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[Winter Weather Preparedness News Conference on December 15, 2025.]
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY AS WE DISCUSS EFFORTS BY BOTH THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY TO PREPARE FOR THE WINTER SEASON AND SHARE SOME INFORMATION WITH YOU, UM, AND, AND WITH THE OTHER COMMUNITY LEADERS PROVIDING YOU THAT INFORMATION AS WELL.UH, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT TIME.
UH, WE ALL FEEL THE CHILL IN THE AIR.
UH, WE'RE WEARING OUR HEAVY COATS AND WE'RE DO ENGAGING IN DIFFERENT HOLIDAY EVENTS.
BUT AS EVERYBODY KNOWS IN RECENT YEARS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE REALLY ATTEMPTED TO DO IS MAKE SURE WE COMMUNICATE WELL WITH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE COLD WEATHER AND HOW TO REACT TO THE COLD WEATHER.
UH, WHAT WE'VE LEARNED IN RECENT YEARS IS THAT EXTREME WINTER WEATHER CAN IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY AND IT CAN IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY VERY SUDDENLY.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS GETTING TOGETHER IS TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CITY AND YOUR COUNTY ARE BOTH READY.
BUT IMPORTANTLY, WE WANT EACH PERSON IN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY TO BE WELL PREPARED, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE PROVIDING THIS INFORMATION.
WE WANT EVERYONE TO TAKE STEPS RIGHT NOW.
TAKE THE TIME TO BE READY FOR WHEN EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS HIT US AND STORMS HIT CENTRAL TEXAS THIS WINTER.
BEING PREPARED LOOKS DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE.
NOT EVERYTHING IS THE SAME IN EVERY HOUSEHOLD OR WITH EVERY FAMILY, OR WITH EVERY PERSON.
YOUR SITUATION IS UNIQUE TO YOU, BUT WE WANT EVERYONE TO PREPARE NOW, AND I KNOW I'M SAYING THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN, BUT IT CAN'T BE SAID ENOUGH.
WE NEED EVERYONE TO BE PREPARED SO THAT YOU'RE READY WHEN THE TIME COMES.
AS I SAID, THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS PREPARING FOR THE WINTER.
WE, AS A CITY, ARE PREPARING BY MAKING SURE OUR UTILITIES ARE READY FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND AN EVENT IN THE EVENT OF OUTAGES THAT WE'RE READY TO RESTORE SERVICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
LET ME SAY THIS, THERE WILL BE OUTAGES THIS WINTER.
OTHER PLACES HAVE OUTAGES TOO.
IT'S NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, BUT THERE WILL BE OUTAGES.
WE ARE PREPARING TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS FEW, AS IS HUMANLY POSSIBLE, AND WHEN THERE ARE OUTAGES, WE CAN RESTORE POWER AS FAST AS IS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.
WE WE'RE ALSO PREPARING BY PROVIDING WARMING CENTERS AND SHELTER FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT.
FOR EXAMPLE, LAST NIGHT WAS THE FIRST NIGHT WHERE WE HAD ONE OF THE, WE HAD THE WARMING SHELTERS OPEN, UH, BECAUSE IT WAS THE FIRST NIGHT THAT IT MET THE PROTOCOL FOR BEING SO COLD THAT WE NEEDED TO DO THAT.
WE'RE ALSO PREPARING BY DELIVERING VITAL INFORMATION TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS QUICKLY AND AS BROADLY AS POSSIBLE TO HELP AUSTIN AUSTINITES STAY SAFE AND INFORMED.
THIS HAS BEEN A KEY HALLMARK OF THE LAST THREE YEARS.
WE ARE WORKING VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AS FAST AS THEY CAN.
AND BY THE WAY, LET ME TAKE JUST A MINUTE ON BEHALF OF THE JUDGE AND THE OTHERS THAT ARE HERE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE MEDIA THAT HELPS US WITH THAT.
THERE'S NO WAY WE COULD ACHIEVE OUR GOAL OF TRYING TO DELIVER THIS INFORMATION WITHOUT THE MEDIA PLAYING THIS IMPORTANT ROLE.
AND, AND, AND WE DON'T SAY THANK YOU ENOUGH.
SO LET ME SAY THANK YOU ON THAT, AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT STAYING INFORMED IN JUST A MINUTE.
WE'RE ALSO PREPARING BY KEEPING ROADS AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE AND CONTINUING TO DELIVER CRITICAL CITY SERVICES THAT OUR COMMUNITY DEPENDS ON, DESPITE THE CHALLENGES THAT THE WEATHER MAY BRING.
BUT AS I'VE SAID, WE ALSO NEED EVERYONE INDIVIDUALLY AND AS FAMILIES, AS FRIEND GROUPS, AS NEIGHBORS, TO ALL BE PREPARED.
WE'VE ALREADY SEEN TEMPERATURES DROP NEAR FREEZING A FEW TIMES SO FAR, AND WHILE THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTING A SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE WINTER, THAT DOESN'T MEAN WINTER STORMS WON'T STILL OCCUR.
THINGS CAN CHANGE VERY QUICKLY, AND WE ALL KNOW THAT.
SO WE WANT TO BE READY WHEN THEY CHANGE, UH, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO TRY TO PREPARE AFTER THEY CHANGE.
THIS IS THE OTHER INFORMATION THAT I WANTED TO SAY, AND PEOPLE THAT HAVE THAT WATCH THIS ROUTINELY, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE NEWS MEDIA THAT ARE HERE, THEY KNOW THAT I SAY THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN AT EVERY PRESS CONFERENCE, AND I WANNA SAY IT AGAIN.
WE NEED PEOPLE TO PREPARE BY SIGNING UP FOR EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS.
THAT IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS FOR US AS GOVERNMENT, AS A CITY GOVERNMENT, AND AS A COUNTY GOVERNMENT, TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WHAT THE HAZARDS ARE
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AND TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE PREPARED.WE NEED YOU TO SIGN UP AT WARREN W THAT'S WITH MY TEXAS ACCENT.
