Austin Mayor Promises Change After Clumsy Warnings of Extended Power Outages

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Austin Mayor Kirk Watson has pledged to upgrade the city’s emergency communications system after officials ignored warnings of this week’s ice storm and subsequent power outages that will last several days for many residents.

[Hundreds of thousands of Texans still don’t have heat, and some Austin-area outages could last until Friday]

At the city’s first emergency press conference, more than a day after tens of thousands of Austin Energy customers lost power, Watson said he shares the frustration of many residents who criticize the belated warnings.

“I admit that I relied on people to do the work they needed to do and [are] experts in the field, but I am disappointed and I know others are disappointed,” he said.

As Watson spoke, more than 150,000 households and businesses in the Austin area were without power. Austin Energy said power would not be fully restored until 6:00 pm Friday.

Watson acknowledged that city officials had to hold a press conference before Thursday to answer questions about the extended power outages. He noted that the city intends to hold a similar event, likely Thursday afternoon or evening, to keep residents informed.

Watson said the city will review its communications protocols once the current outages are fully resolved.

“However, I want people to know that we intend to ensure that no communication failure occurs and that disaster communication protocols are re-evaluated and recreated,” he said.

Watson was joined at the press conference by several county and city officials, including Austin Energy General Manager Jackie Sargent.