Get Prepared
Preparing for disasters in advance can have big impact on your safety and recovery in an emergency. You have the power to protect yourself, your loved ones, and our community. Make emergency preparedness your superpower!
- 2023 Emergency Preparedness-Pop Ups
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2023 Emergency Preparedness Pop Up Events In Your District
Council District
Third Wednesdays
Time*
Location*
District 10
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
4-7 p.m.
District 2
Wednesday, February 15, 2023
4-7 p.m.
District 8
Wednesday, March 15, 2023
1-4 p.m.
District 4
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
1-4 p.m.
District 5
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
1-4 p.m.
District 6
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
4-7 p.m.
District 7
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
4-7 p.m.
District 3
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
1-4 p.m.
District 9
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
4-7 p.m.
District 1
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
4-7 p.m.
*Dates and locations subject to change. Check back regularly for updates.
- Winter Weather Preparedness
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Make emergency preparedness your superpower! Plan ahead for cold weather right now and check out our Winter Weather Preparedness tips.
- Emergency Alerts and Language Access
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In an emergency follow austintexas.gov/alerts to get up to date emergency information in 13 languages.
Translated Emergency Alerts
During an emergency follow the Alerts page to get up to date information in your priority language.
ASL | Español | Tiếng Việt | 中文 (简体) | 中文 (繁體) | 한국어 | ဗမာ (မြန်မာ) | اُردُو | العربية | Français | हिन्दी | پښتو
Find emergency supply kit instructions in your priority language.
- Make a Plan
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Discuss with your family how you will respond, stay informed and contact one another during emergency situations in which key services like electricity, water or first responders may not be available. Once your initial plan has been created, make it a point to discuss it at least once a year and make updates as needed.
A family plan should include:
- A designated place to meet if you are separated - outside your home, or nearby.
- A plan to contact one another if you are unable to meet or get separated during a crisis.
- Public safety phone numbers (i.e. police, fire and hospital) for your area.
- An out-of-area contact to communicate that you're safe and learn the status of the other family member.
To get started with your plan, click here to access a template provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Once the plan is complete, consider laminating a paper copy AND saving an electronic version to cloud drive and on your phone. That way, it's accessible in a variety of situations.
- Build A Kit
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Having basic supplies on hand can make a disaster less stressful, and in some cases, make the difference between life and death. Assemble an emergency supply kit with enough supplies for everyone in your house for seven days. You don’t have to do it all at once and it doesn't have to be difficult or expensive.
Start with the basics (i.e. water, food, first aid and hygiene items,) that can fit in a backpack or other portable container. Add to it as you are able (i.e. flashlight, extra batteries, portable charge, blankets, and cash), and consider unique supplies that pertain to different seasons. Understand the unique needs of you and your family and take those into account when building your kit.
- Download your Emergency Supply Kit Checklist in one of several languages, click the link to find yours: Emergency Supply Kit Checklist
- Don’t forget your pet's needs.
- Know Your Neighbors
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Neighbors helping neighbors enhances community resilience and ensures that emergency resources will reach those in the greatest need. If you can help one of your neighbors, that could be one less emergency call that needs to be made. Reducing the strain on emergency services by helping each other can add up to make a big difference in a crisis. All this means that knowing your neighbors and identifying those who might need extra help during a disaster is critical to increasing Austin’s disaster preparedness.
You can prepare yourself and then get involved in the community to encourage disaster preparedness:
Learn CPR and basic first aid. It may save the life of your loved ones or neighbor.
Take Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training.
Organize your neighborhood, homeowners’ association, apartment complex, or building to better prepare where you live for a disaster.
You are the help, until help arrives!
Five simple steps can help save a life.
- Call 9-1-1
- Stay safe
- Stop the bleeding
- Position the injured and provide comfort.
FEMA Community Tips can help guide you.
- Stay Informed
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Knowing where you can get reliable information during an emergency is crucial. During a disaster unreliable websites and social media can have incorrect, out of date, or even false information. It’s important to know ahead of time where you will get critical updates about what is going on in the community.
Take the following steps now so you are better informed from reliable sources when disaster strikes:
- Warn Central Texas: Sign up for Warn Central Texas to receive emergecny alerts letting you know when you need to take immediate action to stay safe.
- Accessible Hazard Alert System (AHAS): Sign up HERE for emergency alerts in American Sign Language, English voice, and text for people who are Deaf, Blind, hard of hearing or Deaf and Blind OR by texting AHAS to (737) 241-3710.
- Alerts Page: follow austintexas.gov/alerts for key emergency information in real time in multiple languages.
- Ready Central Texas phone app: Download for iPhone or Android.
- Emergency Preparedness Resources
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Weather Tips from Austin Water
Austin Water urges customers to take steps now to prepare for freezing temperatures. While Austinites often enjoy mild winters, Winter Storm Uri of February 2021 demonstrated that we must prepare for more severe and prolonged freezing weather.
Power Outage Safety Tips from Austin Energy
Power outages are the result of a variety of causes — anything from traffic accidents, wildlife interference, and severe weather. They can occur on the brightest of sunny days and during our sudden, and sometimes severe, Central Texas thunderstorms.
Austin is in the heart of Flash Flood Alley. Use the links on this page to help protect yourself, your family and your property from floods.
Resources for Minor Home Repairs
Austinites whose homes present health or safety hazards may need financial assistance. This program helps eligible homeowners to make critical and necessary repairs. Minor Home Repair Grants are up to $5,000 per home.
Small Business Preparedness Resources
By taking small steps to create a preparedness plan, Austin small businesses can be ready for an event that severely disrupts operations, such as extended power outages, pandemics or natural disasters.
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Neighborhood Preparedness Guide provides tips for actions you can take before, during and after an emergency. All neighborhoods, including mobile home communities, apartment complexes and high-rise buildings, are encouraged to use this guide. By working together, we can build a more resilient community. |
Use this guide to discover:
- Ways to help you plan for hazards (flooding, winter weather, and wildfires).
- Tools to build an emergency supply kit.
- Resources for making an emergency plan for your family.
- Templates for how to help your neighborhood plan for emergencies.