IT'S WARREN, W-A-R-N-W-A-R-N CENTRAL TEXAS.ORG.
YOU CAN ALSO DOWNLOAD THE VER THE FREE READY CENTRAL TEXAS APP.
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THAT ON YOUR PHONE, AND THAT PROVIDES UPDATES AND NEWS, EMERGENCY PLAN CHECKLISTS, AND MORE RESOURCES ON HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE WINTER WEATHER.
SO WARN CENTRAL TEXAS.ORG AND READY CENTRAL TEXAS.
THAT'S THE APP THAT YOU CAN PUT ON YOUR PHONE.
AS WE GET INTO THIS COLD WINTER WEATHER.
I'LL SAY THIS, IT WILL NEVER BE PERFECT.
HOW WE PREPARE AND HOW WE REACT WILL NEVER BE PERFECT EITHER.
YOU INDIVIDUALLY, YOU AS A FAMILY, YOU AS NEIGHBORS, YOU AS FRIEND GROUPS, THE CITY, THE COUNTY.
IT WILL NEVER TURN OUT TO BE A PERFECT RESULT.
SOME THINGS JUST AREN'T ANTICIPATED.
WE TRY TO ANTICIPATE EVERYTHING, BUT SOME THINGS COME HA FAST AND THEY COME, UH, IN A WAY YOU, THERE'S HAZARDS THAT YOU CAN'T ANTICIPATE, BUT WE ARE GOING TO BE PREPARED TO REACT AS RAPIDLY AS THIS HUMAN POSSIBLE.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS THAT ARE HERE TODAY TO SHARE IMPORTANT INFORMATION WITH YOU.
WHAT I'LL DO NOW IS I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO TRAVIS COUNTY, JUDGE ANDY BROWN.
UM, FIRST I WANNA JUST THANK ALL THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT FOLKS THAT RESPOND TO DISASTERS WHENEVER WE EXPERIENCE SEVERE WEATHER HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
UM, THEIR PREP WORK AND THEIR RESPONSE HELPS US STAY SAFE, WARM, AND MOVING BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER ANY SEVERE WINTER WEATHER EVENT.
AND I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT, AS THE MAYOR SAID, WE SHOULD EXPECT PROBABLY AT LEAST ONE SEVERE FREEZE SEVERE WINTER WEATHER EVENT THIS YEAR.
HISTORY HAS SHOWN US THAT THAT TYPICALLY HAPPENS HERE.
SO THE MORE THAT WE CAN DO NOW TO GET PREPARED FOR THAT, THE BETTER, UH, TO HELP YOU SORT OF THINK THROUGH WHAT TO DO TO PREPARE FOR IT.
THERE ARE THE FOUR PS THAT WE SAY EACH YEAR, PEOPLE, PETS, PLANTS, AND PIPES.
SO THINK NOW, TAKE A MOMENT NOW WHEN IT'S NOT BELOW FREEZING OUTSIDE TO THINK OF HOW YOU CAN PREPARE TO PROTECT THOSE THINGS, PEOPLE, PETS, PLANTS, AND PIPES.
PICK UP SUPPLIES THAT YOU NEED.
GET SOME EXTRA THINGS THAT YOU NEED IN YOUR HOME IN CASE WE HAVE A FREEZE FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE GETTING PREPARED.
MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY PLAN.
HAVING A PLAN IS CRUCIAL TO STAYING HEALTHY AND ENSURING THE COMFORT OF YOUR FAMILY AND RESPONDING QUICKLY.
IN CASE WE DO HAVE AN EMERGENCY OR OTHER DISRUPTION, WE'VE GOT SEVERAL OFFICES AT THE COUNTY THAT ARE HELPING NOT ONLY WITH THE WORK THAT THE MAYOR AND FOLKS HERE ARE DOING WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS, BUT WE, WE'VE ALSO GOT 21 OTHER CITIES ACROSS TRAVIS COUNTY THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH TO PREPARE FOR, UH, EMERGENCIES.
WE HAVE ROAD CREWS ACROSS THE COUNTY.
AND REMEMBER THAT THE TEMPERATURE IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN CAN BE DIFFERENT THAN THE TEMPERATURE AND THE OUTSKIRTS OF TRAVIS COUNTY, AND THAT CAN AFFECT THINGS LIKE BUS OPERATIONS, SCHOOL OPERATIONS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN MAKING PLANS.
WE'VE ALSO WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN SHELTERS AS NEEDED DURING DISASTERS, UH, WITH OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, WORKING WITH THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING PEOPLE THE NEEDS THAT THEY HAVE WHEN THEY'RE IN THE SHELTERS.
UM, SO I WANT TO THANK AGAIN, THE PUBLIC AND THE PUBLIC SERVANTS FOR DOING THEIR PARTS TO PREPARE.
AND I'M GONNA SAY A LITTLE BIT IN SPANISH HERE, EXCEPT I HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT HOW TO SAY THE FOUR P'S IN SPANISH.
SO THAT PART, UM, IS NOT GONNA TRANSLATE TOO WELL.
AND NOW, JIM, ARE YOU READY? YES, SIR.
MY NAME IS JIM REDDICK, AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING AS DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
OUR JOB IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS TO PLAN FOR ALL TYPES OF DISASTERS, NATURAL AND MANMADE.
UM, AND WE DO THAT BY REVIEWING ALL THE
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DIFFERENT STANDARD OR, UH, SOPS AND PLANS FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, UH, AS WELL AS OUR PARTNER AGENCIES TO ESTABLISH A, A, A UNITY OF EFFORT.WE ARE ESTABLISHING ONE PLAN THAT REFLECTS ALL THE DIFFERENT EFFORTS SO WE CAN HAVE EVERYONE WORKING TOWARDS THE SAME GOALS, UH, WHICH WE COMMUNICATE WITH YOU.
SO OUR MISSION IS AS ONE CITY, ONE COMMUNITY TO HAVE ONE PLAN THAT WE'RE ALL GOING TO USE AND COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER.
AND SO, LIKE THE JUDGE SAID, WE HAVE OUR PLAN, OUR WHOLE ENTIRE COMMUNITY PLAN.
WE NEED YOU TO DEVELOP A PLAN THAT'S FOCUSING ON YOUR HOME, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR HOUSE OF WORSHIP, YOUR BUSINESS.
SO WE'RE ALL, AGAIN, WORKING TOWARDS THE SAME GOALS, WITH THE SAME REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS.
UM, SO WE CAN GET THROUGH ANYTHING THAT COMES OUR WAY.
UH, I DO WANNA PIGGYBACK ON, ON, ON WHAT THE JUDGE AND THE MAYOR SAID IN TERMS OF YOU, YOU ARE A PART OF THIS TEAM, RIGHT? SO IT'S PUBLIC, PRIVATE, NOT-FOR-PROFIT, HIGHER EDUCATION, MILITARY, THE FAITH COMMUNITY, UM, AND YOU, RIGHT? THE HOMEOWNER, THE NEIGHBORS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE RELY ON YOU TO TAKE STEPS TO BE PREPARED BY KNOWING WHAT THE PLAN SAYS, BY HAVING A KIT THAT YOU CAN GRAB AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE, BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THAT DISASTER IS GONNA STRIKE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WINTER WEATHER, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WILDFIRE SEASON IS OVER.
SO AGAIN, BEING PREPARED FOR ANYTHING THAT COMES OUR WAY, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW, AND LOOK OUT FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS.
THAT IN AND OF ITSELF, THAT SMALL ACT OF GETTING TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS AND CHECKING ON THEM DURING A DISASTER CAN LITERALLY SAVE LIVES.
THERE ARE SO MANY EXAMPLES OF DISASTERS THROUGHOUT THE, THROUGHOUT THE NATION WHERE A NEIGHBOR HELPED SOMEONE WHO, WHO WAS IN NEED, AND THEY GOT THEM OUT OF THAT VULNERABLE AREA.
AND SO WE ASK THAT YOU TOO, GET TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS AND LOOK OUT FOR THEM DURING DISASTERS.
AND THEN FINALLY, STAY IN, STAY INFORMED, RIGHT? SO WE GIVE YOU THE PLANS, WE GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN USE TO BE PREPARED, UM, BUT IT'S ALSO NOT A ONE WAY STREET.
WE ASK FOR YOU TO GIVE US INFORMATION BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER AN INCIDENT AS WELL, BECAUSE YOU ARE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
WHEREAS WE MAY BE IN THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, THE MORE THAT YOU CAN HELP US INFORM OUR PLANS, INFORM US OF, YOU KNOW, REAL, REAL TIME ACTIVITIES AND UPDATES THROUGHOUT AN INCIDENT THAT HELPS US IMPROVE OUR RESPONSE THAT, AGAIN, THAT OVERALL RESPONSE TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY.
UH, I DO WANNA PIGGYBACK ON, ON WHAT THE MAYOR SAID IN TERMS OF, UH, PREPAREDNESS LOOKS DIFFERENT FOR EVERYBODY.
THERE'S A QUOTE THAT I REALLY USE A LOT WHEN I'M DEVELOPING PLANS AND, AND THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM IS DEVELOPING PLANS.
AND IT COMES FROM DAMIEN BARR, WHO ESSENTIALLY SAYS, WE'RE ALL IN THE SAME STORM, BUT WE'RE NOT ALL IN THE SAME BOAT.
SO WE MAY HAVE FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE ON SUPER YACHTS, AND WE MAY HAVE FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE ONE ORE.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
AND SO FOR THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE RESILIENT, BUT IN VULNERABLE CIRCUMSTANCES, WE DO HAVE THAT, THAT ASSISTANCE THAT THEY NEED TO GET OUT OF THE COLD, WHETHER IT'S A WARMING CENTER AT A REC CENTER, OR AT A LIBRARY.
UH, THOSE ARE OPEN DURING BUSINESS HOURS.
AND IF YOU WANT THE LOCATIONS OF THOSE, UH, AND THE TIMES OF THOSE JUST GO TO, UH, AUSTIN TEXAS.GOV/ALERTS, AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET THAT INFORMATION.
BUT ALSO, IF THE TEMPERATURES REACH A CERTAIN, UH, THRESHOLD LIKE WE SAW LAST NIGHT, THEN THERE WILL BE COLD WEATHER SHELTERS, RIGHT? AND THAT'S WHEN THE HOMELESS OFFICE IS ABLE TO BRING IN FOLKS WHO, WHO, AGAIN, NEED THAT ASSISTANCE, UM, AND, AND GET THEM IN THE WARMTH TO, TO REALLY SAVE LIVES.
BECAUSE WHETHER IT'S COLD INJURY, UH, OR FATALITIES, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO PREVENT.
AND THE, THE HOMELESS OFFICE DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB, UH, MEETING THAT NEED DURING THOSE COLD WEATHER TEMPERATURES.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, IF THERE'S EVER A DISASTER OR ANOTHER EVER, EXCUSE ME, IF THERE'S EVER AN EMERGENCY, PLEASE CONTINUE TO OR CALL 9 1 1.
IF YOU EVER HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, YOU'RE FREE, FREE TO CALL 3 1 1.
AND IF THERE'S ANY ISSUES RELATED TO, UM, YOUR RENTAL PROPERTY IN TERMS OF CODE VIOLATIONS, AND YOU NEED ASSISTANCE HAVING THOSE ADDRESSED BEFORE THESE COLD ATTEMPTS TO BECOME A DAILY THING, CALL 3 1 1 AS WELL.
