Updates

• Keep an eye out for alerts in your area so you can tailor your plans as the situation unfolds. Turn on emergency alerts on your smartphone.
• You can quickly monitor conditions through the Weather Channel or the National Weather Service, which offer apps and regular updates through their social media channels.
• For the latest on power outages, turn to your Transmission and Distribution Utility (TDU), the entity responsible for restoring power. You can also sign up for your TDU's outage notifications.
• Radio is a great way to get information as it's shared, along with FEMA's app and text message program offers shelter information and additional safety tips.
• During emergencies, SMS messages are more likely to make it through mobile networks, so it can be beneficial to sign up for SMS updates from newsrooms that offer the service, like the Texas Tribune and outlets in your area that offer the service.

Prepare

• Turn off outside faucets. Remove all connected hoses and wrap faucets with towels or a Styrofoam insulator. Turn off and drain automatic sprinkler systems.
• If the power goes out and you can safely get to a shelter or another location with heat, grab a go-bag of supplies, toiletries, and extra clothes before heading out the door.
• If someone living with you needs an electrical medical device, you can submit a critical care application.
• Stock up on critical supplies to last at least 3 days, including medicine, first aid items, water, non-perishable food (for pets too!), candles, matches/lighters, flashlights, a battery-powered radio for outage announcements, and batteries in various sizes.

During

• Protect indoor faucets. Open cabinets under kitchen and bathroom sinks to allow warmer air to circulate around pipes.
• If the power goes out, limit how often you open the fridge and freezer doors to keep cold items safe as long as possible.
• Preserve your phone battery by switching to power save mode and if possible, keep a backup power source, like an external battery, charged.

After

• If there's an emergency, call 911, otherwise avoid overwhelming dispatchers. Instead, call 211 for information and resources.
• Inspect your home for damage in case you need to contact your insurance company.
• If you have to drive, avoid any downed power lines and treat all intersections without lights as four-way stops.