AUSTIN, Texas — On Sunday afternoon, the Austin-Travis County Emergency Operation Center (EOC) was activated in response to the freezing weather.
That means representatives from several different parts of our local governments are in one place, working together to respond to any issues that may arise during the freezing weather.
Austin’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is coordinating the city’s response to the situation with other emergency service departments and non-government organizations, the City of Austin said. Critical updates will be posted online at austintexas.gov/alerts in 14 languages.
The city said the EOC will remain operational until further notice.
On Sunday evening, City and County leaders urged everyone to heed ERCOT’s call for conservation Monday morning from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and to stay home.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said authorities are doing everything they can to prepare.
“I want to emphasize that in these weather events, there will be things that are unanticipated,” Watson said. “There will be things that even the best-laid plans can't prevent. And as in answer to the previous question, there are things that we're not in control of from time to time. That's one of the reasons we emphasize so strongly – preparedness.”
Local leaders also urged everyone to sign up for emergency alerts. You can do that by going to warncentraltexas.org.
Meanwhile, Williamson County is also opening an emergency operations center on Sunday night.
Throughout the night, Williamson County crews will check pavement temperatures and possible icing. Officials with the county also say crews are on call to treat county roads and bridges with sand and deicing material.
Williamson County offices will be closed on Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, and the county will also be lowering thermostats in unoccupied buildings.
In case any power outages happen, the Williamson County Sheriff's Office will open the doors of its headquarters as a warming and charging station.
A widespread freeze is likely to continue through at least Tuesday afternoon. Even at that point, temperatures may only just barely be above freezing in the lower 30s. There could even be some areas that won't get above freezing for a period of 60 hours or more.
Central Texans are asked to remember the four Ps in this weather: people, pets, plants and pipes. Open cabinets under sinks in your home to keep the pipes warm, bring potted plants indoors and cover your outside spigot.
Make sure to locate your water shutoff valve in case the pipes do freeze. Flood coverage does not cover burst pipes, and home and renters policies may require you to take "reasonable steps" to avoid pipes bursting or they won't cover damage at all.