Austin, TX
Flash Flood Warnings issued in Central Texas, ground search operations suspended
Flash Flood Warnings
AUSTIN – Life-threatening flash flooding is underway in the Texas Hill Country, with multiple counties under emergency warnings.
The Latest:
Flash Flood Warning from 7/13/2025 10:52 AM to 1:00 PM CDT for San Saba County, TX.
Flash Flood Warning from 7/13/2025 10:28 AM to 12:30 PM CDT for Mason County, TX
Flash Flood Warning from 7/13/2025 10:16 AM to 12:45 PM CDT for Gillespie County, TX, Llano County, TX
Flood Warnings
Flood Warning from 7/13/2025 11:18 AM to 7/15/2025 2:20 PM CDT for Llano County
Flood Warning from 7/13/2025 10:49 AM to 2:00 PM CDT for Lampasas County, TX.
Flood Warning from 7/13/2025 11:48 AM to 7/17/2025 3:49 AM CDT for San Saba County, TX
Flood Warning from 7/13/2025 9:28 AM to 6:00 PM CDT for Bell County, TX.
UPDATE (8:50 AM): LCRA has opened one floodgate at Wirtz Dam and will open multiple floodgates at Starcke Dam soon to release storm runoff flowing into Lake LBJ. Conditions are dynamic, and it is possible LCRA may need to open additional floodgates throughout the day.
Road Closures
Travis County
1431 Cow Creek Bridge: Crews are actively removing debris and the damaged bridge structure from the Cow Creek area on RM 1431 in northwest Travis County. This critical work is being done in preparation for full reconstruction. TxDOT is expediting the process with plans to award a construction contract as soon as next week. Once a contractor is secured, construction will begin immediately.
Lampasas
The Lampasas River 190 Bridge in Kempner is closed. There are power/phone lines in the water snagging debris. Please stay clear of the water.
Due to last night’s excessive rainfall, Lampasas city departments have been working to keep everyone safe. The Lampasas Streets Department has closed numerous low-water crossings and roadways. Due to the severe flooding, many sections of road that aren’t normally closed are currently impassable. Crews will reopen them as soon as conditions allow.
The Fire Department rescued several people and pets from homes and coordinated temporary relocation.
All electrical outages have been repaired by the Electric Department. The Police Department has been busy coordinating communications for these services, assisting the other departments, and patrolling to spot any dangers.
Please be aware that WM Brook Park is closed today due to high water in Sulphur Creek.
With a continued chance of rain in the forecast, please watch for high water and debris in the roadway if you must drive.
Kerr County
The Rio Vista low water crossing off Highway 39 is closed. Residents and emergency responders may use the Cade Loop bridge crossing at this time. Please stay home and avoid the area, and remain weather-aware for further warnings.
San Saba
Due to the overnight and continuing rains this morning, the San Saba River is now at 16–18 feet (not 30.5 feet) and rising. LCRA is predicting the river to crest at 31.5 feet at midnight. Please be aware and be prepared, particularly those citizens north of the railroad tracks close to the river.
Burnet County
Closures because of flooded crossings in Pct 2 as of 9:25am
RM 963
FM 243
FM 2340
CR 223
CR 207
CR 228
CR 202
CR 203
CR 200
Due to unsafe conditions following last night’s rain, the Burnet Recycle Center is closed today. You will not be able to dispose of flood debris this Sunday, July 13, 2025. We hope it will be back open tomorrow, but please look for updates on this page to see when operations will resume.
Bell County
Bell County Emergency Management has an Emergency Operations Command at the Southwestern Bell County Volunteer Fire Department. There has been substantial rainfall west (upstream) and the Lampasas River is reacting to that rainfall. The Gulf River Authority has said to expect the Lampasas River to rise to 41 feet, which will cause some flood issues along Riverside Trail in Triple 7, and west around Maxdale.
A Code Red alert was sent to those in that affected area. Southwestern Bell VFD has gone door to door all morning, making everyone aware and evacuating those in danger, and two swift water rescue crews are staged and on standby.
