the City to properly dispatch first responders and emergency personnel to those who need immediate help.  

If you have not signed up to receive emergency alerts on your phone, please visit WarnCentralTexas.org to register. Alerts can be sent via text, call, and/or email.  

During the activation, critical updates will be posted online at austintexas.gov/alerts and are available in 14 different languages.