UM, SO WITH THAT, REMEMBER, READY CENTRAL TEXAS.ORG FOR INFORMATION ON WHICH YOU CAN USE TO PLAN WARN CENTRAL TEXAS.ORG OR THE APP, UH, TO GET INFORMATION THROUGHOUT AN INCIDENT, BECAUSE THAT IS OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU, IS NOT ONLY PREPARING AS BEST WE CAN, BUT KEEPING YOU INFORMED THROUGHOUT AN INCIDENT.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MY FRIEND WITH TRAVIS COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, BLAKE CLAMPER.
SEASONED GREETINGS, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
I'M THE CHIEF DEPUTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR FOR TRAVIS COUNTY.
AS EVERYONE HERE HAS SAID, WE WANT YOU TO BE READY AND RESILIENT.
WHEN COLD SEVERE WEATHER OCCURS, NOW IS THE TIME TO GET READY.
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IN ADDITION TO SIGNING UP FOR WARREN CENTRAL TEXAS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND REPUTABLE LOCAL NEWS ORGANIZATIONS.ALSO CONSIDER FOLLOWING TRAVIS COUNTY SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS.
FOR INFORMATION, WERE ON FACEBOOK X, INSTAGRAM, AND NEXTDOOR.
THE TRAVIS COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT'S WEBSITE, OM TRAVIS COUNTY TX.GOV CONTAINS GOOD INFORMATION FOR WHAT TO DO BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER A STORM.
ADDITIONALLY, YOU MAY FIND INTERESTING, UH, TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
IN JANUARY, WE'RE GONNA START POSTING CERT, COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM COURSES AND OTHER OUTREACH EVENTS, WHICH MIGHT BE, MIGHT BE REALLY USEFUL.
UH, YOU MAY ALSO CLICK THE CONTACT US LINK TO REQUEST A PREPAREDNESS TALK SPEAKER FOR YOUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UH, JUDGE BROWN NOTED THAT TRAVIS COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WILL REMAIN IN CONTACT WITH CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN TRAVIS COUNTY.
BY WORKING TOGETHER AND PREPARING PROPERLY, WE CAN LESSEN ANY DAMAGE RESULTING FROM SEVERE WEATHER.
NOW I'LL PASS THE PODIUM TO CHIEF ROBERT LIRES WITH AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY, EMS, CHIEF.
UH, ROB LUCRI, CHIEF OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. UM, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE AS IN EMS DEPARTMENT, WE'VE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS TO ADAPT, UH, AND CHANGE THE WAY THAT WE RESPOND TO THESE WINTER WEATHER EMERGENCIES AND HOW THEY COME.
UM, AS ALWAYS, WE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO RESPOND TO 9 1 1 CALLS, UH, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE WEATHER MIGHT BE.
UM, BUT THE WAY THAT WE DO IT MIGHT CHANGE A LITTLE BIT, UM, AS WE RECOGNIZE THE, THE CHANGING IN THE CONDITIONS THAT WE MIGHT BE ENCOUNTERING, UM, AS WELL AS THE WEATHER THAT WE MIGHT BE ENCOUNTERING.
UH, AS WAS MENTIONED BEFORE, UH, SEVERAL TIMES, UH, I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH, THE NEED FOR EVERYONE TO, TO PREPARE RESILIENCY IS SO CRITICAL IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE HERE TO LEARN THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF COLD RELATED ILLNESS, UM, TO PAY ATTENTION TO THEM.
HYPOTHERMIA CAN SET IN, IN A MATTER OF MINUTES.
UH, IF YOU, UH, ARE OUT IN THE COLD, BE SURE TO ADDRESS IN LAYERS AND RECOGNIZE, UH, NOT ONLY, UH, THE TEMPERATURE THAT YOU'RE FACING IN TERMS OF COLD, BUT ALSO RECOGNIZING THE TIMES, UH, THAT YOU MIGHT SWEAT UNDER YOUR CLOTHES.
AND, AND WHEN YOU TAKE YOUR, WHEN YOU TAKE YOUR JACKETS OFF AND CLOSE OFF, UM, AND THE WEATHER YOU'RE FACING, UM, THAT AGAIN, CAN CAUSE HYPOTHERMIA.
SO, UH, DRESS IN LAYERS AND BE PREPARED TO BOTH DAWN AND DOFF YOUR CLOTHES AS NECESSARY.
IF YOU DO EXPERIENCE A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE YOU DO NOT HAVE POWER IN YOUR HOME, UH, AGAIN, DRESS IN LAYERS AND RECOGNIZE THE NEED TO STAY IN CLOSE QUARTERS WITH YOUR FAMILY.
UH, TRY TO CONFINE YOURSELF TO ONE ROOM, PREFERABLY IN THE, IN THE CENTER OF THE HOUSE.
KEEP YOUR DOORS AND WINDOWS CLOSED.
UM, BUT ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, BE VERY CAUTIOUS IN USING ALTERNATIVE METHODS FOR HEATING YOUR HOME.
I'M SURE THAT THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL BE SPEAKING TO THIS IN A MINUTE.
BUTTON GUARDS OF OVENS AND OTHER THINGS.
ALSO KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING, UH, TO RECOGNIZE, UH, THE LEFT THAT YOU MIGHT EXPERIENCE, UM, AND BE PREPARED TO CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER.
IF YOU ARE MEDICALLY VULNERABLE, BE SURE TO HAVE ADEQUATE PREPARATIONS FOR YOUR MEDICATION AS WELL AS YOUR MEDICAL DEVICES.
YOU SHOULD HAVE A MINIMUM OF SEVEN DAYS OF MEDICATION AVAILABLE TO YOU.
AND IF YOU HAVE, UH, SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN THAT YOU'RE ON, AGAIN, PLEASE, UH, KEEP EXTRA OXYGEN TANKS AVAILABLE TO YOU AS YOU GO THROUGH THIS SEASON.
ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE REASONS THAT AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMS EXPERIENCED 9 1 1 CALLS DURING, UH, WINTER STORM MARA WAS RELATED TO A LACK OF OXYGEN FOR MEDICALLY VULNERABLE, UM, AS WELL AS A LACK OF POWER FOR THOSE WITH MEDICAL DEVICES.
SIMILARLY, IF YOU ARE ON A MEDICAL DEVICE, PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU KEEP ADEQUATE YOUR DEVICES ADEQUATELY CHARGED AND KEEP EXTRA BATTERIES AS WELL, UH, IN ANTICIPATION OF THE COLD WEATHER.
WE'RE ALSO PREPARING OURSELVES AND OUR FLEET, UH, FOR THAT TYPE OF EMERGENCIES.
WE HAVE ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE SECURED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO RESPOND REGARDLESS OF THE CONDITIONS THAT WE EXPERIENCE.
AND WE ALSO HAVE THE CAPACITY TO MODIFY OUR GUIDELINES.
UH, MANY ARE AWARE OF OUR COLLABORATIVE CARE LINE AND RECOGNIZING THAT WHEN YOU CALL 9 1 1, WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM AND PROVIDE YOU SERVICES.
IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE AN AMBULANCE RESPONSE.
WE MAY BE ABLE TO FIND OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS. WE MAINTAIN THAT 24 HOURS A DAY, WHICH IS RELATIVELY NEW FOR US OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
SO YOU MAY NOT HAVE EXPERIENCED THAT DURING SOME PREVIOUS WINTER STORMS. BUT OUR SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE, UH, 24 HOURS A DAY, BOTH FROM AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE, AS WELL AS ASSISTING YOU WITH ANY MORE MEDICAL VULNERABILITIES THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE, UM, IN ANTICIPATION OF THE WEATHER.
UM, AS WELL, WE CONTINUE TO WORK IN COLLABORATION WITH THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE, WITH OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS TO ENSURE THAT THOSE THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY, HAVE THE RESOURCES THAT ARE NECESSARY TO KEEP THEM SAFE.
UH, WE WILL GO OUT WITH THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE IN ADVANCE, UH, IN ANTICIPATION OF THE WEATHER TO TRY TO ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUALS TO SEEK OUT COLD WEATHER SHELTERS.
AND FOR THOSE THAT DECLINE OR HAVE A REASON WHY
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THEY CANNOT ATTEND COLD WEATHER SHELTERS THROUGHOUT THE STORM OR THROUGHOUT THE WEATHER EVENT, WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE OUT THERE REVISITING THESE INDIVIDUALS TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES THAT ARE NECESSARY.UH, AND JUST AS WE HAVE CONTINUED TO PREPARE AS THE DEPARTMENT, AGAIN, I ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO PREPARE FOR YOURSELVES.
UH, PLEASE HAVE A WINTER WEATHER PLAN.
PLEASE LEARN THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF COLD WEATHER EMERGENCIES.
LEARN THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING.
UM, AND MOST OF ALL, UM, I'LL SAY PLEASE RECOGNIZE THAT FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT MAY NOT BE MUD VULNERABLE, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT MAY BE VERY RESILIENT, UH, CHECK ON YOUR NEIGHBORS.
UM, GET TO KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY.
UM, THERE ARE FOLKS OUT THERE THAT NEED ASSISTANCE, AND THE BEST THING THAT WE CAN DO IN THE COMMUNITY IS TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS AND ENSURE THAT NOT JUST OURSELVES, UM, BUT THAT, UH, THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY THAT IS OUT THERE HAS THE RESOURCES THEY NEED.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO ASSISTANT CHIEF JEFF KENNEDY FROM THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, MY NAME IS JEFF KENNEDY, ASSISTANT CHIEF OF THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
ACCORDING TO FEMA, HALF OF ALL HOME FIRES OCCUR IN THE MONTHS OF DECEMBER, JANUARY, AND FEBRUARY.
OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, AUSTIN FIRE HAS RESPONDED TO 113 OF THESE TYPES OF FIRES OVER THOSE MONTHS BEFORE COLD WEATHER HITS.
TAKE PROACTIVE STEPS TO PROTECT YOUR HOME AND YOUR FAMILY.
AND SOME OF THESE LOOK LIKE HIRING A PROFESSIONAL TO CONDUCT AN INSPECTION OF YOUR CENTRAL HEATING UNIT AND OF COURSE, YOUR FIREPLACE.
AND WITH YOUR FIREPLACE, MAKE SURE THAT THAT PROFESSIONAL DOES TAKE TIME TO CLEAN AND INSPECT YOUR CHIMNEY AND VENTS.
UH, CLEAR THE AREA AROUND YOUR CENTRAL HEATING UNIT AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S CLEAN AND THAT THE FILTERS ARE ALSO CLEAN.
TEST SMOKE ALARMS AND CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS.
AUSTIN FIRE HAS A FREE SMOKE ALARM PROGRAM FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS NEEDING ASSISTANCE, AUSTINITES CAN CALL 5 1 2 9 7 4 0 2 9 9.
AGAIN, 5 1 2 9 7 4 0 2 9 9, AND SOMEONE FROM THE AUSTIN FIRE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DIVISION WILL CALL YOU BACK AND SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR INSTALLATION ONCE WINTER WEATHER HITS.
UH, BE SURE TO MAKE SAFE APPROACHES TO WARMING YOUR HOME SPACE.
HEATERS NEED SPACE AND ATTENTION.
HEATERS SHOULD BE AT LEAST THREE FEET AWAY FROM ANYTHING THAT CAN BURN AND SHOULD BE SWITCHED OFF WHEN UNATTENDED, PARTICULARLY WHEN RESIDENTS ARE ASLEEP.
