Today’s Forecast

81º | Cloudy | 15% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:04 a.m. | Sunset 7:57 p.m.

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The numbers behind the storm

The numbers behind Winter Storm Mara

A look down the street in the Seaholm District, showing trees covered with ice.

Both trees and power lines were downed due to heavy ice during Winter Storm Mara. | Photo by ATXtoday

First, there was the “snow-pocalypse” of February 2021. Then, there was “tree-maggedon,” when Winter Storm Mara hit this February.

Months later, cleanup for the most recent winter storm is still underway. According to Texas A&M Forest Service, an estimated 10.5 million trees took damage within 72 hours. Through March 30, the city collected 167,180 tons — or 23,338 truckloads — of storm debris from residents. That figure is 27 times more than they would typically collect in a year.

An icy South First bridge with no cars in sight. — During Uri, Travis County responded to more than 700 car accidents.
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Photo by ATXtoday

As the repairs for the worst ice storm to hit Central Texas in 15 years wraps up, the Austin Fire Department released a report detailing what firefighters experienced.

Between Jan. 30-Feb. 3, AFD responded to 5,300+ storm-related calls, in addition to day-to-day operations. During that time, firefighters responded to 46 structure fires and at least seven chimney-related fires, an “unprecedented” amount.

AFD dispatchers personnel — which increased from nine to 12 operators — managed more than 5,000 incidents and took more than 4,000 calls during the storm. That time frame held more than 3.5 times the caseload than normal, compared to the 1,500 incidents from the three days leading up to the storm.

Although Mara wasn’t as severe as 2021’s Winter Storm Uri, AFD deployed 1,700 hours of labor at a cost of $130,000 over 72 hours.

Two scooters and W. 2nd Street covered in snow. — Austin saw six inches of snow during Winter Storm Uri.
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Photo by ATXtoday

AFD provided some tips to heed “before the next winter storm hits":

Before next winter comes around, have your fireplace and chimney cleaned + inspected.
Never burn cedar wood in a fireplace, as it can become too hot.
Regardless of how confident you feel in your skills, do not drive when roads ice over.
Trim your trees, but be mindful of timing. Oak wilt season is from February to June — the best time to trim in Austin is from July-January.

Asked

Have you ever ordered from a ghost kitchen?

A. Yes
B. No
C. I’m not sure

Let us know

Events

Monday, April 17

Yoga & Sound | Monday, April 17 | 6 p.m. | Moody Amphitheater, 1401 Trinity St., Austin | Free | Start your week with a free yoga class led by Castle Hill Fitness.
Rachel Heng: “The Great Reclamation” | Monday, Apr. 17 | 7 p.m. | BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin | Free | Hear from Heng on her book about a young boy in 1940s Singapore.

Tuesday, April 18

Widespread Panic | Tuesday, April 18-Saturday, April 22 | Times vary | ACL Live, 310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd., Austin | $70-$127 | The three-decade-old band will perform their best hits over six nights at ACL Live.

Wednesday, April 19

Howie Mandel | Wednesday, Apr. 19 | 7 p.m. | The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin | $25-$45 | The “America’s Got Talent” judge has more than 30 years of experience in show business.

Thursday, April 20

“The Austin” 1920’s Inspired Pop-Up Restaurant | Thursday, Apr. 20 | 4-7 p.m. | The Stephen F. Austin Royal Sonesta, 701 Congress Ave., Austin | Step back in time and enjoy a menu recreated from 1929 every Thursday in April.
Girls Rock Austin Showcase | Thursday, Apr. 20 | 5-9 p.m. | The ABGB, 1305 W. Oltorf St., Austin | Free | Cheer on Girls Rock Austin, a group empowering youth through music.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Wellness

🌱 Spring into health this year

Athletic Greens replaces multiple supplements with one packet. | Photo by Athletic Greens

Spring cleaning? Here’s a storage solution: Replace nine supplement bottles with one product.

