Flash Floods Slam Travis and Williamson Counties, Triggering Rescues and Dozens of Road Closures
A powerful round of storms swept through Central Texas on Monday, turning roads into rivers and forcing emergency crews into action across Travis and Williamson counties. The National Weather Service issued Flash Flood Warnings for both counties early in the morning, with alerts extending into the afternoon as waves of heavy rain continued to roll through the Austin metro area.
Between 1 and 5 inches of rain fell across parts of Central Texas, overwhelming drainage systems and inundating low water crossings throughout the region.
At the peak of the storm, roughly 80 low water crossings in Travis County alone were flooded, according to Travis County Judge Andy Brown. Cities across Williamson County — including Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Pflugerville, and Leander — fell within the warning zone as forecasters cautioned that life-threatening flooding could persist into midweek.
Emergency responders conducted multiple water rescues across the two counties.
In Travis County, Austin-Travis County EMS and the Austin Fire Department pulled a driver from a minivan that had become stuck at a low water crossing on Old San Antonio Road in South Austin.
The driver was evaluated on scene but did not require hospital care.
A second rescue occurred Monday afternoon when another motorist became stranded near Old Kimbro Road and FM 1100 in the Manor area. In neighboring Williamson County, responders assisted drivers who became trapped at two separate low water crossings, according to county spokesperson Connie Odom.
Beyond road closures and rescues, the flooding prompted the Lower Colorado River Authority to begin floodgate operations at both Bastrop Dam and Tom Miller Dam.
Barton Springs Pool is closed until further notice due to floodwaters.
A boil water notice was also issued for the Elgin Meadows subdivision after a water main break.
Flash Flood Warnings for Travis, Hays, and Williamson counties had expired by mid-morning, but a Flood Warning for Travis County remained in effect through early today (Tuesday). Residents are reminded that driving around low water crossing barricades is not only dangerous — it is illegal under Texas law and can carry a jail sentence of up to six months and a fine of up to $2,000.
Some Central Texans are expressing frustration over the timing of flash flood alerts from Travis County officials.
For families in the Sandy Creek area, Monday’s heavy rain brough back memories of last summer’s devastating floods.
TRAGEDY:
A Bandera County woman died in yesterday’s flooding when her car was swept away.
Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a disaster declaration for 101 Texas counties.
Sources:
- KXAN Austin — Live updates: Flood threat across Central Texas Monday
- KUT Radio, Austin’s NPR Station — Drivers rescued in Austin flash flooding as dozens of roads remain closed
- CNN — Major flood threat for Texas and Gulf states this week
- FOX 7 Austin — Austin weather: Flash flooding warnings, alerts
Austin police are searching for a suspect after a person was found injured in a southeast Austin parking lot Monday night and later died of their injuries.
APD investigators are looking for a suspect in the attempted burglary of a collectables store in South Austin last week. (Austin Police Department)
Detectives are requesting the public’s help in identifying and locating a suspect vehicle in connection to a traffic fatality that occurred this past Friday at approximately 11:35 p.m. in the 600 block N. IH 35 SVRD SB. (Austin Police Department)
A 78-year-old Travis County jail inmate died at a hospital Sunday morning after suffering a medical emergency in his cell, the Travis County Sheriff’s Office said. (CBS Austin)
A Liberty Hill man was sentenced to 40 years in prison in relation to a 2024 fentanyl poisoning death of a Cedar Park teenager. (KXAN-TV)
Commissioners on Austin’s Bond Oversight Commission want answers about how and why bond spending is lagging. The commission recently recommended the city produce a report detailing why some departments fell so far behind on bond spending in 2025. (Austin Current)
With more STAAR results set to be released today for grades three through eight, education experts are watching closely to see whether the state’s recent gains at the high school level carry over to younger students — especially in math.
1:00 P.M. UPDATE
Score portal at the Austin American-Statesman.
Education Austin, a local school advocacy group, is planning to hold “a funeral for the positions, programs, and opportunities threatened by proposed budget cuts” in the Austin ISD system at Thursday night’s school board meeting.
The Sow Community Resource Hub, which used to be called the Oasis, will connect people with housing navigation, employment assistance, health service and more.