IF USING AN ELECTRICAL OR A KEROSENE HEATER, MAKE SURE THAT IT IS, UH, UL APPROVED AND COMES WITH OR IS EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC SHUTOFF IN THE EVENT THAT IT OVERHEATS TIPS OVER OR GETS KNOCKED OVER, ENSURE THAT THE FLU IS OPEN BEFORE STARTING A FIRE IN YOUR FIREPLACE.
PORTABLE GENERATORS, GRILLS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT USE CHARCOAL BRIQUETTES, SHOULD BE USED OUTDOORS ON FLAT FIRE RESISTANT SURFACES, AND ALSO BE MINDFUL OF THE RISK OF CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING WHEN USING THOSE DEVICES.
HOLIDAY DECORATIONS CAN ALSO BE HAZARD, OR AT LEAST A FIRE HAZARD, UH, CHRISTMAS TREES IN PARTICULAR.
AND THOSE THAT ARE DRY, THEY CAN FUEL, FUEL A FIRE, SO PLEASE WATER THEM DAILY.
IF A FIRE DOES BREAK OUT, IT CAN SPREAD QUICKLY TO OTHER STRUCTURES AND HOMES THROUGH FLA, THROUGH FLAMES, AND EMBERS AND EMBERS CAN BE CARRIED UP TO A MILE BY WIND.
SO, AS THIS IS A PARTICULAR CONCERN FOR US, IT IS NOW EVEN MORE A CONCERN SINCE WE'VE HAD CLOSE TO FREEZING.
AND USUALLY WHEN WE HAVE THESE TYPES OF CONDITIONS, GRASS AND BRUSH ARE VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO BURNING, HARDEN YOUR PROPERTY AGAINST RISK BY MAINTAINING NON-COMBUSTIBLE PERIMETERS AROUND YOUR HOME, AT LEAST WITHIN THOSE FIRST FIVE FEET OF YOUR HOME.
YOU CAN DO THIS BY REPLACING MULCH IN THE IMMEDIATE PERIMETER WITH GRANITE, OTHER TYPES OF DECORATIVE ROCKS AND RIVER ROCK.
REMOVE FLAMMABLE MATERIALS LIKE PATIO CUSHIONS, PROPANE TANKS, AND WOODEN OR WICKER FURNITURE FROM AT LEAST FIVE FEET OF YOUR HOME, CLEAR YOUR GUTTERS AND YOUR ROOF OF LEAF LITTER AND OTHER DEBRIS THAT COULD EASILY CATCH FIRE.
AUSTINITES CAN ALSO REQUEST A FREE STRUCTURE IGNITION ZONE EVALUATION, ALSO KNOWN AS THE SIZE.
AND WHAT HAPPENS HERE AS AN ADVISOR WILL WALK THE EXTERIOR OF YOUR PROPERTY WITH YOU AND WILL PROVIDE YOU PERSONALIZED GUIDANCE AND ADDITIONAL STEPS ON HOW YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR HOME FROM FIRE.
WE HAVE LONG SUMMERS IN CENTRAL TEXAS, BUT WHEN WINTER COMES, IT OFTEN HITS HARD.
AUSTIN FIRE TWO IS EQUIPPED AND READY AS FAR AS OUR APPARATUS AND PREPARATION ARE CONCERNED.
WE HAVE TIRE CHAINS, WE HAVE WINTER WEATHER FUEL AND THINGS THAT WILL MAKE US AVAILABLE TO BE AVAILABLE TO YOU, OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT WE ALSO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO TAKE STEPS TO AVOID PUTTING YOURSELVES IN HARM'S WAY.
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REMAIN WEATHER AWARE.AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO MAYOR WATSON.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HERE FROM VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY TO ANSWER ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
WE'RE ALSO JOINED, I WANNA POINT OUT BY THE CITY MANAGER, TC BROAD ACTS.
UH, SO WE'LL NOW OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS IF ANYBODY'S GOT QUESTIONS.
UM, YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT THE, THE ACTIVATION OF THE SHELTER LAST NIGHT, AND HOW MANY FOLKS STAYED THERE? YEAH, HE'S RIGHT THERE.
I'M THE DE DEPUTY DIRECTOR AT AUSTIN HOMELESS STRATEGIES AND OPERATIONS.
LAST NIGHT FOR ACTIVATION, WE HAD 143 INDIVIDUALS THAT, UM, CAME TO THE EMBARKATION CENTER THAT WERE PLACED INTO COLD WEATHER SHELTER LAST NIGHT.
WE ALSO HAD TWO FAMILIES THAT CAME IN AS WELL, AND WERE ALSO PLACED INTO A HOTELS LAST NIGHT.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT GIVING THE MESSAGE OUT, SPREADING THE WORD ON THAT? SO, UM, EVERY DAY DURING THE COLD WEATHER, EXCUSE ME, EVERY DAY DURING THE COLD WEATHER SEASON, WE ASSESS WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GONNA MAKE AN ACTIVATION IN THE DAYS AND THE DAY OF, OF EVERY MORNING.
UM, AND SO TYPICALLY WHEN IT'S, WE MAKE A DECISION FOR ACTIVATION, THERE IS A COORDINATED MESSAGING, UM, RESPONSE THAT GOES OUT IN THE MORNING STARTING AROUND 9:00 AM TO 10:00 AM AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE PUTTING OUT PRESS RELEASES.
