* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:03] UM, IN JUST A MINUTE, WE ARE GOING TO [Austin Winter Weather Press Conference on January 25, 2026.] HEAR PREPARED REMARKS FROM JASON RUNYON FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUDGE ANDY BROWN FROM TRAVIS COUNTY MAYOR, KIRK WA WATSON FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN, JIM REDDICK WITH AUSTIN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, AND ERIC CARTER WITH TRAVIS COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. ALSO AVAILABLE ON TODAY'S VIRTUAL NEWS CONFERENCE ARE REPRESENTATIVES FROM AUSTIN ENERGY, AUSTIN WATER, AUSTIN FIRE, AUSTIN POLICE, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, EMS, AUSTIN HOMELESS STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS, AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, AUSTIN AVIATION, THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK, TRAVIS COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES, AND TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO YOUR QUESTIONS. AND WITH THAT, IF WE'RE READY, I THINK WE CAN GET STARTED WITH JASON RUNYAN FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. GOOD MORNING. I'M JASON RUNAN WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. HERE'S AN UPDATE ON WHAT OCCURRED OVERNIGHT AND WHAT WE CAN EXPECT GOING FORWARD OVERNIGHT, THE REGION EXPERIENCED A MIX OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET. FREEZING RAIN ACCUMULATIONS RANGED FROM A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH UP TO AROUND TWO TENTHS OF AN INCH. ON TOP OF THAT SLEE ACCUMULATIONS RANGE FROM TWO TENTHS OF AN INCH TO AS MUCH AS ONE INCH. AT THIS TIME, PRECIPITATION HAS ENDED ACROSS THE REGION AND NO MORE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED. LOOKING AHEAD, TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN BELOW FREEZING TODAY THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. ICY ROW CONDITIONS ARE CONTINUING AND ANY ICE THAT MELTS THIS AFTERNOON WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO REFREEZE TONIGHT AND INTO TOMORROW MORNING AS TEMPERATURES DROP AGAIN. WE ARE ALSO EXPECTING HARD FREEZES OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF NIGHTS AND DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILLS. WE URGE EVERYONE TO AVOID TRAVEL IF POSSIBLE, AND IF YOU MUST TRAVEL, USE EXTREME CAUTION. CONTINUE TO PROTECT PEOPLE, PETS, PIPES IN THEIR PLANTS, AND LIMIT TIME OUTDOORS DURING THIS PERIOD OF EXTREME COLD. FINALLY, WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO CHECK ON OUR VULNERABLE NEIGHBORS, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT ARE ELDERLY OR THOSE WITHOUT RELIABLE HEAT. THANK YOU JUDGE BROWN. THANK YOU. UM, THANKS FOR JOINING US TODAY. UH, JUST WANNA START REMINDING EVERYBODY THAT TEXANS ARE VERY RESILIENT. THIS IS OUR THIRD FREEZE IN FIVE YEARS, AND I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT PEOPLE ACROSS AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY HAVE BEEN PREPARING SINCE EARLY LAST WEEK, AND IT SHOWS PEOPLE ARE LARGELY STAYING OFF THE ROADS AND OUR FIRST RESPONDERS REALLY APPRECIATE YOU DOING THAT. WE NEED TO KEEP DOING THAT. PLEASE. TRAVEL IS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT TO NEAR IMPOSSIBLE IN MANY AREAS, AND THE CONDITIONS ARE STILL CHANGING QUICKLY. TRAVIS COUNTY HAS A LOT OF BACK ROADS AND RURAL, RURAL AREAS THAT SIMPLY ARE NOT SAFE TO DRIVE IN, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE LAKE. SO PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THE RISK OF DRIVING THERE. OUR COUNTY ROAD CREWS, AS WELL AS TXDOT MET EARLIER THIS MORNING, WHAT THEY'RE SEEING IS A MIX OF IC AND IMPASSABLE ROADWAYS ACROSS THE COUNTY. WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO TREAT MAJOR ROADS, BUT I JUST WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT JUST BECAUSE A ROAD IS TECHNICALLY PASSABLE, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S SAFE FOR YOU TO DRIVE ON, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE AND FIRST RESPONDERS. SO PLEASE, AGAIN, AVOID ALL TRAVEL IF POSSIBLE. WE NEED TO KEEP THE ROADWAYS CLEAR FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. I CHECKED IN THIS MORNING WITH OUR HOSPITALS WITH HEB, WITH RURAL POWER COMPANIES AND OTHERS, AND GENERALLY OPERATIONS SEEM TO BE GOING PRETTY WELL. I ALSO WANNA REMIND FOLKS THAT YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT YOUR OWN HOUSEHOLD AND KEEP THAT GOING. WORK, WORK ON YOUR, YOUR PEOPLE, YOUR PETS, YOUR PLANTS, AND YOUR PIPES. WE'RE NOT OUT OF THE FREEZE YET, SO WATER IN YOUR PIPE STILL CAN FREEZE. CHECK ON YOUR NEIGHBORS, ESPECIALLY SENIORS AND THOSE WHO MIGHT BE MEDICALLY VULNERABLE. AND REMEMBER, YOU CANNOT KEEP PETS OUTSIDE IN THIS WEATHER. THEY NEED TO COME INSIDE, EVEN IF THAT MEANS CLEANING UP SOME ACCIDENTS IN YOUR HOUSE LIKE I DID THIS MORNING. SO STAY MINDFUL OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD UTILITIES, UH, THE PREFERRED WAY TO