TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas — Emergency management officials in Travis County are preparing for any potential severe winter weather that may come this cold season.
They are preparing by stockpiling shelf-stable food and water and getting material to treat icy roads, according to a report from KVUE's news partners at the Austin American-Statesman.
Some of the other preparation ideas, like putting generators in more buildings and improving emergency communications require funding that isn't available right now, Chuck Brotherton, head of the county's emergency services, told county commissioners at a recent meeting.
"It is going to be a year of change coming up," Brotherton said. "I anticipate that there will be some realignment of funding priorities as COVID subsides and we exit the disaster declaration, and we start by recognizing what we have budgetwise."
Officials are in the process of gathering enough water for 7,500 people to use for two or three days and have identified a warehouse for storage, according to the Statesman. They are also hoping to upgrade county buildings to have backup power so they can serve as shelters if needed.
County leaders spoke of better preparing the county government to respond to natural disasters, like extreme heat, wildfire and flooding. They discussed multiple areas of improvements, such as vehicle and road preparations, emergency messaging, shelters and more.
To read the full report, visit the Austin American-Statesman website.
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