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE SENDING THE TEXT NOTIFICATIONS TO INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE PART OF THE, UM, TEXT NOTIFICATION SYSTEM THAT THE, SOME OF THE OTHER LEADERS HERE WERE TALKING ABOUT AS BEING IMPORTANT TO ENROLL IN, JUST TO GET THE WORD OUT TO AS MANY INDIVIDUALS THAT WOULD BE USING THE SERVICES AS WELL AS PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
AND, AND MENTION THE, THE, THOSE THAT ARE LIVING HOMELESS THAT HAVE, THAT RECEIVE TEXTS SPECIFICALLY, RIGHT? SO THE, THE PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, WE ENCOURAGE, UM, ALL OF THOSE FOLKS THAT, UM, TO SIGN UP FOR THIS TEXT NOTIFICATION SYSTEM BECAUSE IT'LL GIVE THEM SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO GET TO EMBARKATION, INCLUDING BUS ROUTES, THE TIME OF THE EMBARKATION ENROLLMENT PERIOD, SO PEOPLE CAN GET INTO THE SHELTERS.
AND SO WE WILL BE SENDING THOSE OUT AT EVERY DAY WHEN THERE IS AN ACTIVATION, UM, THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THE 5,000 PEOPLE, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, SIGNED UP FOR THAT SPECIFIC NOTIFICATION.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, THE HOMELESS STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS OFFICE IS MAKING SOME SPECIFIC, UH, PERSON TO PERSON CONTACT, UH, WITHIN, AT DIFFERENT ENCAMPMENTS AND PLACES WHERE, WHERE KNOWN, UH, PLACES WHERE PEOPLE MIGHT BE LIVING.
UH, AND IN ADDITION, YOU'VE ALSO HEARD ABOUT HOW THERE'S DIRECT CONTACT BY OUR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS WITH FOLKS ALSO LETTING THEM KNOW ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO MAKE CONTACT AND, AND BE ABLE TO BE, UH, IN, IN ONE OF THE WARMING SHELTERS.
YEAH, THE, THE ONLY THING I'LL ADD TO THAT, MAYOR IS OUR, UM, INTERNAL OUTREACH DEPARTMENT WILL COORDINATE WITH EXTERNAL SERVICE PROVIDERS, SO THE OTHER OUTREACH PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY TO LET THEM KNOW AND PASS ON THE MESSAGE ABOUT HOW PEOPLE CAN ACCESS COLD WEATHER SHELTER.
WHAT'S THE RISK, UM, OF ACTUAL WINTER WEATHER COMING UP THESE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS? IS IT MORE, YOU KNOW, WEATHER FORECAST ISSUES, OR ARE WE WORRIED MORE ABOUT, UH, WILDFIRE POTENTIAL? WELL, WE'RE ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT WILDFIRE POTENTIAL, AND WE'RE PARTICULARLY WORRIED ABOUT WILDFIRE POTENTIAL AS, AS HAS BEEN POINTED OUT, WHEN YOU SEE THE DEW POINT DROPPING AND IT'S DRIER.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENS WITH, WITH WINTER WEATHER IS YOU HAVE PERIODS OF TIME WHERE IT'S, IT'S EVEN DRIER.
SO JUST BECAUSE IT'S COOLER DOESN'T MEAN WE ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE IT'S NECESSARILY LESS CHANCE OF A WILDFIRE.
IT WAS JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, IT FEELS LIKE WE WERE, WE WERE HOLDING A PRESS EVENT WHERE WE WERE, AGAIN, WARNING PEOPLE ABOUT WILDFIRE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE WORRY MAYBE MORE ABOUT IT BECAUSE AS HAS ALSO BEEN POINTED OUT BY THE FIRE CHIEF, YOU GET, YOU HAVE A SITUATION WHERE IN ORDER TO WARM THEMSELVES, PEOPLE ARE IN SITUATIONS WHERE THEY UTILIZE MEANS TO WARM THEMSELVES THAT COULD RESULT IN THERE BEING FIRES.
AND I'LL SAY TWO THINGS ABOUT THAT.
ONE IS, PLEASE, UH, HEED THE WARNING THAT THE CHIEF GAVE YOU ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT YOUR EQUIPMENT WORKS WELL.
MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT MOVING THINGS THAT, THAT SEEM LIKE THEY WOULD WARM THE HOUSE, BUT THEY ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, CHARCOAL, YOU DON'T WANNA BRING A CHARCOAL GRILL INTO THE HOUSE.
YOU DON'T WANNA BRING PORTABLE GENERATORS INTO THE HOUSE.
YOU WANT THOSE OUTSIDE AWAY FROM THE HOUSE ON FLAT SURFACES BECAUSE THEY CAN ALSO CAUSE FIRES.
THE OTHER THING I WANNA SAY ABOUT THAT IS, WE SAY THIS PRETTY MUCH EVERY TIME WE HAVE A WILDFIRE, UH, MEETING LIKE THIS, AND THAT IS THAT EMBERS CAN TRAVEL,
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EMBERS CAN TRAVEL, UH, UP TO A MILE, SOMETIMES A LITTLE MORE THAN A MILE.AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT YOU MAY, UH, YOU, YOU, YOU MAY BE IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU DON'T KNOW THAT YOU'RE AT A WILDFIRE RISK, BUT YOU, AND YOU DON'T KNOW YOU'RE PUTTING OTHERS AT A WILDFIRE RISK.
BUT THOSE EMBERS CAN TRAVEL AND THAT WILL CAUSE WILDFIRE.
NOW, WITH REGARD TO THE WINTER WEATHER, I'M GONNA LET JIM COME UP AND, AND CORRECT ME IF I SAY SOMETHING WRONG HERE.
UM, DO IT NICELY THOUGH, IF YOU WANT DO THAT
UM, BUT MOST OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS IS, AS YOU'VE INDICATED, AND THAT IS WE NEED TO WATCH WHAT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS TELLING US IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
BUT THAT'S ALSO WHY IT'S SO VERY IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE SIGN UP FOR NOTIFICATIONS.
WE'RE GONNA ALL WATCH, UM, UH, OUR NEWSCAST AND THE WEATHER THAT WE SEE ON THE NEWSCAST.
WE'RE GONNA PAY ATTENTION THAT WAY.