HEAT YOUR HOME, YOUR PIPES AND YOUR POOLS. JUST STAYING VIGILANT TO THESE THINGS CAN HELP PREVENT A LOT OF PROBLEMS. UM, I'VE VISITED A COLD WEATHER SHELTER IN NORTHWEST AUSTIN THAT WAS RUN BY THE CITY THIS MORNING, AND I GOTTA SAY THAT OPERATIONS LOOK, UH, LIKE THEY'RE RUNNING VERY SMOOTHLY. AND I WANT TO THANK THE CITY AND THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES, THE AUSTIN AREA URBAN LEAGUE, INTEGRAL CARE, CENTRAL HEALTH, THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK, AND OTHERS FOR ALL, AGAIN, WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE THESE THINGS HAPPEN. I ALSO WANT TO THANK AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OF TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, FOR THEIR WORK IN CONNECTING THE MEDICALLY VULNERABLE RESIDENTS AHEAD OF THIS EVENT. JUST WANNA REITERATE ONE THING. DO NOT GET ON THE ROADS AND [00:05:01] DON'T TRY TO HANDLE THINGS YOURSELF. IF YOU NEED HELP, CALL THREE ONE ONE OR CALL 9 1 1. FINALLY, I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY ACROSS THIS EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER WHERE EVERYBODY FROM THE CITY, THE COUNTY RELATED ORGANIZATIONS, ARE HERE WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE AND WARM. I'M GONNA SAY JUST A LITTLE BIT IN SPANISH AND THEN I'LL PASS IT ON LOS ES AND CINCOS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I'LL PASS IT ON TO MAYOR WATSON. THANK YOU, JUDGE. UM, AND I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY THAT'S JOINED US TODAY ON THIS, UH, PRESS AVAILABILITY. PRESS CONFERENCE. UH, AS JUDGE BROWN SAYS, I'M MAYOR KIRK WATSON, MAYOR WALTON, TEXAS, AND AS HE MENTIONED, UH, WE'RE HERE TO TRY TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON, UH, THE VARIOUS OVERALL RESPONSE EFFORTS TO THE WINTER STORM. UH, AS WAS POINTED OUT AT THE VERY BEGINNING, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF EXPERTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, UH, TO ANSWER SOME OF YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS. AND I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT WE'RE, UH, JOINED BY, UH, THE AUSTIN CITY MANAGER, TC BROAD ACTS. I HATE TO START OFF THIS WAY, BUT I WANNA START OFF WITH SOME SAD NEWS, UH, TRAGIC NEWS. AND THAT IS, UH, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THE FIRST FATALITY RELATED TO THIS WINTER STORM. UM, IT WAS, UH, UH, AN EXPOSURE FATALITY. UH, AND THIS SADLY, UH, UNDERSCORES THE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT WORK THAT'S BEING DONE WITH OUR COLD WEATHER SHELTERING AND OUR WARMING CENTERS. I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH THE IMPORTANCE OF STAYING INDOORS DURING THIS SEVERE WEATHER, UH, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE MADE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT. UH, IT, WE, WE, AS WAS POINTED OUT BY JASON AND, AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, WE ARE STILL IN STORE FOR VERY, VERY COLD WEATHER. THE CITY HAS RESOURCES IN PLACE TO PREVENT TRAGEDIES LIKE THIS FROM HAPPENING. UH, LAST NIGHT WE HAD 659 CLIENTS IN SHELTERS. WE HAVE SIX CURRENTLY ACTIVE SHELTERS AND ARE ADDING CAPACITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN MEET THE NEED. IF YOU, IF YOU NEED HELP, PLEASE CALL 3 1 1, AND WE WILL WORK TO MAKE, UH, MAKE HELP AVAILABLE TO YOU. UH, WE'LL PICK YOU UP, WE'LL DRIVE YOU TO THE SHELTER. UH, WE'LL FEED YOU WHILE YOU'RE THERE, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE'LL KEEP PEOPLE WARM AND SAFE. IF YOU HAVE A LIFE OR SAFETY MATTER, AN IMMEDIATE LIFE OR SAFETY MATTER, PLEASE USE 9 1 1. AND IF YOU CAN MAKE YOUR WAY, IF YOU NEED A WARMING CENTER, IF YOU NEED A PLACE TO BE, IF YOU CAN MAKE YOUR WAY TO ONE TEXAS CENTER, WE WILL GET YOU WHERE YOU NEED TO GO. UH, TRAGEDIES LIKE THIS, WE BELIEVE ARE PREVENTABLE. SO IF YOU NEED SHELTERING, PLEASE, I IMPLORE YOU TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL THE RESOURCES THE CITY HAS. AND I'M ASKING, UH, THE MEDIA THAT'S A PART OF THIS. YOU'VE DONE A GOOD JOB OF, UH, MAKING INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE. PLEASE LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE HAVE THOSE SERVICES AVAILABLE. IN FACT, CAP CAPITAL METRO SERVICE, WHILE IT'S STILL SUSPENDED. BUT IF YOU NEED TO GET TO A SHELTER, CALL 3 1 1 AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE PICKED UP. HAVING SAID THAT, LET ME ALSO TALK A MINUTE ABOUT CAPITAL METRO. CAPITAL METRO SERVICES CURRENTLY SUSPENDED AND IT WILL HAVE A DELAYED START ON MONDAY, TOMORROW, JANUARY 26TH, WITH LIMITED SERVICE BEGINNING AT NOON. UH, STAFF WILL CONTINUE. UH, THE CAPITAL METRO STAFF IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR CONDITIONS AND ASSESS ROADWAYS FOR DETOURS OR SPECIFIC ROUTE CANCELLATIONS, ISOLATION, ANY ROUTES THAT ARE AREN'T RUNNING WILL BE LISTED ON THE CAPITAL METRO WEBSITE AND THROUGH CAPITAL METRO'S COMMUNICATIONS CHANNELS FOR RAIL. THE FIRST TRAINS WILL LEAVE LAKELINE AT 1222 AND DOWNTOWN AUSTIN AT 1229. ACCESS