Central Texas experienced its hottest summer on record in 2023. Austin saw a total of 80 days with 100-degree heat, 40 days with temperatures of 105 degrees or higher, and received less than 1.5 inches of rain from June through August. The National Weather Service issued an Excessive Heat Warning for 38 days. Now, with milder temperatures, the City will halt operations related to heat including Cooling Centers and the Misting Canopy Pilot.
“We appreciate all the work that went into keeping our community informed and safe. We are thankful to all our library and parks staff who helped provide Cooling Center services to our community,” said Ken Snipes, Director for the Austin Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. “Our emergency responders did an amazing job putting out fires, treating those who experienced heat-related illnesses and responding to those who needed medical attention. As we move into our next season, I ask everyone in our community to use our preparedness resources to learn how to become more resilient before for the next extreme heat event.”
To help Austinites cope with unprecedented heat in 2023 the City continued its practice of opening Austin Public Libraries and Parks and Recreation Department facilities as Cooling Centers. These Cooling Centers provided a temporary respite for Austinites and visitors alike during the hottest times of the day to take a break from the heat, rest in an air-conditioned building and have a drink or snack. On days when the National Weather Service issued an Excessive Heat Warning some of the Cooling Centers also extended their hours.
This summer Austin HSEM developed a Cooling Centers Map using Google Maps with the location and hours of operation for facilities being used as Cooling Centers. This map is housed on the Emergency Alerts webpage at austintexas.gov/alerts, where information is translated into 14 languages, allowing users to get directions to a Cooling Center near them in just a few clicks.
Austin HSEM also launched a Misting Canopy Pilot program this summer. On days with an Excessive Heat Warning, the department set up the Misting Canopy at Republic Square Park and handed out cold bottles of water. This service launched in mid-July, operated for 26 days and distributed 19,233 bottles of water. The program was not available on Saturdays due to a regularly scheduled farmers’ market in Republic Square.
Keeping our community members safe in the summer heat is a city-wide initiative. Despite all efforts, some people still experienced heat-related illnesses or needed emergency response. Austin-Travis County EMS responded to 944 heat-related illness calls from May 1 through September 25. Austin Public Health reported 1,518 heat-related hospital visits and 91 emergency room visits related to drowning. It should be noted that over 70% of heat-related visits were male, and serves as a reminder for people working, exercising, or participating in other outdoor activities to educate themselves on signs for heat-related illness and take precautions to stay safe.
Additionally, Austin Fire Department (AFD) responded to 923 grass and brush fires from May 1 through September 1. While these numbers come from fires inside the City of Austin, AFD and regional partners have responded to hundreds of other grass and brush fires in neighboring communities. Conditions are still high for wildfire threat and the community should remain prepared and diligent to avoid sources of ignition that could start a wildfire.
To learn more about heat and wildfire preparedness visit ReadyCentralTexas.org. | 
