The City of Austin is launching a new resilience hub network to help the community stay prepared for emergencies like flooding; drought; extreme heat; and wildfires, with a specific focus on vulnerable populations.
The city plans to activate six pilot hubs later in 2022. They will eventually form part of the citywide Resilience Hub Network that will offer a variety of day-to-day services and support the community before, during, and after a disaster.
“As climate change brings more frequent severe weather and other disasters, there is a need for accessible community spaces, supply distribution centers, backup power and water, and safe temporary shelters,” said City of Austin Resilience Officer Laura Patiño. “Working with Austin Independent School District, Travis County, the Community Advisory Committee, and the Community Task Force, we continue to make progress towards the creation of this vital support network.”
Resilience hubs can offer shelter, food and water, information, accessible bathrooms, cell phone charging, and meeting spaces.
Some of these locations are being evaluated for potential onsite generators, solar power, or battery storage for backup power in case of an outage, as well as making use of rainwater or potable water cisterns so they can operate independently and reliably to sustain operations during an extended power outage.
The Resilience Office updated Council this week on its progress and launched a new website, Austin Resilience Hub Network, to improve engagement and information around emergency preparedness, response, and recovery, and help people prepare for the next emergency.
