Are you ready for the winter? If not, the city of Austin can help.
Austin Water and Austin Energy are handing out flashlights, meter keys, and hose bib covers to help individuals and families in case of a freeze. Austin water says this event is empowering neighborhoods to prepare alongside the city. It's the first time they've held the event since the deadly freeze that occurred in February 2021.
"Since Winter Storm Uri, we really upped the ante if you will on getting our preparedness materials out to the community," said Randi Jenkins, assistant director at Austin Water.
Austin Energy says they provide around 500 water keys and 500 faucet covers at each event. The next event takes place on Thursday, and the real key is to arrive early.
"When I got there this morning at 8 o’clock in the morning, there was already a line of people wrapped around the curb waiting to get those keys," said Luis Rivas, public information specialist with Austin Energy.
Across Austin, people’s preparedness varies as much as the temperatures this week.
"What I’ve been doing is covering my faucets, making sure I have the appropriate material for that, making sure I have enough food in the pantry canned foods especially, frozen items too, stored water," said Monica Gonzales, who was out walking her dog Wednesday afternoon.
Gonzales says she wasn't nearly as prepared when the winter storm occurred in 2021. Other Austinites, like Mitch Sengson, didn't feel many effects of the freeze. His property is next to the small hospital and never lost power.
"For me, I'm not at all concerned just because of my prior experience, so I'm good," said Sengson.
This week, ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission assured Texans that the lights will stay on this winter, despite their extreme, low probability projections indicating the opposite.
"The economy is growing, businesses are growing, which is fantastic, but it does create more demand on the grid," said Pablo Vegas, CEO of ERCOT.
Not everyone in the community shares the leaders' confidence that the grid will hold up.
"That's why I’m getting all these things extra. You can’t really depend on anybody," said Gonzalez.
Sengson says he's not as worried about the grid failing in 2022.
"I'm not too concerned," said Sengson, "hopefully people are smarter about their energy consumption. I would imagine what had happened at snowmageddon probably spurred on a whole bunch of solar adoption and battery adoption."
The next chance to grab tools provided by the city is at 8 A.M. Thursday at the south utility customer service center. The event is set to end at 2 p.m. but could stop earlier depending on when their supplies run out.