February 2021 - Cold Weather Emergency Resources

Last Updated: 02/28/2021 - Please be sure to check back frequently for the most up to date information.

Información en español

In response to the severe cold weather and its after effects, the City of Austin is partnering with multiple governmental and public agencies to provide critical services to the community. You can also find the latest updates through the City of Austin’s Twitter and Facebook.

FEMA assistance available for severe winter storm

Travis County residents seeking to apply for individual assistance for losses can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-462-7585 TTY. More information is available in the FEMA press release.

Available Resources

FEMA Assistance	SNAP Benefit Replacements
Water Distribution	Food Resources
Water Outages and Services	Energy and Power
Emergency Repair Resources	Debris Clean Up
Insurance Claims	Transportation
COVID-19	Trash and Recycling
Cold Weather Shelters	Ways to Help
Volunteer and Donate	Surrounding Cities
Latest News

FEMA Assistance

Frequently asked questions about applying for aid have been produced by the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

SNAP Benefit Replacements Due to Winter Storm

Recipients who lost food and/or their Lone Star card in the winter storms can apply for replacement food benefits for both regular Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allotments and SNAP emergency allotments provided in response to COVID-19.

SNAP benefits recipients are encouraged to request replacement benefits through one of the following options: 

Dial 2-1-1 and select option 2. 
Download and complete Form H1855 (Affidavit for Nonreceipt or Destroyed Food Stamp Benefits),
Once completed, the form can be faxed to 1-877-447-2839, or 
Mailed to Texas Health and Human Services Commission, PO Box 149027, Austin, TX 78714-9027.

Recipients have until March 31 to request a benefit replacement.

For more information on disaster assistance, visit "Receiving Disaster Assistance" on the HHSC website.

Water Distribution

All sites will provide free water on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last.
We are asking that water allocations at these sites be reserved for those who have not been able to purchase or boil water.
Please have your trunk open or your doors unlocked so volunteers can place water in your vehicle promptly.
If you are on foot, we recommend that you bring a cart or carrier large enough to hold one case of water.

The following site will be open Saturday & Sunday, Feb. 27 & 28 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. for bottled water:

Onion Creek Soccer Complex, 5600 E. William Cannon Drive

If you are driving a vehicle, we ask that you have your trunk open or have your doors unlocked so that volunteers can place water in your vehicle.

If you are on foot, we recommend that you bring a cart or carrier large enough to hold 1 case of water. With the increased use of bottled water, we ask residents to recycle all single-use plastic bottles and jugs instead of throwing them in the trash.

The following site will be open Sunday, Feb. 28 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. for bulk water:

ACC Northridge Campus, 11928 Stonehollow Drive***

***This is not bottled water distribution. Residents must bring their own containers to fill at this location

Please visit Capital Metro "Winter Weather Service Update" for information on routes to select distribution sites.

Supplies will be limited to one case of water per household.

Please recycle all single-use plastic bottles and jugs instead of throwing them in the trash.

Food Resources

ConnectATX
AISD - food and water distribution for children and caregiver
Central Texas Foodbank also has resources for finding food in the community. Please visit their website for more information.

Water Outages and Services

Austin Water has lifted the boil water notice for all customers.

Residential customers may return to regular indoor water use. To report an issue or for more information, visit:

Austin Water Online Issue Report Form (available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Simplified Chinese, Arabic)
Additional information on Austin Water services can be found on the Austin Water website.

If pipes at your home or business have burst, stop water waste by turning off your water at the property-owners cut-off valve. If you are unable to locate your property-owners cut-off valve or if it won’t work, then call Austin Water at 512-972-1000 for assistance with turning off your water. Austin Water remains available to take calls regarding customer service questions, but lines may be busy due to high demand. The online form is the easiest way to get us information.

Shower and laundry services
- Austin Disaster Relief shower and laundry services
- YMCA of Austin shower services

Energy and Power

Austin Energy is currently reporting 100% service restored. For the most up-to-date information, go to:

Map of current outages
To report Electric Outages call 512-322-9100 or go to Austin Energy’s outage reporting site
Click here to get outage alerts
For additional updates on Austin Energy services, go to the Austin Energy website or follow us on Facebook or Twitter

If your area is serviced by a utility provider other than Austin Energy, please reach out to that utility.

Electric

Bluebonnet Electric Co-op: 800-842-7708 or bluebonnetelectric.coop
Oncor Electric: 888-313-4747 or oncor.com
Pedernales Electric Co-op: 888-554-4732 or pec.coop

Natural Gas Providers

ATMOS Energy: 888-286-6700 or atmosenergy.com
CenterPoint Energy: 800-752-8036 or centerpointenergy.com
SiEnergy Natural Gas Service: 888-468-7007 or sienergy.com
Texas Gas Service: 800-700-2443 or texasgasservice.com

Emergency Repair Resources

The City launched Austin Emergency Repair Resources (austintexas.gov/atxrepairs) to help local residents and business owners find information about plumbers, electricians and other contractors; code compliance and service requests; the City’s emergency permitting process; homeowner’s funding assistance; and federal and local assistance programs. Austin’s business community partners have come together to provide emergency contractor resources. These lists are linked on the Austin Emergency Repairs Resources page and consist of local contractors who specialize in plumbing, fire protection, HVAC and utility repairs. They are available now to serve the community for freeze related repairs.