TxDOT is en route with barricades for FM2670 and Road and Bridge is en route to stage here for county road issues that may take place.
Assets are staged in areas of Lampasas, Kempner and Adamsville to respond anywhere along the Lampasas river if needed.
Emergency Alerts
8:27 a.m. An Emergency Alert was sent to people in the flash flood warning areas saying this is a dangerous and life-threatening situation. Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order.
7:54 a.m. There is a high probability of the Guadalupe River at Hunt reaching flood stage today. All persons, equipment and vehicles should be removed from the river immediately.
Power Outages
9 a.m. Pedernales Electric reports more than 1,000 customers are without power in Williamson, TX
Ground Search Operations
As of 7:49 a.m., all ground search operations in Kerrville are suspended due to the flood danger. All search crews were told to evacuate the river corridor until further notice. Any volunteer search parties in the Guadalupe River corridor need to heed this warning. The potential for flash flooding is high.
Search-and-rescue teams have been searching for missing victims of the July 4 weekend flooding that killed at least 129 people and left more than 170 missing.
As heavy rain fell Sunday, National Weather Service forecasters warned that the Guadalupe River could rise to nearly 15 feet (4.6 meters) by Sunday afternoon, about five feet above flood stage and enough to put the Highway 39 bridge near Hunt underwater.
“Numerous secondary roads and bridges are flooded and very dangerous,” a weather service warning said.
Sunday Forecast
Heavy rain and life-threatening flash flooding hammered the Texas Hill Country early Sunday, prompting a flash flood emergency in southeastern San Saba County and urgent warnings across several central Texas counties.
Austin residents are advised to remain vigilant as the weather system, which has already dumped 6 to 8 inches of rain in some areas, is expected to move toward the Austin metro area and further east throughout the day.
We’re seeing life-threatening flash flooding. Residents in affected areas are urged to seek higher ground immediately if they receive an evacuation notice.
Flash Flood Emergency
A flash flood emergency was issued for southeastern San Saba until 7 a.m. Sunday, specifically targeting the Colorado Bend State Park and surrounding areas. Rowe noted that a river gauge in the area had already jumped approximately 12 feet.
Additional flash flood warnings were in effect for several counties, including San Saba and Mason until 9 a.m., Lampasas until 8 a.m., and both Burnet and Llano until 8:15 a.m.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and local emergency officials strongly advised against travel in areas with flash flood warnings. Residents were told to stay away from rivers, creeks, and low-lying areas. Rowe stressed the critical safety message: “Turn around, don’t drown.”
Severe Weather Possible
While the immediate concern remains flooding, the region also faces a marginal risk of severe weather, including hail and gusty winds.
The heavy rain boundary is moving from north to south, pushing southeast. The Hill Country is expected to experience the worst conditions over the next few hours before the system weakens slightly as it moves into the Austin metro.
Widespread rain will last until 7 p.m. Sunday. While conditions are expected to improve around 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. Sunday evening, the potential for more rainfall exists Monday afternoon and evening.
Some models suggest 2 to 4 inches of additional rainfall in the next 48 hours, with Rowe advising residents not to rule out “several more inches in some spots.”
Officials emphasized the importance of having multiple ways to receive weather alerts, including push notifications, weather radios, and local news apps. If roads are flooded, remember that “six inches can knock over an adult,” and “12 inches to carry away most cars.”
The Source: Information in this article is from the FOX 7 Austin’s weather team.
Austin, TX
Austin Animal Services Hosts Free Spay/Neuter Clinic
Austin Animal Services is hosting a free, high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter for cats and dogs now through March 2 in North Austin.
The five-day clinic, which is being held in partnership with Greater Good Charities, is taking place at 11580 Stonehollow Dr., Suite 160. Registration and drop-off begin on-site each day from 7:30-10 a.m. or until capacity is reached.
