A massive hailstorm that hit the area on Wednesday night left thousands of people without power.
The storm, caused by a convergence of lingering moisture from Mexico, a stalled front in Central Texas, and energy from the Rocky Mountains, resulted in widespread damage, including downed power lines due to strong winds, large hail, and lightning. One person has been confirmed dead, and at least two others were hospitalized after being swept away by floodwater.
At its peak, the storm caused 72,000 customers to lose power, marking it as the third most severe weather-related outage event in Austin since 2012.
As of early Friday, over 16,000 customers were still without power, but that number is down considerably today. Austin Energy has not yet provided a timeline for when power will be fully restored for the remaining neighborhoods without service. Crews, including over 200 from neighboring areas, have been continuously working since Wednesday evening to address the outages.
Mayor Kirk Watson in a statement Friday evening:
Less than 4,000 Austin Energy customers were still in the dark as of 6:00 a.m. this morning.
Following Wednesday’s severe storm that inflicted widespread damage across Central Texas, Austin Wildlife Rescue reported a record-breaking intake of 160 animals on Thursday. This figure marks the highest single-day total in the organization’s 48-year history. (CBS Austin)
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported six measles cases in Williamson County on Friday.
A person fell from a cliff at McKinney Falls State Park Friday afternoon, according to the Austin Fire Department.
Pflugerville Police Chief Jason O’Malley has retired amidst an “administrative investigation” by the city.
His retirement on May 29 concludes five years with the department, including his tenure as chief since September 14, 2021, and a law enforcement career exceeding 25 years. O’Malley previously served as a commander for Pflugerville PD starting in July 2020. (KVUE-TV)
Police are working to arrest a man seen on video attacking a fruit vendor in northwest Austin. The attack happened last weekend at North Loop 360 and Spicewood Springs Road.
Austin police are seeking the public’s help in identifying and locating a woman accused of assault.
The 2024 Travis County Emergency Services Districts (ESDs) Annual Report has been published.
A suspicious package was reported Friday in the 7000 block of Creek Road in Henly in Hays County. The packaging and appearance of the item warranted calling in the Austin Police Department bomb squad.
Also out of Hays County, officials announced the discovery of a rabid fox.
Gillespie County authorities on Thursday arrested two people in connection with a burglary and theft of power tools.
Surveillance video from inside a CapMetro bus shows the moment a stolen pickup truck slammed into the vehicle during a police chase May 1.
Tesla may launch its robotaxi service, featuring Model Y-like vehicles, as early as June 12. CEO Elon Musk confirmed that testing of the self-driving cars began in the city this week. (KVUE-TV)
The latest “State of Downtown Austin” report shows an increase in downtown office vacancies, up to 22 percent versus the 18 percent reported last year.
It also showed the downtown population now exceeds 15,000 residents, with a workforce of over 131,000, reflecting continued centralization of employment despite remote work trends. There are 13 major projects under construction totaling 6.63 million square feet, including more than 2,600 new housing units and nearly 900 hotel rooms. (Austin Monitor)
WEATHER
Wednesday night’s microburst storm hit North Austin hard…but south of the city was spared. (KUT 90.5)
A Republican-supported bill seeking to limit minors’ access to certain public library books was blocked in the Texas Senate, marking a rare win for the chamber’s Democratic minority.
House Bill 3225 aimed to bar underage visitors from accessing books that “describe, depict, or portray” sexual conduct. (Austin American-Statesman)
A bill banning Texas K-12 students from using cellphones in school is headed to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk, with local school districts set to decide how the new rule will be applied.
House Bill 1481, introduced by Rep. Caroline Fairly of Amarillo, seeks to restrict the use of “personal wireless communication devices” in K-12 schools.
Texas lawmakers have unanimously passed the Uvalde Strong Act, a school safety bill inspired by the tragic 2022 Robb Elementary shooting. The bill, now awaiting Governor Greg Abbott’s signature, was authored by former Uvalde mayor and current Representative Don McLaughlin.
On Friday, the Texas Senate gave final approval to a proposal to dissolve the Texas Lottery Commission and move oversight of the state’s lottery to another agency, after a last-minute push to eliminate the game altogether fell short.
The future of the 32-year-old commission had been uncertain, as its routine legislative review coincided with efforts by some lawmakers to shut down the lottery entirely amid allegations of misconduct. (Texas Tribune)
A broad proposal to allocate up to $350 million to private companies for the development of advanced nuclear power plants in Texas is now one step from Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. The bill’s House author said Thursday he expects the chamber to approve the changes made by the Senate. (Austin American-Statesman)
Lawmakers are set to slash billions in border security funding over the next two years — the first major drawdown of Gov. Greg Abbott’s $11 billion Operation Lone Star since he launched his signature crackdown four years ago. (Austin American-Statesman)
Starbase’s new city’s leaders have told landowners they plan to introduce land use rules that could result in changes for some residents. (KUT 90.5)
According to a recent study that listed the best and worst park systems in the United States. No Texas city reached the top 15. (My San Antonio)
New court documents that were filed Friday are shedding more light on what Gateway Church may or may not have known well before the child abuse allegations against founder Robert Morris.
Three Dallas Police Department employees were terminated following disciplinary hearings. (My Texas Daily)
ICE ramps up operations in San Antonio.
SPORTS
COLLEGE BASEBALL: No. 1 seed Texas used a five-run fifth to cruise to a 7-1 win over No. 4 seed Houston Christian in the opening game of the Austin Regional on Friday afternoon at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. With the victory, the Longhorns (43-12) punched their spot into the winners’ bracket at 8 p.m. on Saturday.
MLB: Both the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers posted wins yetserday.
MLS: Austin FC will hit the road tonight for its ninth and final match of May, when the VERDE & Black take on San Diego FC at 7:30 p.m. PT/9:30 p.m. CT at Snapdragon Stadium. (Austin FC)
Van Horn, Texas, is about 120 miles east of El Paso and is home to Hotel El Capitan and the Blue Origin launch site just 20 miles north of town.
The town even had a song named for it…
