During the February 2023 winter storm, Austin Code had a team of emergency field operations responding only to emergency and imminent conditions. The inspectors’ role after a winter storm is to respond to complaint service requests made to Austin 3-1-1 to verify if there are code violations. If violations are confirmed, the department works with the property owner and representatives to facilitate repairs needed to get the property back up to code. Common violations after a winter storm may include no hot water, burst pipes, and damages in the ceiling or walls due to fallen or broken tree limbs. To provide community members with time to begin filing insurance claims and making repairs, ACD will refrain from issuing notices of violations until Friday, February 10. The department strongly encourages property owners with documented violations to use assigned inspectors as a resource in resolving their case. This includes making requests for timeline extensions.
Resources:
English: Austin-Travis County Post-Storm Resources
Spanish: Austin-Travis County Post-Storm Resources
Updates on emergency information and City operations: austintexas.gov/alerts
Emergency repair permitting: austintexas.gov/page/emergency-repairs
Power outage safety: austinenergy.com/outages/during-an-outage
Thawing pipes after a freeze: austintexas.gov/department/cold-weather-tips-potential-freezing-weather
Storm debris removal: https://www.austintexas.gov/stormdebris
Tree care: austintexas.gov/department/tree-information-center
