Austin Texas News

It’s been more than a week since the floods in Texas left 131 dead and catastrophic damage in its wake. In Kerrville, streets are packed with volunteers who have come to help with recovery work. Donation centers have popped up in parking lots and businesses. Maranatha Christian Center, a bilingual church a few blocks away from the Guadalupe River is one of those improvised donations centers. The church is helping a specific population: the local…

Austin, deep in drought up until this month, is now watching its severely depleted water reservoirs rise to levels not seen in years. This week the Lower Colorado River Authority even had to open four floodgates on Lake Buchanan for the first time since 2019 to manage the flow. The shift from disastrous dry spell to over-saturation is dramatic, but not unheard of. “Historically, we go through lengthy drought periods that are then broken by…

Until recently, one of the biggest controversies over cloud seeding — a method created to encourage rain — was whether it actually works. That’s now been overshadowed by online theories blaming the technology for the deadly floods in Texas. Experts say falsehoods like these are spreading faster than ever after natural disasters — hurting emergency planning and response efforts. “This is unprecedented in my experience,” said Amber Silver, a professor in the Department of Emergency…

When Oscar Morales heard about the deadly flood in Kerr County, he had no doubt his team was going to assist with rescue and recovery. “We just had to,” said Morales, who lives in Mexico City. “We need to help however we can.” Morales is part of the volunteer-led recovery team International Tlatelolco Azteca Rescue Brigade, which was created after the 1985 earthquake that left thousands dead in Mexico City. The group is better known…

As recovery and cleanup efforts from last weekend’s deadly floods continue, more drenching rains are falling Sunday morning in parts of Burnet and Williamson counties. The National Weather Service says flash flooding is already happening with water over the road at RM 963 and CR 201. The federal forecasting agency has issued a Flash Flood Warning for locations including Georgetown, Burnet, Bertram, Florence, Mahomet, Joppa, Shady Grove and Andice. The warning remains in effect until…

As harrowing images from the Hill Country floods pour in, some of the hardest to look at are pictures of teddy bears, summer camp trunks, and children’s clothes covered in mud. For adults, these images can feel traumatizing not just for them, but for kids as well – many of whom have gone to summer camps like these. Many have expressed fear, anxiety, or perhaps been in tears over the news. How do we talk…

Floodwaters that ravaged the Hill Country over the Fourth of July weekend crippled at least two important bridges in northwestern Travis County, severing a lifeline for a rural subdivision and destroying a well-traveled scenic highway crossing. The Texas Department of Transportation is invoking emergency powers to rebuild the shattered bridge along FM 1431, while Travis County is working with the state to craft a temporary crossing into the Sandy Creek community near Leander. Here’s what…

David Gould got a phone call around 3:30 a.m. Saturday, alerting him to flooding at Hope House, a long-term residential home for children and adults with severe disabilities just outside Liberty Hill. “It was Sherry [Richardson],” Gould said, referring to the office manager and human resources director who lived in a cabin on the property. “She said, ‘Dave, there’s water coming into the cabin.’” Courtesy of Hope House Sherry Richardson, 64, was considered the “office…

As searches continue for flood victims, Gov. Greg Abbott said he’s shifting the focus of an upcoming legislative session to proposals for making the state more prepared for natural disasters.“We’re going to address every aspect of this storm to make sure we have in place the systems that are needed to prevent deadly flooding events like this in the future,” said Abbott Tuesday at a press conference in hard-hit Kerr County. The governor officially released…

When powerful rain turned Sandy Creek, which is usually ankle-deep, into a raging river in a matter of minutes on Saturday, it severely damaged the Big Sandy Bridge and cut off the tight-knit neighborhood on the other side. “The sheer force of the debris knocked the bridge 4-to-5 feet off track,” resident Amber Taylor said. “There’s no stability there.” Michael Minasi / KUT News Emergency personnel, volunteers, and residents walk along the Big Sandy Creek…

Here are the latest updates from the KVUE Weather Impact Team. Author: Jordan Darensbourg, Hunter Williams, Grace Thornton, KC Sherman Published: 11:46 AM CST March 6, 2019 Updated: 1:40 PM CDT July 8, 2025 AUSTIN, Texas — For the first time since Thursday evening, there are no active flood watches or warnings across the area as we start Tuesday. The flood threat will finally lower Tuesday, though rounds of showers and storms will still be…

Langston said counselors’ top priority was to get the girls fed and into warm clothes. KERR COUNTY, Texas — Lufkin resident Lilly Langston witnessed the destruction the Kerr County flooding had on Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls, up close. This summer, Langston served as the activities director for Camp Mystic Cypress Lake. The Cypress Lake campus sits on higher ground compared to the Guadalupe side. Campers from the Guadalupe campus fled to…

Incoming sophomore Braxton Jarmon died during Central Texas floods, according to Glenn High School’s principal. LEANDER, Texas — A student from Leander Independent School District is dead after widespread flooding across Central Texas, according to the principal at his school.  In a message sent to families on Monday, Glenn High School Principal Josh Haug said Braxton Jarmon was killed in the recent floods.  According to the letter, Jarmon was set to start his sophomore year…

“We thought it was a normal thunderstorm,” Lilly Kummerfeld said. “We didn’t know about any of the destruction or the horrible things happening at that moment.” TYLER, Texas — A beloved summer camp tradition became a nightmare when two East Texas sisters were swept up in a deadly flash flood. For the first time, the sisters Lilly and Paige Kummerfeld shared the terrifying night, the lives lost and the rescuers who risked everything to bring…

Here are the latest updates from the KVUE Weather Impact Team. Author: Jordan Darensbourg, Hunter Williams, Grace Thornton, KC Sherman Published: 11:46 AM CST March 6, 2019 Updated: 5:10 AM CDT July 8, 2025 AUSTIN, Texas — For the first time since Thursday evening, there are no active flood watches or warnings across the area as we head into the start of Tuesday. The flood threat will finally lower Tuesday, though rounds of showers and…