Austin’s utility companies and Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management will distribute free winter-weather supply kits this week at customer service centers.
The kits include water meter keys, styrofoam hose covers, hand-crank flashlights, first-aid supplies and winter weather tip sheets.
Austin Water’s public information manager, Ginny Guerrero, said there are hundreds of kits available at each of the three customer service locations.
“We’re asking folks to be a patient and take just one kit per resident, so we can make sure that everyone has a chance and opportunity to get those,” she said. “If you don’t make it out or can’t get those from us, you can make your own with the tips we have.”
The kits will be given away from 8 a.m. until supplies run out at the customer service sites:
Luis Rivas, the public information officer for Austin Energy, said the kit distribution program started in November.
“We had such a huge participation from customers and the general public that we ran out of materials pretty quick,” Rivas said. “We decided to have another series of events so that more customers can have access to these kits and information on how to prepare for any winter weather that may be coming up.”
Find tips to make your own emergency kits here. Look through this guide for general needs and this guide for winter preparedness. Sign up for weather and emergency texts or call alerts here.
Guerrero said the past two Februarys saw freezing temperatures that ruptured pipes. She hopes Austinites will be better prepared in the future.
“While we don’t know what this February holds for us,” Guerrero said, “we just are encouraging folks to be really as prepared as they can be so that should we find ourselves with that cold and nasty weather again, everyone has a plan.”
This story was produced as part of the Austin Monitor’s reporting partnership with KUT.
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Austin Energy: As a municipally-owned electric utility, Austin Energy is a rarity in the largely deregulated State of Texas. It's annual budget clocks in at over $1 billion. The utility's annual direct transfer of a Council-determined percentage of its revenues offers the city a notable revenue stream.
Austin Water Utility: AWU is the municipal utility that provides water service for the City of Austin.