TRIPS WILL BEGIN AT NOON, AND ALL PICKUP ZONES WILL BE RUNNING EXCEPT LAGO VISTA [00:10:01] AND BIKE SHARE WILL REMAIN SUSPENDED. SO AGAIN, WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS CAPITOL METRO WILL HAVE A DELAYED START ON MONDAY, JANUARY 26TH WITH LIMITED SERVICE BEGINNING AT NOON. PLEASE CHECK THE, THE REGULAR CAPITAL METRO COMMUNICATIONS AND THE CAPITAL METRO WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION REGARDING ROUTES AND, AND THOSE CANCELLATIONS. UM, I WANNA SAY ONE OTHER THING ABOUT SHELTERS. OUR 24 OUT HOUR SHELTERING IS BEING EXTENDED THROUGH TOMORROW, THROUGH TOMORROW TO TUESDAY MORNING. IT'S THE 24 HOUR SHELTERING IS BEING EXTENDED THROUGH TOMORROW TO TUESDAY MORNING. WE ALSO TODAY UNTIL FIVE O'CLOCK HAVE THREE BRA, THREE LIBRARIES, THE TERRAZA BRANCH, THE WALNUT CREEK BRANCH, AND OUR CENTRAL LIBRARY. THOSE ARE ALL, UH, OPEN AND THEY'RE WARM. SO IF PEOPLE WANNA MAKE IT TO THOSE LIBRARIES, THEY ARE O THEY WERE OPEN AT EIGHT THIS MORNING, AND THEY'LL BE OPEN UNTIL FIVE TODAY. SWITCHING TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE SIDE, OVERALL CONDITIONS, AS THE JUDGE HAS INDICATED, WERE MANAGEABLE OVERNIGHT, UH, WITH MINIMAL OUTAGES AND FAIRLY, A FAIRLY LOW NUMBER OF INCIDENTS DESPITE THE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS WEATHER CONDITIONS. SO I WANT TO SAY THANKS TO OUR COMMUNITY FOR STAYING OFF THE ROADWAYS AND DOING YOUR PART TO KEEP OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AVAILABLE FOR THE CRITICAL EMERGENCIES. UH, I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THIS AS OUTCOME REFLECTS EARLY PLANNING, UH, STRONG COORDINATION AND A DISCIPLINE EXECUTION ACROSS OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS, AND I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT. PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION TEAMS HAVE WORKED FOR DAYS IN ADVANCE TO PRETREAT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE CITY'S CRITICAL ROADWAY NETWORK, WHICH MADE A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE ONCE THE ICING BEGAN. UTILITY TEAMS MONITORED CONDITIONS AND TESTED CRITICAL EQUIPMENT AHEAD OF THE STORM, ALLOWING FOR A QUICK RESPONSE AND SYSTEM STABILITY OVERNIGHT. AS HAS BEEN NOTED, THERE WERE SOME SPORADIC OUTAGES OF THE, WE HAVE CREWS THAT ARE WORKING ON THOSE. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, AUSTIN ENERGY IS REACHING OUT TO THOSE THAT HAVE HAD OUTAGES, UH, TO, TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AND TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THAT. IN ADDITION TO THAT, AUSTIN ENERGY IS ACTIVELY GOING OUT AND DOING DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS IN EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT THROUGHOUT THE CITY. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS TO POINT OUT NOW IS THAT WHILE WE HAVE, UH, MADE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT WITH, WITH RELATIVELY FEW PROBLEMS, AND WE HAD STABILITY OVERNIGHT, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE CRITICAL WEATHER CONDITIONS LIKE THIS WITH THIS SORT OF ICING, THOSE, THERE CAN BE DAMAGE DONE LATER, WE COULD, SO IN THE COMING DAYS, WE COULD HAVE A TREE FALL OR A LIMB FALL OR SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T HAVE RIGHT NOW. AND I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO, TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT AND ANTICIPATE IT. BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT AUSTIN ENERGY IS OUT THERE ALREADY, UH, DOING DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS. EMERGENCY RESPONDERS AND OPERATION STAFF ARE FULLY HAVE BEEN, WERE FULLY ENGAGED THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. THEY WERE MONITORING CONDITIONS AND STANDING READY TO RESPOND AS NEEDED. AND WE'RE ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL TO OUR CITY OF AUSTIN STAFF WHO HAVE WORKED THOSE LONG HOURS BEHIND THE SCENES AND OUT IN THOSE HORRIBLE ELEMENTS TO KEEP OUR ESSENTIAL SERVICES RUNNING SMOOTHLY. AND I ALSO WANNA SAY A, A BIG THANKS TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS. THE JUDGE MADE REFERENCE TO, UM, H-E-B-H-E-B, UH, HAS, IN ADDITION TO OPERATING AT STORES, IT HAS STEPPED UP TO PROVIDE MEALS TO OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER STAFF ON SHORT NOTICE, WHICH IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. AND THERE, UH, I KNOW THAT THREE OF OUR LOCAL HEB STORES HAVE ALSO DONATED DONATED FOOD FOR OUR SHELTERS. THE WALMART FOUNDATION, UH, HAS DONATED $5,000 FOR OUR HOMELESS STRATEGIES AND OPERATION OFFICE TO HELP US BUY SOME MUCH NEEDED SUPPLIES FOR THE SHELTERS AND STARBUCKS MADE SURE OUR STAFF, UH, WORKING THROUGH THE DAY AND NIGHT WERE WELL FUELED WITH COFFEE. SO WE'RE REALLY APPRECIATIVE TO, UH, THESE ENTITIES IN OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY FOR BEING A PART OF THIS. WHILE WE HAVE TIMES LIKE THIS, AND, AND WHILE THESE TIMES ARE CHALLENGING, THEY CAN ALSO BRING OUT THE VERY BEST IN THE COMMUNITY. AND WE'VE SEEN THAT ALL THIS WEEKEND. AND, AND THIS IS JUST PART OF IT. SO THE CITY WILL KEEP MONITORING CONDITIONS, UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE UPDATES. THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY REMAINS OUR TOP PRIORITY. BUT YOU HAVE ALSO HEARD THE MESSAGE TWICE ALREADY, BUT IT BEARS REPEATING. A KEY MESSAGE IS, AND WE NEED PEOPLE TO [00:15:01] HEED THIS, IS PLEASE STAY OFF THE ROADS. THEY'RE ICY, THEY ARE DANGEROUS. AND UNLESS IT'S ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION IS TO STAY HOME AND SAY STAY SAFE. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE A COUPLE OF POINTS IN THAT REGARD. FIRST, UH, AS, AS HAS BEEN SAID, JUST BECAUSE A ROAD IS PASSABLE DOESN'T MEAN IT'S SAFE. WE AREN'T ABLE AND, AND, AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT THE ROADS THAT SOME PERSON DECIDES TO GO ON ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE SAFE FOR TRAVEL. THEY MAY EVEN BE A ROAD THAT HASN'T BEEN TREATED. SO WE ASK PEOPLE IF YOU CAN JUST STAY INSIDE. THE SECOND THING IS WE ALSO REMAIN VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ROADS IN THE MORNING. YOU HEARD THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER WEATHER SERVICE SAY THAT THE, THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE CONTINUED FREEZING CONDITIONS. WELL, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO BE TREATING ROADS. UM, AGAIN, NOT ALL OF THE ROADS WILL BE TREATED, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA RETREAT ROADS. AND WHEN YOU HAVE TODAY'S TEMPERATURES REMAINING BELOW FREEZING, UH, THE SUN COMES OUT, IT MAKES A, IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. WIND ALSO MAKES A DIFFERENCE. AND FRANKLY, SOME OF THE TRAVEL ON THOSE ROADS WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IT MAY IN SOME PLACES MAKE, UH, THE, THE, THE FROZEN RAIN, THE, THE SLEET THAT WAS THERE, IT MAY MAKE SOME OF THAT SLUSHY, BUT IT THEN TONIGHT IT COULD REFREEZE AND IT WOULD MAKE TOMORROW MORNING VERY, VERY HAZARDOUS. SO WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE AGAIN, AND, AND I KNOW WE KEEP REPEATING IT, AND WE HOPE THAT THE MEDIA CONTINUES TO REPEAT IT. PLEASE STAY AT HOME IF YOU CAN. UH, WHAT THE OTHER THING THAT THAT DOES IS IT KEEPS OUR ROADS CLEAR AND SAFER FOR OUR EMERGENCY VEHICLES, IS THE JUDGE POINTED OUT AND OUR STORM RESPONSE TEAMS THAT NEED TO BE ON THE ROAD. I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT IN TALKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER, THE CITY MANAGER HAS INFORMED ME THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN WILL HAVE MODIFIED OPERATIONS TOMORROW. THAT MEANS THOSE THAT CAN DO THEIR JOB REMOTELY WILL DO. SO. ONLY THOSE WORKING TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE AND RESPOND TO THE WEATHER EMERGENCY WILL BE OUT AND ABOUT. THE CITY DOES NOT CLOSE. WE KEEP WORKING TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT IN A WAY THAT'S RESPONSIBLE, AND THAT DOESN'T PUT ANYONE NEEDLESSLY IN HARM'S WAY. SO I WANT TO THANK, UH, ALL OF THE EXCELLENT PUBLIC SERVANTS THAT ARE PLAYING A ROLE IN KEEPING OUR CITY SAFE. AND I, AGAIN, WANT TO THANK THE MEDIA FOR DOING SUCH A GOOD JOB OF GETTING INFORMATION OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND THEN THANK THOSE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE PARTICIPATING BECAUSE WE COULDN'T STAY A SAFE CITY WITHOUT YOUR HELP. WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO PASS IT TO THE CITY'S DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, JIM REDDICK. THANK YOU, JIM. THANKS FOR ALL YOU'VE BEEN DOING. THANK YOU, MR. MARIN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT. UM, I, I ALMOST DON'T HAVE MUCH TO, TO ADD ON TOP OF WHAT YOU'VE SAID. UH, THE INFORMATION THAT THE MAYOR SHED IS EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING IN THE EOC. SO EVERYONE NOW HAS THE SAME SITUATIONAL AWARENESS THAT WE DO IN THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER. UH, WE CONTINUE TO OPERATE ON A 24 HOUR SCHEDULE. UM, AND IT'S NOT JUST CITY. IT'S CITY AND COUNTY. AND A LOT OF OUR PARTNER AGENCIES SUCH AS CAP METRO, SUCH AS CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK AND MANY OTHERS, NOT JUST PHYSICALLY IN THE ROOM, BUT ALSO CONNECTED TO US, UH, VIA CONFERENCE CALLS, COORDINATION CALLS, AND THERE'S A TRUE UNITY OF EFFORT. UM, IT'S, IT'S NO SECRET THAT AUSTIN IS BLESSED WITH A LOT OF RESOURCES AND A LOT OF COMPASSIONATE FOLKS, UH, BEING ABLE TO SEE THAT COME TO FRUITION THROUGH EFFECTIVE PLANNING AND JUST THE SHARING OF INFORMATION. UH, ELEVATING BEYOND JUST COLLABORATION TO COORDINATION IS, IS WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. AND, AND AND TRULY, THIS, THIS AUSTIN TEAM, WHICH IS INCLUSIVE OF THE COMMUNITY, IS, IS REALLY AN AN ALL STAR TEAM. I DO WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT LIFE SAFETY IS ALWAYS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. THE MAYOR ALREADY MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE SIX SHELTERS, AND WE'RE INCREASING THE CAPACITY TO 825 BEDS, UH, TONIGHT. AND THAT SHELTERING WILL CONTINUE, UH, THROUGH TUESDAY, TUESDAY MORNING. UM, CERTAINLY WE'LL REASSESS BEFORE THEN TO FIGURE OUT HOW, UH, THE RECOVERY IS GOING, THE, THE CLEANUP, UM, THE ICE BREAKAGE, UH, TO SEE IF THE ROADWAYS WILL BE SAFE AT THAT TIME. UM, I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT PUBLIC HEALTH CONTINUES TO REACH OUT TO THE STEER RE REGISTRANTS, UH, THE STATEWIDE STEER REGISTRY FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, AS IS AUSTIN ENERGY AND AUSTIN WATER, THEIR, UH, VULNERABLE CUSTOMER LIST TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE FOLKS, UM, ARE ABLE, WE CAN FIND OUT THAT THEY'RE DOING OKAY AFTER, AFTER THE, THE, THE ICE SPELL THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED. UH, THE MAYOR ALSO FROM AN INFRASTRUCTURE STANDPOINT MENTIONED THE ROADWAYS. UH, LIKE HE SAID, THERE'S A MIX BETWEEN PASSABLE AND IMPASSABLE. I THINK THE THING TO, TO REALLY [00:20:01] EMPHASIZE IS THAT THE FOCUS IS ON CRITICAL ROADWAYS, NOT SECONDARY ROADS, NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL CRITICAL ROADWAYS. AND SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT GOING ON THE ROADS, THE MESSAGE CONTINUES TO BE, PLEASE DON'T WE NEED THOSE CRITICAL ROADWAYS OPEN FOR RESPONSE VEHICLES. UM, SO THE MORE THAT OUR PUBLIC WORKS FRIENDS HAVE TIME TO, TO CLEAR THE ROAD AND MAKE THEM NOT JUST PASSABLE BUT SAFE AND THAT THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE, UM, THEY NEED TIME TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO. AND OUR RESPONSE VEHICLES NEED TO GET THROUGH. SO DO PLEASE STAY HOME, UH, IF, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. UH, FINALLY, WE'RE EXPECTING FREEZING TEMPS THROUGH TUESDAY. UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND OUR MEDIA PARTNERS. UM, THIS, WE'RE JUST GONNA PLAY IT AS WE GO, AND WE'RE GONNA REMAIN EVER FLEXIBLE, UH, READY TO PIVOT, HOWEVER NEEDED. AND THEN FINALLY, WE WANT TO KEEP THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY INFORMED THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS. SO ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT IS AUSTIN TEXAS.GOV/ALERTS. THAT SHOULD GIVE EVERYONE THE LATEST INFORMATION FROM THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, UH, FROM THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER FOR YOU. UH, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE PUTTING IT. SO, UM, I WILL GLADLY TURN IT OVER TO, UH, MY COUNTERPART WITH TRAVIS COUNTY, ERIC CARTER, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. HEY, THANKS JIM. UH, UH, AND, UH, UH, THANK YOU ALL. UM, AS JUDGE BROWN MENTIONED, AND, AND SO DID JIM AND, AND MAYOR WATSON, UH, THE COUNTY AND OUR PARTNER AGENCIES ARE ACTIVELY RESPONDING TO THIS WINTER WEATHER EVENT. UH, I WANT TO TAKE THE, UH, THE TIME TO, TO STRESS THE INDIVIDUAL PREPAREDNESS AND RE RESILIENCE, UH, FOR OUR COMMUNITY. IT REMAINS REALLY CRITICAL. I KNOW IT'S BEEN SAID MULTIPLE TIMES, BUT IT'S WORTH SAYING AGAIN. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE STAY OFF THE ROADS. UH, IF YOU JUST ABSOLUTELY DON'T NEED TO BE OUT. UH, IT'S SAFER TO STAY HOME. YOUR SAFETY IS IMPORTANT. UH, IT'S TOO IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO RISK VENTURING OUT AT THIS TIME. ALSO, I KNOW WE'LL BE TEMPTING TO TRY AND HAVE SOME FUN OUTSIDE. FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH PETS AND THOSE OF YOU WITH PETS, WE'LL NEED TO TAKE THEM OUT OUTSIDE FOR WALKS. PLEASE, PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHEN WALKING OUTDOORS, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT ICE ON THE GROUND. UH, I, I, I FOUND MYSELF SLIPPING AND SLIDING OUTSIDE, AND I'M THE ONE TALKING TO YOU ALL ABOUT BEING SAFE. I'M, THAT'S MY WAY OF SAYING I KNOW IT'S DANGEROUS OUT THERE. SO WE WANT YOU TO BE SAFE. TAKE YOUR TIME IF YOU'RE OUTSIDE WALKING. WITH THAT SAID, PLEASE STAY INFORMED, LOOK AND LOOK TO TRUSTED SOURCES FOR INFORMATION, AND CAN GO TO TRAVIS COUNTY SOCIAL MEDIA SITES, UH, TO STAY, UH, FOR UP TO DATE INFORMATION. IF YOU'RE IN PARTS OF THE COUNTY, SIR, OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN ENERGY, YOU, YOU'RE, YOU'RE SERVED BY PERALES BLUEBONNET ENCORE, PLEASE. UH, I, WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO SIGN UP FOR THEIR WEBSITES ASIDE TO GET THEIR REPORT, THEIR OUTAGE INFORMATION, IF THERE ARE ANY. UM, AS OF, UH, ABOUT 11, THE GOOD NEWS WAS THERE WAS VERY, VERY LITTLE TO NO IMPACT IN TERMS OF POWER OUTAGES. BUT AGAIN, IT'S YOUR JOB TO TO, TO PUT YOURSELF IN A POSITION TO STAY INFORMED. SO NOW'S THE TIME TO TAKE THOSE ACTIONS IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY. UH, WE ALSO ASK, UH, AS, UH, THE COMMUNITY, KEEP THE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN MIND, NEIGHBORS, ELDERLY, UH, OF THOSE WHO MAY NEED MEDICINES. CHECK ON 'EM, MAKE SURE EVERYBODY, UH, ARE, IS DOING OKAY. UH, YOU HAVE, UH, LET'S