The Development Services Department has established a webpage for emergency permitting repairs information for answers to questions about safety while conducting repairs, which work types require a permit or not, and how to proceed with permitting for an emergency repair. Residents and contractors can also call our emergency repairs permitting hotline at 512-974-1500 or live web chat, both are operational Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Debris Clean Up

Austin Disaster Relief Network and Texas voluntary organizations are collaborating with the counties of Bastrop, Hays, Travis and Williamson to include the cities of Austin and Round Rock in a massive cleanup effort. This effort has begun today and residents in these areas can call the crisis clean up toll free number at 1-800-329-8052 for assistance in clearing their homes and removing debris.

The “Crisis Clean Up” line will operate Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m., and Sunday, 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. Homeowners can register for assistance through the “Crisis Clean Up” number until Tuesday, March 2. You can also visit the “Crisis Clean Up” web page.

For Austin Resource Recovery customers wishing to remove large tree limbs, please cut tree limbs to any size between 5 feet to 15 feet in length and stack them at the curb no higher than 4 feet. Call 3-1-1 to schedule a storm debris collection.

Insurance Claims

If your home was damaged due to a broken water pipe, downed tree limbs, or other winter damage, contact your insurance company or agent to file a claim as soon as possible. These tips will help make the process go smoother:

Make a list of damaged property. Take pictures or video of the damage. Don't throw anything away until your insurance company tells you to.

Take steps to protect your home from further damage. Turn off the water and cover broken windows and holes in your roof if possible. Save all receipts. Your policy may cover these costs.

Try to be there when the insurance company comes to inspect the damage. If you can’t stay in your home, leave a note with information on where you can be reached.

Keep a list of everyone you talk to at your insurance company. Be ready to answer questions about the damage.

Ask about additional living expenses. If you can’t live in your home due to the damage, your insurance policy may pay for some of those expenses.

Download a printable flyer with this information (PDF).

Courtesy of the Texas Department of Insurance

Transportation Services

Current weather conditions have impacted transportation services.

Latest information on roads and highways:
- Highway conditions and road closures can be monitored at DriveTexas.org.
- Information on local roadways and their conditions can be found on Austin Transportation’s Twitter and Facebook.
For Capital Metro Service:
- Updates on Capital Metro service can be found on Capital Metro’s Twitter and Facebook.
- Customers should continue to check CapMetro.org/Winter for updates and subscribe to MetroAlerts for route-specific service impacts.
For Austin Airport:
- Updates relating to air travel to and from Austin can be found on the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport’s Twitter and Facebook.

COVID-19 Services

Austin Public Health (APH) has resumed appointments for COVID-19 vaccine clinics. To find the latest updates on testing and vaccine sites, go to the Austin Public Health COVID-19 webpage.

Trash, Composting, and Recycling Services

After suspending curbside pickup due to severe weather and unsafe road conditions, Austin Resource Recovery will resume service on Monday, Feb. 22. For the latest updates on when services will resume, please visit the Austin Resource Recovery website or download the Recycle ATX app to receive notifications about your curbside collection schedule.

Cold Weather Shelters

The Palmer Event Center continues to operate at capacity and cannot accept new guests. Guests are receiving services to help them transition out of care.
Churches operating within the network of Austin Disaster Relief Network (ADRN) which can be found on the ADRN Winter Storm Shelters page here. ADRN has set up 1-800-329-8052 for those that need help with debris and clean-up efforts. If folks need other assistance, they can call ADRN’s Survivor Hotline at 512-806-0800.

Ways to Help

There continues to be much interest in helping those in need during the winter storm crisis. Sign up on this Winter Storm Volunteer sign up form if you are interesting in helping.

Please visit the Help Central Texas Respond and Recover page for more information about volunteer and donation opportunities. This page was developed in partnership with Austin Disaster Relief Network and Travis County and will continue to list opportunities developed by both groups as well as the City of Austin.

So far, we have received contact information from more than 1,600 interested volunteers who can play a critical role in addressing both immediate and long-term needs. Those who have registered will receive alerts so they may sign up for volunteer opportunities as they arise. Currently this includes shelter and travel support but will be expanded for clean-up efforts and more.

The site also lists a small number of donation opportunities for residents. We hope to expand this list with information about helping trusted organizations provide relief and recovery to our community. We welcome receiving information about more donation opportunities from the Mayor and City Council. Recommendations for donation drives to include can be emailed to Kim Caldwell (Kimberly.Caldwell@austintexas.gov).

The Austin Area Urban League has launched an emergency donation drive, called the #LoveThyNeighborTX campaign, to accept monetary donations.
Austin's Free Lunch program provides home-cooked meals to people experiencing homelessness. Free Lunch is a business that cooks and delivers meals four days a week to the Esperanza Community, Visit Free ATX Lunch to make a donation.
If you want to donate a warm blanket, Front Steps is accepting blankets at their downtown location, or you can order the blanket online and have it shipped directly to the shelter.

Non-City Coordinated Resources

Some local businesses and community organizations are kindly offering resources to those in need. Please see below for links to some of these unofficial resources. Please note that these resources and events are independently run. The City does not have additional information beyond the links provided below and is not endorsing any one of these resources. Before traveling to one of these locations, residents are encouraged to contact the business or organization directly to confirm they still have resources available.

If you are overseeing an effort that is open and available to the public and would like to include it on this page, please submit the resource here.