Thousands in the Dark — Then a Rainbow Reward
Severe thunderstorms swept through Central Texas on Thursday evening, knocking out power to more than 15,700 Austin Energy customers at peak outage levels and leaving parts of the city scrambling. By early Friday morning, crews had made remarkable progress, with only a few hundred customers still waiting on restoration.
The Storm Prediction Center had issued a Level 1 of 5 severe weather risk for all of Central Texas ahead of the event, with lightning and locally heavy rain cited as the primary concerns, along with the potential for flash flooding. Low water crossings were closed in parts of the city as rainfall accumulated quickly.
Rainfall totals were uneven across the metro area, with some neighborhoods picking up one to two inches while others saw considerably less.
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
Oncor also reported a power outage in Taylor affecting nearly 1,500 customers, and Austin Energy flagged an outage of more than 1,500 customers in west Austin near the Glenlake neighborhood north of Emma Long Metro Park.
Austin Energy crews worked through the evening and into the night to restore service. The utility’s rapid response mirrored their efforts during the more powerful May 10–11 storm system, when wind gusts between 50 and 70 mph knocked out power to more than 18,000 customers at peak.
Tuesday evening’s storms claimed the life of a man enjoying an evening out at the Green Mesquite on Barton Springs Road when a tree fell on him.
Last night’s storms ended near sunset, and Austinites were treated to a silver lining — literally.
Brilliant rainbows arced across the sky as the last clouds cleared, drawing a flood of photos and posts from residents across the city. Stunning images of the colorful skies followed the storms.
As of Friday morning, the Austin area was returning to normal, with power largely restored and no major flood emergencies reported. Residents are reminded to stay weather-aware as Central Texas remains in an active storm pattern this spring.
MORE ON TODAY’S FORECAST AND A LOOK AT THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND CAN BE FOUND FURTHER DOWN THIS PAGE IN WEATHER
The Austin City Council convened Thursday for a busy session, tackling everything from a landmark annexation deal in East Austin to major energy contracts and a sweeping overhaul of the city’s density bonus program.
“Dog’s Head” Annexation Moves Forward
One of the meeting’s most significant actions was the approval of a 45-year development agreement and full-purpose annexation of roughly 2,614 acres in eastern Travis County — a large swath of land bounded by the Colorado River, US-183, and SH-130 known as “Dog’s Head.” The deal sets rules for land use, open space, impervious cover, and income-restricted housing on the site, and includes the property owner’s consent to annexation under certain conditions. The Council also approved an interlocal agreement with Travis County to coordinate permitting and development regulation on the tract.
A discussion on the “Dog’s Head” development:
Density Bonus Program Overhauled
The Council approved, as amended, a new citywide density bonus program that replaces the existing DB90 and Vertical Mixed Use (VMU) frameworks. The new zoning districts allow developers to build taller — including more than 30 feet above base zoning height — in exchange for affordable housing and other community benefits. The program applies to commercial and multifamily base zones. A separate resolution also kicked off a stakeholder process to further refine tenant and business protections tied to voluntary incentive programs.
Major Energy Deals Approved
Austin Energy had a significant night. The Council authorized a battery storage agreement with OCI Energy for up to 100 megawatts of capacity, worth up to $165 million over 20 years. It also approved wind energy purchase agreements with Invenergy Renewables for up to 299 megawatts of electricity, totaling an estimated $340 million over 10 years. Additionally, $200 million in contracts were approved for critical electric utility supplies and equipment across eleven vendors.
Mayor Kirk Watson:
Convention Center Bond Approved
The Council greenlit the issuance of up to $1.35 billion in Special Tax Revenue Bonds to fund the Austin Convention Center expansion project — one of the largest bond authorizations in recent memory for the city.
Water Infrastructure Gets a Boost
A major financing milestone for the Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion passed, with the Council authorizing up to $1 billion in Water and Wastewater System Revenue Bonds through a direct loan agreement with the EPA’s WIFIA program. Smaller water infrastructure contracts for projects in Oltorf/Travis Heights and Hyde Park also moved forward.
Project Connect Advances
The Council approved an interlocal agreement with Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) defining roles, responsibilities, and funding obligations for the design phase of Austin Light Rail. The city will reimburse ATP up to roughly $36.8 million for utility betterment design work, drawing from Austin Energy and Austin Water capital budgets.
Family Justice Center Funded
A new interlocal agreement with Travis County will establish an Austin/Travis County Family Justice Center aimed at addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking. The city committed up to $250,000 per year for up to five years through Austin Public Health.
Watershed and Environmental Actions
The Council adopted the Rain to River Strategic Plan, a ten-year roadmap for Austin Watershed Protection covering waterways, infrastructure resilience, and community priorities. It also approved funding to update Williamson County’s flood mapping study and granted a redevelopment exception in the Barton Springs Zone for the proposed SoLa Mixed Use development on South Lamar, subject to a mitigation fee of over $535,000.
New Commission Established
An ordinance passed creating the Native American and Indigenous Quality of Life Commission as a new permanent advisory body to the City Council.
Zoning Highlights
Among the evening’s zoning decisions, the Rowen Vale project on East Annie Street and Brackenridge received approval to rezone from single-family to medium-density multifamily. Rezonings at 8701 N. Mopac and 55 N. I-35 also passed. Several cases — including the Circuit of the Americas PUD amendment and properties at East Riverside Drive and East Cesar Chavez — were postponed to the May 28th meeting.
Settlement Approved
The Council approved a legal settlement in the case of Javier Ambler v. City of Austin, stemming from a 2019 incident involving Austin police. Funding will come from the city’s Liability Reserve Fund.
The Council’s next regular meeting is scheduled for May 28, 2026.
Today is the final day of early voting for the Texas Primary Runoff Elections.
Election Day is Tuesday, May 26.
A look at Thursday’s numbers from Travis County:
Williamson County:
Austin is mourning the loss of a beloved landmark.
Malin, the giant 18-foot troll sculpture in Pease Park, has completely burned down, the Austin Fire Department confirmed, after crews responded to a call just before 5:30 a.m. Thursday, reporting flames visible from Lamar Boulevard.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
“The troll sculpture in Pease Park was lost to a fire, and we are heartbroken alongside the community that cherished it. Austin Fire Department has responded and it is now an active investigation. We are referring all questions to AFD at this time.” — Pease Park Conservancy
The installation, built by Danish artist Thomas Dambo with the help of 150 Austin volunteers using nearly entirely recycled materials, cost around $300,000 — all funded through private donations.
PODCAST
(Episode from May 21, 2026)
Not everyone was saddened by the loss.
On the subject of arson in the ATX:
One person was killed in a crash in East Austin Thursday afternoon.
A grand jury has indicted the driver investigators believe caused a crash that killed two Williamson County teens on Christmas Eve last year.
Austin ISD has delayed the release of its upcoming budget plan from Thursday to June 4, intensifying weeks of uncertainty for parents and teachers. At Thursday’s board meeting, Superintendent Matias Segura announced that while officials have identified $130 million in potential spending cuts, they pushed back the release date to find an additional $50 million in savings. (KUT 90.5)
In the days following Monday’s deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, Austin law enforcement officials are taking no chances.
The Austin Police Department announced Thursday it will increase its visible presence at local mosques and related events as the Eid al-Adha holiday approaches. APD says there are no known or credible threats in Austin at this time, but officers will be at mosques nonetheless to make sure the public is safe.
The Texas Department of Transportation rejected the city’s request to keep several painted road displays.
LINK: Drive Texas
THINGS TO DO IN AUSTIN THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND
WEATHER
FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT
...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH MONDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flooding and flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall is
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of south central Texas, including the following
counties, Atascosa, Bandera, Bastrop, Bexar, Blanco, Burnet,
Caldwell, Comal, De Witt, Fayette, Frio, Gillespie, Gonzales,
Guadalupe, Hays, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Lavaca, Lee, Llano,
Medina, Travis, Williamson and Wilson.
* WHEN...From Friday evening through Monday evening.
* IMPACTS...There is a potential for life threatening flooding
somewhere in the watch area. Excessive runoff may result in
flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and
flood-prone locations. Creeks and streams may rise out of their
banks. Low-water crossings may be flooded.
THURSDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its first forecast for the 2026 hurricane season on Thursday.
The Stinky Fire ignited at the Amarillo City Landfill in Potter County on Sunday and rapidly spread into populated neighborhoods when wind gusts exceeded 30 mph.
By Thursday evening, the fire had burned 2,335 acres and reached 100% containment, though over 300 homes were threatened and 77 were destroyed, damaged, or impacted.
TCEQ records show years of complaints tied to the Amarillo Landfill, with investigations into compliance concerns dating back to 2003. One of the most recent was conducted on April 30 after TCEQ received a complaint alleging improperly covered waste.
In the Texas Senate race, Attorney General Ken Paxton campaigned in Dripping Springs yesterday.
Gina Hinojosa is running for governor opposite Greg Abbott in November. She was in Austin yesterday.
As early voting winds down and Election Day looms on Tuesday in the 2026 Democratic Party runoff in Texas, we stole a few brief moments with Congressman Christian Menefee, endorsee of our board here at Progress Texas in his run to keep the job he won in a special election just a few short months ago to fill an almost-year-long vacancy cruelly engineered by Governor Greg Abbott after the untimely passing of Congressman Sylvester Turner. Congressman Menefee faces fellow Congressman Al Green in the runoff for the Democratic nomination to fill the next two-year term for Houston’s CD 18.
A new major poll from The Times/Siena suggests that despite his seemingly unchecked power over the federal government and his own party, President Trump’s national support is crumbling to record lows and Democrats are poised to win back many of the key voters who got him into office in 2024.
A lawsuit alleges the Trump administration awarded most new Texas border wall contracts to two firms. One has faced legal issues and shoddy construction claims. (KSAT-TV)
The $13.5 billion allocated in the One Big Beautiful Bill for the purpose of reimbursing states for border security measures is still sitting in Washington D.C. almost a year after it was approved.
Texas is still waiting for $11 billion in reimbursement for Operation Lone Star.
A New Braunfels man is facing 74 charges after Texas Game Wardens say he carried out a year-long illegal deer killing spree across Comal, Hays, and Bexar counties.
If you think Austin is bad for mosquitoes, Houston and Dallas are apparently worse.
SPORTS
COLLEGE BASEBALL: The second-ranked Texas Longhorns begin postseason play against seventh-seeded Arizona in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama today. (Texas Longhorns)
COLLEGE SOFTBALL: The NCAA Austin Super Regional between No. 3 Texas and No. 19 Arizona State begins tonight at 8 p.m. at McCombs Field. (Texas Longhorns)
MLB: The Texas Rangers and Houston Astros had Thursday off. They both resume action today and tonight.
GAME 3 TONIGHT
NBA PLAYOFFS: It’s back to San Antonio tonight for Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals between the Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The series is tied. 1-1.
Time to eat!
A small-town cafe in Strawn, Texas, has built a huge reputation around Mary’s legendary Chicken Fried Steak — crispy, golden, smothered in cream gravy, and served with the kind of Texas comfort that makes you understand why people drive out of their way for it.
A new episode of The Daytripper.
