Austin Texas News

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – A developing upper-level low pressure system will be the driving force behind showers and storms throughout Central Texas heading into the weekend. Storms will develop in West Texas late Friday night before moving towards the I-35 corridor Saturday morning.  With increasing moisture and moderate instability in place, some thunderstorms that develop could become strong or severe. Any severe storms could produce large hail and damaging straight-line winds. An isolated tornado or…

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – State officials are reminding people about the state’s sales tax holiday for emergency preparation supplies which will be April 27-29. In a news release, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar says it’s all so that families, homes and businesses will have the supplies they need to face severe weather and other emergencies. Hegar says his office estimates that shoppers will save more than $1.6 million in state and local sales taxes…

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar is reminding Texans they will be able to purchase certain items tax-free April 27-29 during the state’s sales tax holiday for emergency preparation supplies. Hegar said in a release that the holiday is to help Texans save money while stocking up for emergency situations like hurricanes, floods, or tornadoes. “While we can’t know in advance when the next flood, tornado or hurricane may strike, we can make…

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – Austin is tied with Houston for the most natural disaster-prone major metro area in the state of Texas, according to a new study by real estate brokerage Redfin. Redfin analyzed the frequency of five major types of natural disasters–earthquakes, fires, floods, tornadoes and hurricanes–in the country’s 50 most populous metro areas using Disaster Declaration Summaries data from FEMA going back to 1953. These were converted to a scale from…

AUSTIN, Texas — Ginger Schneider has owned the property on the corner of Kimbro Street and 7th Street in Taylor since 1984. She has had issues with flooding since then as well. So when it started raining this past weekend, she knew what to expect. RELATED: Spring thunderstorms drench Central Texas “It just swirls around and jumps through our backyard. These rocks were all floating down the street. These timbers — that’s how strong the…

TAYLOR, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – Runoff from Saturday’s storm in Taylor continues to drain away, although a few spots of standing water still have to be avoided. On the Northside of town, near the intersection of Mallard Lane and Davis St, cleaning crews were busy Monday at about a half dozen homes. Water was pulled out of soggy carpet, electrical systems were repaired. Sandy Oranday spent the morning mopping up the last of what came into…

AUSTIN, Texas — Weekend storms drenched Central Texas, dumping more than 6 inches of rain in communities like Taylor. On Monday, neighbors like the Reynas on Burkett Street continued cleaning up. Susie Reyna has worked to cut up and get rid of carpeting. “Trying to get the carpet out first, before it starts getting molded,” said Reyna. Storms have flooded Reyna’s home so many times now that she said she has lost count. “It’s too…

SAN GABRIEL, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – Community members of the San Gabriel Christian Church cleaned up the damage left behind by Saturday’s severe thunderstorms. Storm spotters and residents report a tornado touched down in the area tearing through the town. Preacher Billy Bob Cox helped carry out pieces of wet carpet to the front steps of the church.  “Nobody was killed, lots of property damage,” Cox said. “We can replace property, we surely can’t replace members…

SAN GABRIEL, Texas — Sometimes you sing to keep from crying. It was a somber Sunday at San Gabriel Christian Church. Among the piles of debris, the sound of Christian gospel music was hummed inside the torn-apart church. It’s possible that a tornado ripped through San Gabriel, leaving the church in a trail of destruction. But despite the destruction, there is still hope. The building on County Road 421 houses the oldest congregation in Milam…

AUSTIN, Texas — There are a couple of different things that tend to sprout up after a heavy storm: flowers and critters come to mind. Did scammers come to mind? They should. They’re out there, and they’re looking to make a quick buck off any repairs homeowners may be needing after bad weather hits. “What we call them is ‘storm chasers’ — those people that do come up after a storm, offering to do the…

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – The 42nd Statesman Cap10K was cancelled Sunday morning. At first, organizers had delayed the race by 30 minutes this morning. A message was sent to runners and volunteers stating, “For your safety, please stay in your cars and do not congregate on the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge. We will send another update at 7 a.m. Thank you.” A short time later, the deicision was made to cancel…

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – A handful of thunderstorms throughout Central Texas over the weekend have led to several low water crossings to be flooded. The Capitol 10K has also been canceled due to severe weather. Dozens of roads and low-water crossings were closed, according to atxfloods.com. The National Weather Service has advised people to remain indoors. If you are going to traveling on the roads, drivers are being asked to be mindful and…

AUSTIN, Texas — A fresh round of thunderstorms across Central Texas on Sunday has led to flooding and road closures throughout the Austin area. The storms also prompted the cancellation of the Cap10K race on Sunday morning. Dozens of roads and low-water crossings were closed, according to atxfloods.com. Northbound I-35 was closed just south of U.S. 183 thanks to high water on the road. It has since reopened. The area is under a flash flood…