Austin, TX
How to check for flooding before driving on San Antonio-area roads
Driving in heavy rain can be hazardous, but understanding wet-weather road conditions is key to staying safe. Being careful during San Antonio’s storms means knowing how to check local road closures and having a plan to avoid flood-prone areas.
The need is especially acute in Central Texas and the Hill Country, which are experiencing an ongoing drought. According to the flood barrier company Flood Risk America, dry soil is hydrophobic, causing water to overflow quickly.
The good news is that checking driving conditions is easier than ever, thanks to online tools. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) frequently tweets weather updates and closures and maintains a real-time map showing travel dangers at DriveTexas.org.
Users can use toggles to filter out various driving headaches, including scheduled closures, road damage, construction, and flooding. The information is updated 24 hours a day in five-minute intervals.
Drivers should be warned, however, that the map only covers roadways maintained by the TxDOT system. While this does include rural Farm- and Ranch-to-Market routes, it does not include roads maintained by counties or municipalities.
The City of San Antonio maintains its own list of closures through the Public Works Department, and Bexar County conditions are posted on its own website.
Even with online information, driving safety can deteriorate quickly, especially during flash flooding. TxDOT reminds Texas motorists that water accumulations can appear to be more shallow than they actually are. It’s always best to “turn around, don’t drown.”
According to the agency, drivers can lose control of their vehicle — even if it is a truck or SUV — in as little as six inches of rapidly moving water. TxDOT recommends that drivers adhere to the following laws and guidelines:
- Never walk, swim, or drive through still or moving flood waters, which can hide dangers such as debris or downed power lines.
- Be especially mindful when driving at night when visibility is decreased.
- If you can do so safely, leave your vehicle if it stalls in deep water and head to higher ground.
- Driving around barriers blocking flooded roadways is illegal, subject to 180 days in jail and/ or a $2,000 fine.
- Tampering with signs is punishable with a fine of up to $1,000 and up to two years in jail.
Austin had a particularly itchy and drippy cedar fever season to start the year. Many winter days, from late December into February, had high or very high ashe juniper (aka cedar) pollen counts.
Central Texas has a year-round allergy season with mold popping up at any time. For the more traditional spring and fall allergy seasons, forecasters at AccuWeather are predicting some of the allergens across the country will be worse this year than average.
Texas, though, is a different story.
For grass allergies, which happen now through September, AccuWeather estimates Austin will have an average season. However, just west of the Interstate 35 corridor in the Hill Country to almost El Paso, that season is expected to be worse than normal.
“Texas may experience above-average grass pollen for a few weeks,” AccuWeather’s allergy report said, “though the season could be shorter-lived compared to northern areas.”
It all depends on the weather
How much rain we get in the next six months and the perennial Texas heat will all affect the growing season for grasses and weeds, as well as the amount of pollen trees produce. The Farmers’ Almanac and the Old Farmers Almanac are both predicting a wetter and warmer spring.
Rain helps plants grow, which can increase pollen production over time. However, rainfall during allergy season can also bring temporary relief by washing pollen out of the air. That’s what we’re expecting this weekend, with our first meaningful rain chance in nearly three weeks. Tree and weed pollen levels might briefly drop, but mold could spike because it thrives in damp, humid weather.
If spring continues with excessive heat like we saw in February, it could limit the growth of some plants and trees. Extreme heat can reduce how much they grow, and how much pollen they produce. On the other hand, if we get a healthy balance of rain and only slightly above-normal temperatures — not extreme heat — pollen counts could climb. That’s especially true as we head into April, typically our windiest month of the year, which helps spread pollen more easily.
How can you treat allergies in Austin?
If you are feeling the effects of allergies, here are some things you can do to lessen them:
- Start taking allergy medication at least two weeks before your allergen’s season is supposed to start. Keep taking your allergy medication throughout your allergen’s season, even on low-pollen days.
- Vary your allergy medication. You can take a nasal spray, an eye drop and an oral antihistamine at the same time to treat the different symptoms. If one kind of allergy medication isn’t working, consult your doctor about whether you should add a second one or switch out the medication.
- Take a shower before going to bed.
- Take off outside clothes or shoes when you get into the house.
- Do a daily nasal wash such as a neti pot or saline spray.
- Consider seeing an allergist to get drops or shots to lessen your reaction to the allergen.
Consider these household tips to improve your chances of keeping allergens away:
- Change the filters in your house regularly during cedar fever season.
- Vacuum and sweep regularly.
- Change your sheets, especially your pillow regularly.
- Keep doors and windows closed.
- Clean out the vents in your home.
- Have your home tested for indoor allergens such as mold.
- Wash and brush the animals in your house to lessen the amount of allergens in the air.
- Wear a mask outside or inside while you are trying to lessen the pollen or mold indoors.
Democrats tried to stop a mid-decade redistricting effort, but were unsuccessful. Now, we are starting to see some of the candidates emerging in those newly drawn districts. FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski gives a full breakdown.
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