SEE. UH, YOUR NEIGHBORS, I TALKED ABOUT THAT. UH, EXTRA ASSISTANCE. THEY NEED ASSISTANCE DURING THE EXTREME COLD. IT'S GOING TO BE COLD FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. UM, UH, AGAIN, LET'S JUST KEEP THOSE FOLKS AT THE TOP OF OUR MIND AS WE'RE, UH, STAYING, UH, BACK WITH OUR FAMILIES, STAYING OFF OF THE ROADS TO STAY SAFE, UH, MAKING SURE OUR NEIGHBORS ARE DOING GOOD. UH, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AND ALL THE FOLKS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OVER THE PAST 48 HOURS DURING THE STORM. THE CITY TEAM HAS BEEN AWESOME. THE COUNTY FOLKS I KNOW HAVE BEEN WORKING, UH, EXTREMELY HARD. THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ARE TRANSPORTATION, NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, AND THE ROLL CREWS, AS WELL AS OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT. SO, UM, JUST, UH, KEEP IT UP, WISH THEM WELL, AND, AND PLEASE, UH, THINK OF THEIR SAFETY AS YOU SEE THEM RUNNING AROUND THE COMMUNITY, UH, AND, UH, THAT FOR THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING. WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER, UH, TO MIMI. THANK YOU. MM-HMM. THANK YOU EVERYBODY. THANK YOU. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, JUDGE BROWN, MAYOR WATSON, JIM AND ERIC. UM, WITH THAT, I'LL START WITH THE QUESTIONS. OUR FIRST QUESTION IS FOR DAVID GRAY FROM OUR AUSTIN HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC AND STRATEGIES AND OPERATIONS, UH, FROM KUT DAVID, THERE IS A REPORT OF INADEQUATE FOOD AT AT LEAST ONE OF THE CITY'S OVERNIGHT SHELTERS. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? DID MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY COME DONATE FOOD? THANK YOU MEME. I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. DAVID GRAY, AUSTIN HOMELESS STRATEGIES AND OPERATIONS DIRECTOR. UH, RIGHT NOW ALL OF OUR [00:25:01] SHELTERS HAVE ADEQUATE FOOD SUPPLIES. UH, THERE WAS A, A LITTLE BIT OF A CHALLENGE YESTERDAY AT ONE OF OUR SHELTERS, UH, WHERE STAFFING WAS IMPACTED DUE TO WEATHER. UH, AND THAT DID HAVE A, AN IMPACT ON THE MEAL THAT WAS SERVED. HOWEVER, I WANNA ASSURE EVERYBODY THAT OUR SHELTER OPERATORS ARE PREPARED TO PROVIDE MEALS FOR ANYBODY IN OUR CITY SHELTERS AND EVERYBODY WHO COMES TO OUR OVERNIGHT COLD WEATHER SHELTERS. UH, WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO HAVE STEPPED UP AND AUGMENTED OUR SUPPLIES, UH, WITH ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. THE MAYOR ALLUDED TO DONATIONS FROM THE WALMART FOUNDATION AND HEB, UH, AND WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY RESIDENTS AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS ALSO WORK WITH OUR STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR SHELTERS HAVE MEALS AND SUPPLIES, UH, AND CLOTHING FOR OUR GUESTS. SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO STEPPED UP. UH, BUT AS FAR AS MEALS GO, WE, WE ARE GOOD TO GO. THANKS, MINNIE. THANK YOU, DAVID. OUR NEXT QUESTION, AGAIN FROM KUT, IS FOR AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, RICHARD MENDOZA. AND THE QUESTION IS, WHEN WILL ROADS BE SAFE? THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION. RICHARD MENDOZA, DIRECTOR CITY OF AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS. SO AT THIS TIME, WE'RE CONTINUALLY, UH, ASSESSING THE CONDITIONS OF OUR ROADWAYS. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO PREDICT WHEN THEY WILL ALL BE ENTIRELY SAFE. HOWEVER, IF YOU LOOK FORWARD, UH, WITH THE INFORMATION THE WEATHER SERVICE JUST PROVIDED, UH, WE HAVE A, UH, UNTIL TUESDAY AFTERNOON WHERE WE GET TEMPERATURES CONSISTENTLY WELL ABOVE FREEZING. SO I WOULD SAY NO EARLIER THAN THAT, UH, LOCATION. BUT AGAIN, UM, IT'S EARLY TO TELL, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR AND TREAT OUR ROADWAYS. THANK YOU, MR. MENDOZA. OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FOR AUSTIN POLICE CHIEF ANGIE JONES FROM FOX SEVEN. THE QUESTION IS, HOW MANY WEATHER RELATED CRASHES WERE THERE? GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. ASSISTANT CHIEF ANGIE JONES WITH AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT. UH, LAST NIGHT WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 67 COLLISIONS THAT WERE REPORTED TO THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THAT WAS FROM NOON ON SATURDAY UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 9:00 AM THIS MORNING. THANK YOU, CHIEF. OUR NEXT QUESTION FROM KUT IS FOR AUSTIN ENERGY, STUART RILEY, HOW CONCERNED IS AUSTIN ENERGY ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF MORE POWER OUTAGES? THANK YOU, STUART RILEY, AUSTIN, ENERGY GENERAL MANAGER. UM, WHEN WE SEE THIS TYPE OF EVENT WITH THESE TYPES OF ICE IMPACTS, EVEN AS THEY'RE NOT AS EXTREME AS WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST IN TERMS OF ICE ACCUMULATION, WE ARE CONCERNED THAT OVER THE COMING HOURS AND MAYBE EVEN A COUPLE OF DAYS, SOME OF THE TREES, UM, THAT ARE STRESSED, MAYBE THEY'RE DEAD TREES THAT COULD STILL FALL OVER IF, IF THEY'RE WEIGHTED DOWN WITH ICE AND THERE ARE WIND GUSTS THAT COME THROUGH. SO, SO WE DO, UM, EXPECT THERE TO BE SOME SPORADIC ISSUES. WE'RE DEALING WITH SOME SPORADIC OUTAGES RIGHT NOW ON THE SYSTEM. WE HAVE NOT SEEN A LOT IN TERMS OF VEGETATION IMPACTS FROM, FROM TREES OR TREE LIMBS. THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW, UH, LAST NIGHT OUR BIGGEST OUTAGE IMPACTS WERE ACTUALLY FROM LIGHTNING. UH, THE LIGHTNING THAT WAS QUITE WIDESPREAD DURING THE COURSE OF THAT STORM COMING THROUGH. UM, AND WE ALSO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO STAY OFF THE ROADS BECAUSE SOME OF THESE CAR CRASHES CAN, UH, IMPACTS OUR POLES. CARS CAN CRASH INTO POLES THAT CAN CAUSE OUTAGES. SO WE'RE REALLY ENCOURAGING PEOPLE, UH, JUST TO ECHO SOME OF THE MESSAGES THAT YOU'VE HEARD ALREADY. UH, IT'S JUST ANOTHER REASON TO TO STAY OFF THE ROADS. BUT IN TERMS OF OUR CONCERNS AT AUSTIN ENERGY FOR CONTINUED OUTAGES FROM THIS ICE, AS WE SEE HOW CONDITIONS GO FORWARD WITH THE ICE MELTING, UH, WITH THE WIND AND THE ICE BUILDUP, WE WILL KNOW MORE. BUT OUR CREWS HAVE BEEN OUT THERE. WE'VE DONE A THOROUGH DAMAGE ASSESSMENT AND WE'VE SEEN WHAT THE CONDITIONS ARE. UM, IT APPEARS THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE WIDESPREAD ISSUES, BUT THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME SPORADIC ISSUES AROUND THE SYSTEM, UH, THAT WILL, WILL CONTINUE. AND WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF CREWS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW ADDRESSING EVERY ONE OF THEM. THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. AND DON'T GO ANYWHERE. WE HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION FOR YOU FROM FOX SEVEN. I BELIEVE YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY ADDRESSED IT, BUT MAYBE NOT. UH, AND THE QUESTION IS, FOR ANY POWER OUTAGES, WERE THEY CAUSED BY ICE ON POWER LINES OR TREES? QUESTION MARK. UM, WE HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF, UM, ISSUES FROM, FROM TREES. UH, LIKE I SAID, UM, MOST OF THE, THE LARGER OUTAGES THAT WE HAD LAST NIGHT WERE, UM, QUICKLY RESTORED, AND THAT WAS FROM LIGHTNING. AND SO, SO FAR WE'VE NOT SEEN THE ICE BUILDUP. UH, MANY OF YOU PROBABLY RECALL IN WINTER STORM URI JUST HOW WEIGHTED DOWN THE TREES WERE, UH, SAGGING [00:30:01] TO, YOU KNOW, MANY TREES SAGGING ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE GROUND. AND THAT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF HOW MUCH WEIGHT WAS ON THE TREES. THEN WE'RE NOT SEEING QUITE THAT MUCH WEIGHT ON THE TREES OR ON THE EQUIPMENT. THIS TIME. WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT THE PRECIPITATION FELL, UH, MOSTLY IN THE FORM OF SLEET, BUT THERE IS SOME ICE. AND SO WE, WE ARE STILL CAUTIOUS ABOUT THAT AND ANY OF THE IMPACTS THAT COULD COME FROM THAT. AND SO WE'LL BE READY TO RESPOND. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM CITY CAST FOR CHIEF LUCR FOR AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. THE QUESTION IS, WHEN AND WHERE DID THE FATALITY OCCUR? CAN YOU OFFER ANY DETAILS ON THE VICTIM? GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, ROBERT LUCR, UH, CHIEF OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, EMS, UH, AUSTIN. TRAVIS COUNTY EMS RESPONDED TO THE 1000 BLOCK OF EAST 38 AND A HALF STREET AT APPROXIMATELY SIX 15 THIS MORNING FOR REPORTS OF AN UNRESPONSIVE INDIVIDUAL IN A PARKING LOT OF AN ABANDONED GAS STATION. OUR MEDICS ARRIVED TO FIND AN ADULT INDIVIDUAL THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY DECEASED AND WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT 6:27 AM DUE TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES, WE PRESUME THAT THE CAUSE WAS HYPOTHERMIA. HOWEVER, I MUST STRESS THAT AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMS DOES NOT OFFICIALLY RULE ON CAUSES OF DEATH. ONLY THE MEDICAL EXAMINER CAN MAKE THAT DETERMINATION. I CONTINUE TO URGE EVERYONE, UM, TO UTILIZE THE WARM WEATHER SHELTERS, UM, AND USE 3 1 1 IN ORDER TO, TO GET ACCESS TO THOSE. UM, OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS ARE OUT IN THE FIELD IN RESPONDING, UH, TO THESE EMERGENCIES. AND WHEN WE FIND INDIVIDUALS THAT DO NOT WANT TO SEEK SHELTER, WE ARE DISTRIBUTING RESOURCES SUCH AS BLANKETS AND WATER. UM, BUT CLEARLY WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO UTILIZE THOSE SHELTERS. THANK YOU, CHIEF. OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM KUT FOR SAMANTHA HAYNES WITH AUSTIN AVIATION. THANK YOU MIMI. SAM HAYNES, DEPUTY CHIEF WITH AUSTIN AVIATION. THE AIRPORT IS OPEN, BUT CONDITIONS ARE VERY SLUSHY RIGHT NOW. SO WE'VE GOT TEAMS OUT ON OUR TAXIWAYS RIGHT NOW, THIS MOMENT, WORKING TO CLEAR THAT ICY SLUSH OFF OF THE TAXIWAYS, AND THEY'RE DOING THAT FOR ONE OF OUR RUNWAYS. OUR EAST RUNWAY IS OPEN, BUT WE DID HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISION TO CLOSE OUR WEST RUNWAY, AND THAT'S A PART OF OUR USUAL WINTER WEATHER RESPONSE. IT JUST ALLOWS US TO FOCUS RESOURCES AND PRIORITIES ON ONE