Construction is underway on a city-owned mountain biking park in Round Rock featuring 5 miles of trails, including technical routes, cross-country paths and a pump track for riders.
The University of Texas at Austin fired KUT Public Media General Manager Debbie Hiott on Monday afternoon, following a heated dispute over the public radio station’s inaugural festival. Hiott believes UT officials terminated her because she publicly pushed back against administration claims festival security plans were insufficient.
The surprise move marks an unprecedented intervention in the governance of Austin’s NPR station at a time when public radio stations across the country are dealing with mounting financial and political pressures. (KUT 90.5)
WEATHER
MONDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
MONDAY’S TOTAL PRECIPITATION
Rainfall records were broken Monday at both the airport and at Camp Mabry reporting stations. The previous records for June 15 were set in 1964.
AUSTIN-BERSGTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST /AUSTIN, TEXAS
While the weather has calmed here in Central Texas, the southern regions of the Lone Star State are still under threat of storms and flodding rainfall.
The first named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season has a 60% chance of forming within the next two days as Invest 90L looms in the Gulf near the Texas coast.
Monday, areas like Waco, Houston and San Antonio saw flooding, creating danger for motorists and homeowners.
As Texas jumps to 12 confirmed cases of New World screwworm (NWS) across six counties, an animal health commission is setting up “infested zones” to track the spread.
State environmental regulators are moving toward a pivotal decision that would allow treated oilfield wastewater to be applied to Texas farmland — a plan supporters argue could bolster the state’s strained water supplies, but critics warn risks exposing communities and cropland to harmful contaminants if treatment standards fall short. (Texas Standard)
The City of Dallas is planning a $2.5 billion transformation that would reconfigure Love Field Airport terminals, parking and passenger flow.
Attorney General Ken Paxton must drop his lawsuit against ActBlue, the political donations platform primarily used by Democratic candidates, a Boston federal judge ruled Thursday in a decision that cited the Texas Republican’s “well-known history of filing retaliatory lawsuits.” (Texas Tribune)
Quarterback Brendan Sorsby and Texas Tech have mutually parted ways amid a gambling controversy and a slew of legal filings over his eligibility. Sorsby plans to apply for the NFL’s supplemental draft — a stunning reversal after a Texas judge had granted him a temporary injunction earlier this month that appeared to clear a path for him to play for the Red Raiders in 2026. The NCAA had banned Sorsby from participating in football after court filings showed he placed at least $90,000 in sports bets while attending Texas Tech and playing football at two other universities.
During last weekend’s Texas Republican Convention, party leaders made it clear: Muslims are not welcome in their caucus, and as far as they’re concerned, Muslims aren’t welcome in Texas. We talked to the Reverend Mara Richards Bim of Dallas about the aggressive nature of Christian elements within Republican politics these days.
The continued MAGAfication of UT Austin continues with the firing of Debbit Hiott, general manager of KUT radio, who had recently tangled with UT brass over their interference with a radio station festival.
Right wing erosion of our K-12 schools continues too: the Texas State Board of Education is about to vote on a new statewide reading index for third graders that includes Bible stories like Jonah And The Whale.
An original copy of the Declaration of Independence is on exhibit through July 17 in Dallas.
SPORTS
COLLEGE BASEBALL: Adrian Rodriguez delivered the third-ever cycle in Men’s College World Series history, guiding No. 6 Texas to a 14-2 victory over No. 7 Alabama at Charles Schwab Field on Monday afternoon.
Rodriguez joined Minnesota’s Jerry Kindall (1956) and Tennessee’s Christian Moore (2024) as the lone three players to accomplish the feat in Omaha. Texas’ shortstop also tied single-game MCWS records with seven RBI and 12 total bases.
With the win, the Longhorns (46-14) set up a rematch against No. 3 Georgia (52-13) in an elimination contest at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
MLB: A quick look a Monday’s scoreboard.
ON THE SCHEDULE
2026 WORLD CUP: Numerous soccer fans were left disappointed after tickets they purchased through resale sites for the first FIFA World Cup match at Dallas Stadium were not honored.
A POSTCARD FROM TEXAS
Colorful birds find shelter in the high-elevation ponderosa pine forests of the Davis Mountains.
