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The deadly flooding in Texas Hill Country has exposed deep cracks in American society. At least 120 people have died and 170 remain missing in a catastrophe that could have been mitigated with timely warnings and coordinated rescue operations. But years of budget cuts, disinvestment in public infrastructure and politically driven decision-making have taken their toll.

The region lacked any flood warning system. Staffing shortages at the National Weather Service hampered the agency’s ability to issue timely alerts. And in one of the most damning failures, the City of Austin Fire Department—despite having “the best water rescue units in the state,” according to Austin Firefighters Association (AFA) President Bob Nicks—refused to deploy rescue teams until after the flooding had already begun.

On July 11, the AFA (Local 975 of the International Association of Firefighters) voted overwhelmingly—by 93 percent—to issue a resolution of no confidence in Fire Chief Joel Baker.

In a statement, the AFA wrote:

The Austin Firefighters Association is demanding a full investigation into the decision and calling for transparency and accountability at all levels of management.

We’re urging investigative journalists and the public to help uncover the truth. The lives of citizens—and trust in our local government—depend on it.

The firefighters will not stop until every responsible party is held accountable and systemic changes are made to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.

According to Nicks, two formal requests for assistance were sent to the Austin Fire Department before the flooding began. Both were denied. A month earlier, Chief Baker had imposed a moratorium on all out-of-area deployments, citing internal “cash flow problems.”

The vertiginous fall of home prices in Austin, Texas, seems to have no end in sight, according to experts who believe that steep declines are likely to continue in the coming months.

A recent analysis by real estate intelligence platform Parcl Labs estimates that the Texas capital will see the biggest downturn in home prices in the country over the next year—even as the cost of buying a home in the city has already fallen drastically from its COVID-19 pandemic peak.

Austin’s housing market, according to Parcl Labs, is currently in “bear territory”—which means, essentially, that property values have been dropping for a consistent period of time—with home prices now over 20 percent down from their peak.

Despite this dip, researchers at the company said, “we still expect home prices to decline 16.5 percent from current levels over the next 12 months. This is the largest expected decline in our coverage universe of 40 real estate markets nationally.”

Behind Austin’s Housing Market Downfall

According to Redfin, the median sale price of a home in May—the latest month for which reliable monthly figures are available—was $557,500, down 5 percent from a year earlier. At their peak in May 2022, home sale prices in the city had reached a median of $667,000—which means that buying property in Austin was over $200,000 more expensive than it had been before the pandemic, when it was around $400,000.

In the same month, home sales in the city were down by 12.1 percent year-over-year, at 861, and those homes that went under contract spent an average of 48 days on the market, six more than in May 2024. Active listings in the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area totaled 12,525, up from 9,902 a year earlier. Inventory was actually higher than pre-pandemic level and the highest going as far as 2016, according to data from Realtor.com.

“It’s important to understand why these adjustments are happening and what they represent for the health of the market,” Emily Girard, chief executive officer (CEO) of Unlock MLS and the Austin Board of REALTORS (ABOR), told Newsweek. “What we’re seeing in Austin is a necessary and overdue normalization after an unprecedented period of price acceleration during the pandemic. It is a return to sustainability.”

Home prices skyrocketed during the pandemic homebuying frenzy unleashed by historically low mortgage rates.

“In 2021 during the pandemic, more homes were sold in the Austin-Round Rock MSA than ever before, and sales dollar volume yielded more than a $23 billion impact on the Austin-area economy,” Girard said. “The pandemic led to increased demand as buyers in the market had more disposable income and reevaluated their needs in a living space after spending months at home.”

She added: “That, combined with record-low interest rates at the time and an Austin economy that continued to make major company relocation announcements regularly, led to more homes being sold and prices increasing to an unsustainable level.”

The price declines that the city has been experiencing for the past couple of years represent “healthy adjustments,” Girard said as the market “normalizes.”

And prices, as experts say, are continuing to fall.

According to Redfin data, Austin was one of the metros reporting the biggest year-over-year declines in median sale prices, at -4.2 percent, in the four weeks ending July 6.

Buyers on Top

The Austin housing market downturn does not mean that the city has now become undesirable for buyers—quite the opposite.

“For buyers, this is one of the most favorable environments we’ve seen in years,” Girard said. “Buyers have time to shop, compare and negotiate—luxuries that weren’t available during the pandemic boom. They’re in the market with more intention and more options, especially with increased affordability for first-time and moderate-income homebuyers.”

Sellers might have a harder time accepting that they no longer have the upper hand, and they may be forced to compromise on prices—especially as price declines are expected to continue.

“Prices will continue to drop this year. That’s because the last half of the year we always have more inventory. And if you ever look at the seasonal bell curve in Austin’s selling season, prices always come down in the last half of the year,” Austin-based realtor Jeremy Knight told Newsweek. “Yet, there are a lot of buyers on the sidelines. If we do see rates come down in the last half of the year, you’ll see more closed numbers and buyers frantic in the market.”

Unfortunately, a majority of experts expect mortgage rates to continue hovering between the 6 and 7 percent marks through this year and 2026.

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.”