RUNWAY RATHER, RATHER THAN DIVVYING IT UP. WE DO HAVE, UH, SNOWPLOWS, BUT I WILL CALL THEM CENTRAL TEXAS STYLE SNOWPLOWS. THEY ARE ATTACHMENTS THAT WE RETROFIT TO A TRUCK, AND YES, WE HAVE USED THOSE FOR THIS EVENT. WE DO HAVE CANCELED FLIGHTS FOR TODAY, AND WE'RE STARTING TO SEE AIRLINES MAKE THE CALL FOR CANCELING FLIGHTS TOMORROW. SO STARTING TO SEE THOSE FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS ROLL IN FOR TOMORROW. SO, LIKE MANY OF THE SPEAKERS AND EXPERTS ON THIS CALL HAVE SHARED, IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO DRIVE TO THE AIRPORT, PLEASE DON'T. WE REALLY DON'T WANT FOLKS COMING TO THE AIRPORT JUST FOR A CANCELED FLIGHT. SO IT'S REALLY IMPERATIVE THAT YOU STAY IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH YOUR AIRLINE AND GET THE LATEST FLIGHT INFORMATION DIRECTLY FROM THEM IF YOU'RE FLYING IN OR OUT TODAY OR TOMORROW. THANK YOU, SAM. AND THERE ARE REPORTS THAT THERE WERE A HUN 202 CANCELLATIONS AT UH, A US TODAY. IS THAT ACCURATE? UM, THE LATEST THAT I HAVE IS THAT WE'VE HAD 115 DEPARTING FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS AND 87 ARRIVING FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS. AND JUST A REMINDER THAT THE AIRPORT ITSELF CANNOT CANCEL FLIGHT. THESE DECISIONS ARE MADE SOLELY BY THE AIRLINES AND SOMETIMES THE FAA IN THIS, UH, WEATHER EVENT. HOWEVER, THESE DECISIONS WOULD BE MADE DIRECTLY BY THE AIRLINES. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT QUESTION, ONCE AGAIN FROM KUT IS FROM AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS, RICHARD MENDOZA. ARE THERE INCREASED SNOWPLOW TYPE RESOURCES SINCE 2023? YES. WE'VE ADDED, UH, SIMILAR SNOWPLOW ATTACHMENTS TO THE FRONT OF DUMP TRUCKS, SIMILAR TO AS WAS JUST DESCRIBED BY THE, UM, AUSTIN AIRPORT. UH, WE PURCHASED SEVEN OF THOSE. IN ADDITION, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF MOTOR GRADERS, WHICH ARE COMMON IN STREET WORK, AS WELL AS FRONT END, UH, LOADERS THAT WE CAN UTILIZE TO REMOVE ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW IF WE WERE TO, UH, GET, UM, LIKE MORE THAN FOUR TO SIX INCHES OF SNOW. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. MENDOZA. AND THIS IS OUR LAST QUESTION IS FOR, UH, STEWART RILEY FROM AUSTIN ENERGY FROM CITY CAST AUSTIN. THE QUESTION IS, SOUNDS LIKE THE COOLER TEMPERATURES HELPED US DODGE A BULLET. WOULD WE HAVE BEEN PREPARED IF WE'D HAD MORE FREEZING RAIN THAN WE DID? QUESTION. UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. UM, REALLY THERE'S, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT YOU CAN DO ON AN ELECTRIC SYSTEM. ANY UTILITY FACES THIS. WHEN YOU HAVE MORE THAN HALF AN INCH OF ICE, THAT IS GOING TO BE VERY DAMAGING TO [00:35:01] OUR, TO OUR SYSTEM. SO, UM, WE'RE IN A, WE'RE IN A POSITION NOW WHERE MUCH OF THE PRECIPITATION CAME DOWN AS SLEET. BUT YES, WE WERE PREPARED. WE'RE BETTER PREPARED THAN WE'VE EVER BEEN BEFORE. WE'VE MADE A HOST OF IMPROVEMENTS SINCE 2023. WE'VE INCREASED OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM. UM, WE'VE, WE'VE ADDED DAMAGE ASSESSORS, WE'VE IMPROVED OUR RESTORATION COORDINATION, WE'VE IMPROVED OUR MUTUAL AID, UH, PROCEDURES. UM, WE'VE IN IMPROVED OUR OUTAGE MAP. UM, IN THIS INSTANCE, WE DID BRING IN AHEAD OF TIME SOME CONTRACT CREWS FROM OUTSIDE OF OUR SERVICE TERRITORY BECAUSE WE'VE DONE A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT RIGHT NOW, WE ARE RELEASING THOSE CONTRACT CREWS BACK TO THEIR HOME JURISDICTIONS. UH, AND, AND WE HAVE THE STAFF HERE READY ALREADY OUT IN THE FIELD TO ASSIST. AND SO WE HAVE PLENTY OF CAPACITY THERE. SO EVEN IF THE IMPACTS HAD BEEN MORE, WE WERE, WE HAD DONE EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO BE READY AND OUR RESPONSE WOULD'VE BEEN BETTER THAN WE HAD DONE BEFORE. AND SO, YES, WE HAVE MADE IMPROVEMENTS, UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH YOU CAN DO FOR OVER HALF AN INCH OF ICE. AND WE WOULD'VE, WE WOULD'VE DONE OUR BEST TO HANDLE THAT KIND OF SITUATION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, EVERYBODY. THAT CONCLUDES, UH, ALL OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE. IF ANYBODY HAS ANY REMARKS TO ADD, UH, THAT WAS THE TIME TO DO SO. IF NOT, WE CAN CONCLUDE TODAY'S NEWS CONFERENCE. THANK YOU EVERYBODY. I'VE GOT ONE THING TO ADD JUST REAL QUICK. UH, FAILED TO MENTION, UH, ALONG WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN. UM, WE, THE TRAVIS COUNTY WILL BE CLOSED FOR NON-ESSENTIAL WORK ON MONDAY. OF COURSE, WE'LL REEVALUATE, UH, ANYTHING FOR TUESDAY OR WHATEVER. BUT THAT BASICALLY MEANS THAT, OF COURSE, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, ANY ESSENTIAL SERVICES OR SUPPORT SERVICES WILL CONTINUE TO WORK. UH, BUT MOST OF THE IN-PERSON SERVICES LIKE THE COURTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT WILL BE CLOSED TOMORROW. SO BEFORE HEADING DOWN TO ANY COUNTY OFFICES TOMORROW, UM, UH, PLEASE DON'T, PLEASE STAY OFF THE ROADS. THANK YOU EVERYBODY. STAY WARM. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.