In addition to free spay/neuter surgeries, pets receiving surgery will also receive vaccinations, flea and tick prevention, and microchips, ensuring that they return home healthier and better protected.
Spaying and neutering is the most effective tool in preventing unplanned litters and reducing the number of stray and surrendered animals entering local shelters. Managing overpopulation helps individual owners and also strengthens community health by reducing roaming animals, easing shelter overcrowding, and decreasing long-term strain on animal welfare resources.
This is the seventh free clinic the city has hosted since 2024. The previous six clinics provided spay/neuter services to more than 6,000 pets. The upcoming clinic is expected to complete approximately 1,200 surgeries in just five days. It is a significant investment in prevention that helps reduce future shelter intake and supports responsible pet ownership across Austin.
High-volume, high-quality spay/neuter clinics offered at no cost are rare, and many pet owners face procedure costs ranging from $75 to several hundred dollars, along with wait times that can stretch for weeks or months. This clinic removes those barriers by providing same-day services at no charge.
“This clinic is about prevention,” said Austin Animal Services Director Monica Dangler. “When we provide accessible spay and neuter services, we’re helping families care for their pets while also reducing strain on shelters like ours and improving safety across our community.”
Austin, TX
Why is Austin so warm in February?
AUSTIN, Texas — February is typically one of our cooler months in Austin, Texas.
In 2021, a series of ice storms and snow storms caused mass chaos and is a winter storm that Austinites will never forget. Now, instead of worrying about scraping ice off of our cars, we’re grabbing the swimsuits.
Austin is in the midst of one of the warmest February’s in the city’s history. This year’s January cold snap lingered around for Feb. 1, but since then, only two days have been slightly below average. Compare that with 20 days above average, with the rest of this month expected to have temps in the mid to upper 80s.
But how does this compare to our warmest February ever? We don’t have to go back too far to find the hottest February on record in 2017. The average high temp was 76.5 degrees with 12 out of the 28 days spent above 80 degrees.
Other years in the top 5 were 1999, 1976, and 1957 with each year having numerous days above 80 degrees. So far, 2026 has ten. Plus, I’m forecasting 2 more 80 degree days. Should we hold onto this weather pattern, this will be in the top five hottest February’s of all-time.
Austin is in the midst of one of the warmest February’s in the city’s history. (Graphic: Michael Crowley)
For some, this heat may be just another day to grab the swimsuit or head outside and work up a sweat, but this has meteorologists sweating for different reasons. We are in a serious drought now.
The latest drought monitor released on Feb. 26, 2026 has 9 of the 13 counties in the CBS Austin viewing area in an “extreme drought,” which is the second worst category of drought conditions.
The latest drought monitor released on Feb. 26, 2026 has 9 of the 13 counties in the CBS Austin viewing area in an “extreme drought,” which is the second worst category of drought conditions. (Graphic: Michael Crowley)
In the past 190 days, two of those days have had rainfall over 1 inch. Our current streak of 123 days in a row with less than 1 inch in rainfall is one of the longest since 2000.
Combine the heat and the rainless days, and you get a flash drought. Opposite of a flash flood, hot temperatures rapidly dry out the soil and drought conditions can worsen quickly. With the dehydrated vegetation, dry air, and above average temperatures, you’re now looking at dangerous fire weather.
We’ve already had several fires reported across Central Texas in just the past week. The Nebo Mountain Fire in Gillespie County and the Cedar Gulch Fire in Burnet County. With this above average heat and below average precipitation, we are especially vulnerable.
But there is some good news.
The start of March looks to be starting off very warm, but our pattern looks to become a bit more active. Our long-term futurecasts look to be favoring more showers and storms possible for the first few weeks of March.
Remember that we are also getting closer to our severe weather season. So while we do need the rain, we must remain safe in case we get locally high rainfall amounts in these thunderstorms and be mindful of tornadoes and damaging winds.
Hopefully we can see an improvement in this drought and heat, but history is made in different ways every year nowadays. Maybe it’ll be for the right reasons this time around.
Austin, TX
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