Austin storm response winds down; overnight shelters to operate through Feb. 1

The impact

The winter storm brought freezing temperatures, 0.05 inches of ice and 0.6 inches of sleet accumulation, according to the city.

Austin Water reported no major issues while its plants and facilities stayed operational, while citywide peak water usage increased about 20% during the freeze. Austin Energy said its crews quickly responded to all isolated outages reported as a result of the winter storm.

Austin police handled almost 2,300 calls for service Jan. 25-27, including 187 crashes and 226 traffic hazards. The Austin Fire Department handled a "relatively normal" call volume through the weekend before a significant increase Jan. 26, according to the city, when the department reached a "critical point" with more than half of its fire engines responding to incidents. In total, AFD crews responded to 430 fire alarms, 175 traffic incidents, and dozens of calls for broken water pipes, carbon monoxide reports, structure alarms and other public assists during the freeze.

Austin Transportation and Public Works responded to dozens of requests through the emergency operations center and more than 240 public service requests. Its crews:

• Assessed almost 1,000 lane miles of roadway, treating 469 lane miles
• Assessed 466 bridges and other "critical structures," treating 103
• Repaired more than 70 dark or flashing traffic signals

While temperatures have risen and storm warnings expired, caution is still advised. The city urged residents to be take care overnight and in early morning hours when refreezing in shaded roadways and walkways is possible. The city said residents should also be aware of possible scams related to repairs, and advised coordinating those activities through "legitimate channels" like insurance providers and landlords.

More emergency information is available at www.austintexas.gov/alerts, while disaster recovery tips and resources are also available online.

Going forward

Austin welcomed more than 900 people to cold weather shelters during around-the-clock operations Jan. 24-28—activity “shattering” recent records, according to the city. Shelters will remain open nightly through at least Sunday with temperatures forecast to dip below 35 degrees, Austin’s threshold for cold weather activations.

Those seeking overnight accommodations can register for shelter every day from 6-8 p.m. at the One Texas Center, located at 505 Barton Springs Road. That city office building serves as an embarkation point for shelters; exact locations aren’t disclosed due to security and capacity concerns. Families and unaccompanied minors will be accommodated at a hotel.

Austin’s cold weather shelters are primarily used by the homeless but are available to anyone in need of a safe place to stay overnight. Personal belongings and pets are allowed, and meals are provided. More information is available via the city’s shelter hotline at 512-972-5055.