Travis County, CAPCOG reach nearly 1.5M people using Warn Central Texas

AUSTIN, Texas - Travis County, working in partnership with Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG) has increased the number of cell phone devices CAPCOG can reach using Warn Central Texas.

During the winter storm on Feb. 2, notifications were sent out about icy conditions and cooler temperatures to 1,427,684 people in Austin.

The efforts to increase awareness continued in 2021 and 2022. Between Jan. 27, 2022, and Feb. 3, 2022, the week leading up to this year's winter weather event, 2,085 people signed up to receive notifications from Warn Central Texas. 

"Being able to reach people on their cell phones is crucial as more people do away with landlines and rely more on their mobile devices to communicate," said Brigid Shea, Travis County Commissioner Pct. 2. 

"Due to the changing climate, we’ll inevitably experience more weather-related disasters. Whether it’s extreme cold or wildfires, emergency notifications delivered to residents in a timely manner can be lifesaving. I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made and look forward to expanding our efforts to get lifesaving emergency notifications to people in our area." 

CAPCOG consists of 10 counties in the Austin metropolitan area. Warn Central Texas sends emergency notifications by voice and text to cell phones, landlines, email, and more, and has the ability for mass notification or customized messaging to a single home or street. It can be used for emergencies like flooding, hazardous material spills, and SWAT activations.

If you would like to sign up to receive Warn Central Texas notifications, click here.

___
DOWNLOAD: FOX 7 AUSTIN NEWS APP
SUBSCRIBE: Daily Newsletter | YouTube
FOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter