Northwest Austin Edition | February 2023

REGIONAL IMPACT

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Two years after the deadly Winter Storm Uri, freezing temperatures and rain in early February led to power outages and other storm-related dangers.

Karl Flocke, a Texas A&M Forest Service woodland ecologist, answered common questions about trees in light of Winter Storm Mara.

Winter Storm Uri Feb. 13-17, 2021

Winter Storm Mara Jan. 31-Feb. 3, 2023

Type of impact

Wildre season

Calls placed to 311

68,835*

105,977**

Trac crashes

286+

700+

Deaths

TBD

Days of class canceled for Austin, Pugerville and Round Rock ISD Percentage of Austin Energy customers who lost power

>30%

40%

SOURCES: AUSTIN ENERGY, AUSTIN ISD, CITY OF AUSTIN, PFLUGERVILLE ISD, ROUND ROCK ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT

*JAN. 30FEB. 14, 2023 **ALL OF FEBRUARY 2021

The concern is not so much extra downed limbs in heavily wooded areas because storms are part of nature, but brush needs to be cleaned up around homes so it is not an additional danger to people. DEEDA LOVETTCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Sunset Valley resident Michelle Rob- erts said after the deadly winter storm in February 2021, she should have planned better, but she thought this storm would be dierent. “Everyone kept saying the grid would hold this time, so I wasn’t that worried,” Roberts said. “Well, then my power went out at 3 a.m. on [Feb. 1] morning and didn’t come back on until [Feb. 2] afternoon.” Like Roberts, many are wondering why the city was hit so hard by the disaster just two years after 28 people died in Travis County; all of Austin was under a weeklong boil-water notice; and 40% of AE customers lost power. District 10 Council Member Alison Alter said many issues tracked during this year’s storm that mirror problems city residents may have seen during Winter Storm Uri two years ago and last year’s citywide boil-water incident. The city of Austin released after-ac- tion reports following those events, highlighting aws with communi- cation and disaster management. Later, it issued a report saying Aus- tin’s weather-related shelters were mismanaged, potentially leading to residents suering. “There’s so many places where we heard these challenges; we talked about them; they were raised,” Alter said. “We have got to gure out how we learn the lessons.” Cleaning up Williamson County was the rst local entity to issue a disaster declaration due to the storm Jan. 31, which opens access to state and federal resources. The city of Austin and Travis County declared local disasters on Feb. 3. Most cleanup was expected to wrap up in February, but some work could stretch into April, according to the Aus- tin Resource Recovery department. Residents can place trees and branches on the curb for pickup, and there have

been several brush drop-o stations established in and around Austin fol- lowing the storm. The city of Austin said 36,000 dump trucks of debris had already been picked up as of Feb. 21. Additionally, the city of Round Rock in Williamson County reported picking up 75,000 cubic yards of brush in the rst two weeks of cleanup, which is more than twice what the city’s Brush Recycling Center handles in a year. As part of the cleanup eort, over 30 community members of all ages came together Feb. 3 to assist in the clear- ing out of debris from Grace Covenant Church, oering supplies and hauling discarded branches away. “This storm felt unique from previ- ous storms in that immediately it felt like people were coming together to help with another,” Arnold said. “We were just really in awe of how well our congregation [not only] helped us, but [helped] each other and their neighbor. That, to us, was a beautiful experience.” Amanda Cutshall contributed to this report.

Oak wilt

AMANDA CUTSHALLCOMMUNITY IMPACT The damage from the storm is not vulnerable to oak wilt, a potentially fatal disease for trees, because of how cold it was when the storm happened. However, residents should take care to seal any cuts made during cleanup.

Tree vulnerability

Flocke said droughts, storms and other conditions that aect trees are cumulative, meaning trees are more vulnerable after events. Residents should take extra precautions to have trees inspected and maintained.

DARCY SPRAGUECOMMUNITY IMPACT

For more information, visit communityimpact.com .

SOURCE: TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICECOMMUNITY IMPACT

COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE Austin residents have options for debris pickup and drop-o as well as assistance for those unable to do the work themselves.

Scan the QR code for more information.

SOURCES: CITY OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY COMMUNITY IMPACT

Community members gathered at Grace Covenant Church after the storm to help clean up.

COURTESY GRACE COVENANT CHURCH

NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • MARCH 2023