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The temperature in Austin last week was 82 degrees, so it may not be felt, but: winter is here.

There are very few days in Texas where winter means temperatures below freezing, power outages, and water outages, but Texans clearly understood the possibility of such incidents in February is very real. Winter storm Uri brought heavy snow and ice, and the State Grid could not keep up. Millions of people have been out of power, and some have been out of power for several days in a row. More than 200 people died across the state.

According to seasonal forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this winter may be warmer and drier than usual in central Texas. But the Farmer’s Yearbook, which claims to have predicted the storm in February, said that late January may bring some “like cold and flaky weather like last winter”. Whether or not Austin will be hit by another winter storm, it is better to prepare now than during the event.

Austin's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) advocates four main actions to prepare for emergencies such as winter storms: make plans, make toolkits, get to know your neighbors, and stay informed.

Collect supplies for the kit

Perhaps the most important thing is to make sure you have a stock of essentials. During the storm in February, many people were trapped in their homes without electricity or running water for several days.

Your emergency kit should include everything from flashlights and bandages to blankets and manual can openers. Ready.gov provides instructions in English and Spanish on how to build the toolkit.

You also need food, water, and any prescription medicines you depend on.

Matt Lara, a public information officer in the Austin HSEM office, said it is best to collect enough food, water and medicine for 7 days. When it comes to food, think about non-perishable foods, such as canned foods, dried fruits, cereals, and protein bars. And you don’t have to buy in bulk at once.

"You don't have to build the entire kit now. Start small, plan big," Laura said. “Take these small measures when you go to the store and buy more canned foods with a long shelf life so that you don’t have to replace them frequently.”

For water, Lara says a good rule of thumb is to store one gallon of water per person per day for 7 days. Keep in mind that this water may need to be divided between drinking and other needs, such as washing hands, adding water to the toilet, and cooking.

When disaster strikes, you may not be able to reunite with your family. Make a plan for how you will contact them and where you will meet.

During winter storms, phones and computers may lose power. In this case, you need a list of phone numbers of family members and contact information for other important entities such as doctors and service providers. FEMA provides instructions on how to develop an emergency communications plan.

You also need to consider the various needs of family members. In the event of a power outage, do you need some spare medical equipment? How will you protect your pet or service animal? Ready.gov provides tips for preparing emergency kits for your pet and other ways to strengthen emergency preparedness plans.

During the winter storm we saw in February, snow and ice could make roads impassable and slow down emergency response time. Therefore, it is very important to understand the needs of neighbors and how to help them in an emergency.

Maybe your neighbor has a health problem and needs help walking or taking medication. Or maybe they have lost power and heat, but you haven't.

Lara said that helping neighbors strengthen the resilience of the community.

Lala said: "The emergency service may need one less person to help. If these small parts start to add up, as a whole, we can be more resilient," Lala said. "It did have an impact, but the small things really helped a lot."

Know where to get information 

In an emergency, you need to keep abreast of the latest information. Lara says to sign up for Warn Central Texas to receive alerts about what actions you need to take. You can register for alerts via text, email or phone. You can also download the Ready Central Texas app, which provides news updates, warnings, and other resources.

Many people rely on mobile phones for information, especially during power outages, so it is best to have a backup power source, such as a solar cell phone charger.

"We saw during the winter storm, the weather was very cold, but it must be sunny," Lala said. "So, you can use anything that is charged by solar energy to help you get a little bit of information."

You may also consider purchasing a NOAA weather radio to keep up to date. These radios provide weather information from the nearest National Weather Service. You can buy battery-powered or hand crank version.

"This is definitely a very good resource, and we definitely recommend everyone to have it, similar to the third type of communication," Lala said. "We all rely on mobile phones and the Internet. But the winter storm has shown us, what will you do when it disappears?"

Other tips we learned from February

After the last storm, some people would buy items they thought they didn’t need before, such as suitable winter clothing or even backup generators (if they could afford it). KUT issued an appeal on social media to see what preparations the people of Austin are doing.

But a fair warning: Lara says that if you do get a generator or a new type of emergency preparedness tool that you are not familiar with, make sure you learn how to use it to avoid harming yourself or others. FEMA warns against using generators, camping stoves, charcoal grills, gasoline or propane heaters indoors, as they can cause fires or lead to fatal carbon monoxide poisoning.

The following is your response to our promotion:

I stored water, bought a snow jacket for the newborn, got a spare formula, and ordered suitable winter gloves and boots (something we could not do until last winter). If we can afford it, we will buy an all-wheel drive car. We had to be rescued last year. Don't risk it here.

How are you going to spend the winter? Tell us via audio message here that we may use it in upcoming broadcast stories.