AG1 by Athletic Greens contains 75 vitamins, minerals and whole-food sourced nutrients, replacing nine other products like your probiotic, multivitamin, daily supplement and more. Hint: It’s the best thing you could do to improve your gut health.

Bonus: Receive a free one year supply of vitamin D and five free travel packs with your first purchase.*

Snag some AG1 this spring

News Notes

Sports

Austin FC’s latest match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC ended in a draw on Saturday night at Q2 Stadium. Out of the last four games, Austin FC has only scored once. (Austin American-Statesman)

Real Estate

The Travis County Appraisal District’s 2023 home appraisals are here. From 2022-2023, the median market home value increased by .08% from $612,102 to $612,568. That’s a substantial plateau from 2021-2022, which saw a market value increase of 48.9%. (Austin Community Impact)
Although the site is years away from completion, prospective buyers at Four Seasons Private Residences can tour the property via virtual reality. Touring the development’s 100,000 sqft of amenities, clubhouses, spa, and units is just a VR headset away. (Austin Business Journal)

Weather

As Texas exits the La Niña phase, a weather pattern that makes Texas hotter and drier, nearly 80% of the state is in a drought. The Austin-San Antonio area has seen 1.11 inches of rainfall fewer than normal for the year, but experts hope for an influx in precipitation later in the summer. (KXAN)

Development

A members-only development called the Austin Beach Club is starting constuction in the Dog’s Head neighborhood, near Tesla, in east Austin. The 63-acre plans include a 12-hole golf course, wellness classes, food and drinks, and kayaking. (Austin American-Statesman)

Opening

Lonche Bar — a food truck focusing on fried bolillo rolls, elotes, and queso — plans to open a new location at 5201 N. Lamar Blvd. in May. The truck originally opened in Pflugerville in November, but closed after 44 days in business. (Eater Austin)

Concert

Lil Baby is making a stop in Austin for the “It’s Only Us” tour. Tickets for the Friday, July 28 show at the Moody Center start at $49. (Austin American-Statesman)

Cause

It is kitten season in Central Texas, meaning local shelters will soon take in thousands of little furballs. You can help ease the workload by fostering, adopting, or donating crucial supplies to the city’s three main shelters. (KUT)

Finance

Now may be a good time to transfer your balance. This leading balance transfer card offers 0% intro APR for 21 months and no annual fee. Eliminating interest payments? A no-brainer.*

Tech

The next time you travel, don’t get stuck with cheap wired headphones the airline passes out — meet the AirFly wireless audio transmitter. The device connects the plane’s in-flight entertainment to your wireless headphones via Bluetooth. It’s sorta the one thing we never fly without. Shop it now.

Drink

Ditch the hangover without having to ditch your favorite cocktail with Ritual Zero Proof Spirits. The award-winning brand makes non-alcoholic rum, tequila, gin, and whiskey so you can enjoy the ritual of having a drink without feeling icky the following day. Psst — check out Ritual’s collection of cocktail recipes.

Outdoors

The dog days are over 🐶

How to protect your dogs outside this summer

Two black-and-white dogs catching treats in their mouths at sunset.

With so many pet-friendly spots in Austin, it’s difficult not to take them everywhere. | Photo by @houseandtails

Those 100º summer days are just around the bend, and with them comes your annual pet safety reminder.

Keep these tips in mind before you and your four-legged friends get outdoors.

When walking outdoors, check the pavement temperature. If it’s too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for their paws.
Pack water for yourself and your pets when going on a walk.
Keep an eye out for unusual behavior like lethargy or excessive panting that could signal overheating.
Check algae status before allowing pets to swim — blue-green algae often found in Lady Bird Lake is toxic to dogs and people. View symptoms.
Never allow pets to drink from natural bodies of water.
Do not allow your pet to enter a body of water that is stagnant, has debris present, or if there has been rain within three days.

Don’t forget to check out our list of dog-friendly spots, and have fun.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Figi

From the editor

City Editor London and I enjoyed a dinner at Lutie’s on Friday, and I was just as impressed by the food as I was the views at the Commodore Perry Estate. I recommend the ___, ___, and ___.

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