A SAMPLE VOYENT ALERT
GENERATING ANEED
build closer relationships with several emergency response partners to obtain resources and assistance during emergency situations, including the Texas Division of Emergency Management, Police Chief Scott Gerdes said. The city additionally is looking into the possibility of pretreating major roadways prior to snow or ice events to increase the ability to respond to emergencies, Gerdes said. In addition to actions taken by the city, energy providers also have taken measures to signi cantly increase their outage communication with custom- ers. Pedernales Electric Cooperative and Austin Energy, the two largest providers for the Lake Tra- vis-Westlake area, each have implemented plans to alert customers to outages and have developed updated outage maps to more accurately re ect real-time changes in service interruption, accord- ing to the providers. Individual preparedness andplanning Alongside citywide planning, local o cials are encouraging residents to develop individual plans for safety in the event of an emergency. This includes an e ort called First 72 on You, in which residents should have enough water, food, cloth- ing and other necessities for the rst three days of an emergency while awaiting aid. The plan also emphasizes developing a family emergency plan consisting of where to go, what to do and who to contact when emergencies occur. Initiatives have been developed in neighbor- hoods to create coordination plans during emer- gencies, Howard said. Community organizations such as Go Austin Vamos Austin have worked in the past year to increase community resiliency and ensure the equitable distribution of resources during emergency situations, she said. “[Residents] know best what works in their neighborhoods,” Howard said. “Maybe there is an elementary school that doesn’t ood and didn’t lose power, so maybe that’s the place to go—really to break down our community by neighborhood and working with that to develop their own strategy.” There also has been an increased demand for generators and solar panel installation since the storm to prepare for potential outages. In a typical year, Austin Energy has two to three requests for whole-home standby generator installations, but since the storm o cials reported over 400 requests for installation, according to a press release from
12:14
aA
Boil Water Advisory
Following the storm, many residents have taken emergency preparedness into their own hands, which includes purchasing whole-home generators for use during power outages. 916% INCREASE GENERATOR INSTALLATIONS
Issued: Feb. 19, 2022 2:37 p.m. CST Issued by: city of Lakeway Location: home
Please be advised your home location is currently subject to a boil-water advisory. O cials are working to resolve the issue. An update will be sent out at 4:30 p.m. CST unless breaking news occurs.
in generator installations since 2020 for installation 368 month installation timeline 6+
requests in queue
Boil Water Advisory Zone
Home
INSTRUCTIONS Please take the following precautions: • Boil water used for drinking purposes for at least 1 minute at a rolling boil prior to use; • Boil water for activities where it may be ingested; • Do not drink from any public drinking
SOURCE: AUSTIN ENERGY COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
Electric service providers such as Boost Electric have assisted with generator installations this year.
RESPONSE REQUESTED
COURTESY BOOST ELECTRIC
response vehicles to handle severe weather condi- tions, o cials said. Several cities didnot have vehicles capable of traversing snowwhen the storm hit in Feb- ruary, prompting cities such as Bee Cave to purchase four-wheel drive vehicles to increase mobility in icy conditions. While Rollingwood did have a four-wheel drive vehicle, Brady said there was an emergency response vehicle from Travis County Emergency Ser- vices District 9 stationed in the city during the storm. The city is coordinating with District Fire Chief David Wilson to potentially provide future increased re and emergency medical services. West Lake Hills o cials also have worked to
the utility. There also has been a large in ux of solar panel installations processed this year, equal- ing more than the last ve years combined. “I don’t think anyone could have ever imagined that we could have a storm that would literally shut us down for eight or nine days,” Bee Cave Mayor Kara King said. “Some things you just can’t predict they’re going to happen, so you’ve got to be ready for them if and when they do.”
For more information, visit communityimpact.com .
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LAKE TRAVIS WESTLAKE EDITION • FEBRUARY 2022
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