Austin, TX – The City of Austin and Travis County are preparing for severe and cold weather starting overnight, and the Austin-Travis County Emergency Operations Center has been activated. 

“The entire city is getting ready for the impending weather, and we’re doing everything we can to make sure we’re prepared,” said Juan Ortiz, Director for the City of Austin’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. “The City and County are working together to make sure every resident has the information and resources they need to stay safe during this event.”  

The City of Austin, Travis County, and community partners will be activating community shelters beginning at 9 a.m. tomorrow. 

“We want to provide residents in need with a place to warm up, charge their electronics, and have a safe place to sleep,” said Parks and Recreation Department Director Kimberly McNeely.  

The following community shelters will be operating 24 hours a day for as long as conditions dictate. Individuals sheltering will be offered the opportunity to remain during the day and the upcoming nights. 

• Dove Springs Recreation Center - 5801 Ainez Dr. Austin TX, 78744  
• Dittmar Recreation Center - 1009 W. Dittmar Rd., Austin, TX 78748  
• Gus Garcia Recreation Center - 1201 E. Rundberg Ln., Austin, TX 78753  
• Parque Zaragoza Recreation Center - 2608 Gonzales St., Austin TX 78702  

**Note: Givens Recreation Center is now at capacity**

Additionally, the following day warming centers will be open on Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. - 9 p. m. for those needing to warm up and charge their electronic devices during the day. 

• Cowan Elementary - 2817 Kentish Dr., Austin, TX 78748   
• Wooten Elementary - 1406 Dale Dr., Austin, TX 78757  

The City of Austin, Travis County, and CapMetro personnel along with community partners and volunteers are working together to provide assistance if individuals need transportation to a community shelter or day warming facility. Availability and response times will depend on road conditions, available drivers, and emergency situations. Please call 311 to make arrangements.

It is critical that the public is weather aware and monitors the conditions in the community in the coming days. For regular updates visit AustinTexas.gov/Alerts for information in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Korean, Burmese, Urdu, Arabic, French, Hindi, and Pashto. Residents can text ATXWEATHER to 888-777 for updates in English or ATXCLIMA to 888-777 for updates in Spanish. 

Information on power outages can be found with Austin Energy. Additional information and tips from can be found here from Austin Energy on the cold weather. 

Highway conditions can be monitored at DriveTexas.org. Information on local roadways and their conditions can be found on Austin Transportation's Twitter. 

The Austin Public Works Department has implemented its weather emergency response plan and asks that the public use extreme caution when driving over any kind of bridge structure as they tend to hold ice longer. More information on their operations can be found on their site. 

Austin Water is encouraging residents to visit their website for tips preventing property damage during freezing weather.