Translated Emergency Information 

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During a disaster or emergency, visit this page to get up to date official information from the City of Austin and Travis County about the hazard impacting our community and immediate actions you should take to keep you and your loved ones safe.  Consider bookmarking the link to this page so you can quickly find it during a crisis. You can also follow Austin HSEM on social media: 

Twitter - @AustinHSEM

Facebook - @AustinHSEM

Prepare now for emergencies 

The best way to protect yourself during a major emergency is to have a safety plan, supplies, and access to critical information long before it happens. Visit ReadyCentralTexas.org to sign up for emergency alerts, and learn what you can do today to help yourself survive and recover more quickly from disasters in the future.

Download Ready Central Texas App

The City of Austin Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Travis County Office of Emergency Management have partnered to deploy an emergency preparedness mobile app.

The Ready Central Texas app provides:

  • News updates and warnings
  • Preparedness resources
  • Emergency plan checklists to help make sure you have what you need

The app is available on Android and iOS devices and is free to download and use.

Status

No current alerts. 

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Heat & Cooling Center Information

In the event of an Extreme Heat Warning issued by the National Weather Service, this page will be updated with specific cooling center location information.

Cooling Centers are operated during daylight hours to coincide with peak temperatures. Overnight cooling shelters are dependent upon widespread power outages and estimated time of power restoration. 

All Austin Public Library and Austin Parks & Recreation and Senior Centers are open for use as cooling centers during normal operations (not for overnight services). Please call the facility prior to arrival to confirm operational hours.

Most Austin Public Libraries are open from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and until 5:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. 

Austin Public Libraries Cooling Center Hours and Locations (PDF)

Austin Parks & Recreation facilities have varying hours of operations. Please check their website for times and locations. 

Austin Parks & Recreation Facility Cooling Center Hours and Locations (PDF) 

Currently, only service animals are permissible at these locations. 

Transportation to Cooling Centers

Get to a cooling center using the CapMetro Trip Planner for bus service. All CapMetro buses are ADA accessible. A new local ride share option can also be requested through CapMetro Pick-Up or by calling (512) 369-6200. This option is only available in certain zones in the city - call or click for more details. 

Additional Cooling Center Locations

The lobbies of the Travis County Community Centers will be open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Check the link for a location near you.

Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH) located at 500 E. 7th St, is also serving as a cooling center and is open Monday – Sunday 8:00 a.m – 6:00 p.m.  

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Heatwave Tips

  • Check out these easy energy saving tips and a map to track power outages.  
  • Read about worker safety regulations in the Rest Break Ordinance to keep workers safe in the heat.
  • Heat illness can be life threatening. Learn the signs and symptoms here and call 911 if you are experiencing them.
  • Wildfire safety information: 
    • Pay attention to this site to track fire danger (NOTE: hyperlink to: https://wildfire-austin.hub.arcgis.com/) and modify your behavior based on the daily wildfire danger rating.   
    • Residents can organize their neighborhood into a Firewise Community. Reach out to firewildfire@austintexas.org to start the process of having a wildfire division member assess your home and help organize your community by providing a risk assessment, or visit www.ATXWildfire.org for more information.  
    • The Austin-Travis County Wildfire Coalition has published a Ready, Set, Go! guide to help central Texans organize themselves for evacuation. Plan to be Prepared, prepare to be ready, and when the time comes, be ready to go. Remember, Wildfire is Everyone’s Fight. 

Updated 11:30 a.m. 09/17/2022