BUT IF WE CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU HAVE SIGNED UP AT WARREN CENTRAL TEXAS, UH, DOT ORG, AND YOU, OR YOU AND OR YOU HAVE THE APP, IT IS THE BEST WAY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE IMMEDIATE NEEDS.
YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING? ABSOLUTELY.
SO EVERYTHING THAT THE MAYOR SAYS IS SPOT ON.
UM, SO I, I CAN TELL YOU AS AN EMERGENCY MANAGER, I DON'T NECESSARILY PAY ATTENTION TO SEASONAL FORECASTS OR EL NINO, NOT LA NINO.
I'M JUST PLANNING FOR THAT NEXT INCIDENT, WHICH COULD VERY WELL OCCUR EVEN DURING A SEASON WHERE IT'S NOT FORECASTED TO BE MUCH OF A THREAT.
SO WE'RE ALWAYS PLANNING FOR THAT NEXT THING.
UH, WE'RE ALWAYS MAINTAINING THAT, THAT FORWARD-LEANING POSTURE, UH, ALWAYS CONTINUOUSLY WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS, WORKING ON OUR PLANS, UH, AND THEN TRAINING AND EXERCISES.
SO, SO THAT'S OUR, THAT'S OUR STANCE MOVING FORWARD.
AS FAR AS A FORECAST FOR THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS, IF THERE'S NO OBJECTIONS, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO JASON RUNYON.
HE'S ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WHO WORKS BEHIND THE SCENES AND GIVES US THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED, AGAIN, LEADING UP TO AND DURING, UH, A WEATHER EVENT.
I'M JASON RUNYON, THE WARNING COORDINATION METEOR METEOROLOGIST FOR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, AUSTIN SAN ANTONIO FORECAST OFFICE.
UM, AS THE MAYOR ALLUDED TO, AND, AND JIM ALLUDED TO, UH, WHILE OUR SEASONAL FORECAST CALLS FOR WARMER THAN NORMAL CONDITIONS AND DRIER THAN NORMAL CONDITIONS, UH, WE WANNA POINT OUT THAT WE CAN ALWAYS GET HIGH IMPACT WINTER STORMS, EVEN WHEN WE HAVE A SEASONAL FORECAST LIKE THAT.
AND WE HAVE SEEN THAT IN OUR HISTORY, UH, WHERE WE'VE HAD CONDITIONS THAT ARE WARMER THAN NORMAL AND DRIER THAN NORMAL, UH, THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE WINTER, BUT WE'VE HAD WINTER STORMS, HIGH IMPACT WINTER STORMS, UH, MIXED IN THAT.
UH, I ALSO LIKE TO POINT, UH, CITIZENS OUT TO A PREPAREDNESS SITE THAT WE HAVE CALLED OUR WEATHER READY NATION WEBSITE.
UH, YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ON THAT AT WEATHER.GOV/WR IN FOR WEATHER READY NATION.
UH, UH, SOME OF THESE TIPS HAVE BEEN POINTED OUT THIS MORNING, THIS AFTERNOON, UH, WITH RESPECT TO PREPARING FOR WINTER STORMS, UH, PREPARING YOUR VEHICLES FOR WINTER STORMS, YOUR HOMES, AS WELL AS FIRE WEATHER TIPS, FLOODING TIPS, SEVERE WEATHER, UH, SEASON TIPS, AND EVEN HURRICANE TIPS.
UH, SO I'D POINT ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS TO THAT WEBSITE.
UH, WITH RESPECT TO THE FORECAST, THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, UH, WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA TREND A LITTLE BIT WARMER, UH, OVER THE NEXT SEVEN TO 14 DAYS.
UH, IT'S ACTUALLY LOOKING LIKE A FAIRLY WARM CHRISTMAS HERE.
UM, BUT TYPICALLY, UH, IN THIS AREA OF TEXAS, OUR, OUR HIGH IMPACT WINTER STORMS USUALLY OCCUR IN THE MONTHS OF JANUARY AND FEBRUARY.
UH, SO WE WANNA PAY ATTENTION, UH, TO THE WEATHER FORECAST AS WE MOVE IN, UH, TO THE PEAK OF OUR WINTER SEASON.
AND AS THE MAYOR ALLUDED TO IN HIS REMARKS, THE WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY, VERY QUICKLY.
HERE IN, IN THIS AREA OF TEXAS, IT'S, UH, ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING HAZARDS TO FORECAST DOWN IN THIS AREA IS WINTER WEATHER, BECAUSE A DEGREE OR TWO AND THE TEMPERATURE CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COLD RAIN AND A BIG ICE STORM.
SO STAY WEATHER AWARE AS WE HEAD INTO THE PEAK OF THE WINTER SEASON.
THERE'S A LOT OF WEATHER INFORMATION OUT THERE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION, A LOT OF INACCURATE INFORMATION.
UH, FOLLOW US AT WEATHER.GOV/AUSTIN.
UH, SIGN UP FOR WARREN CENTRAL TEXAS.ORG AND FOLLOW YOUR LOCAL, UH, TV METEOROLOGIST HERE IN TOWN.
THE, SOME OF THE BEST ONES THAT I'VE EVER WORKED WITH ARE HERE IN THE AUSTIN AREA.
UM, SO WITH THAT, GOOD, GOOD JUDGE, YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING? MANAGER, YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING? I'M GOOD, THANK YOU.
UM, THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND BEING PART OF THIS, AS I INDICATED, AND THE JUDGE HAS REITERATED, UM, THIS IS ABOUT EVERYBODY, EACH AND EVERYBODY BEING PREPARED, AND WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT HAVING THE, THE PROFESSIONAL MEDIA HERE.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOU DOING THAT.
THANK YOU ALL, EVERYBODY STAY SAFE, STAY WARM, AND HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON.
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BUT THE WAY WE'VE, WHAT IT TAKE TO, I NOT LOVE YOU THE WAY YOU WANT ME TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH.