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2013 and 2015 Halloween floods: Honoring lives lost
it's been more than a decade since the Halloween floods wiped out hundreds of homes in the Onion Creek neighborhood. Mayor Pro-Tem Vanessa Fuentes is inviting the community to gather together in remembrance. FOX 7 Austin's Jessica Rivera has the details.
AUSTIN, Texas - Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes is inviting the community to gather together in remembrance to honor the lives lost in deadly 2013 and 2015 Onion Creek floods.
The backstory:
It's been more than a decade since the Halloween floods wiped out hundreds of homes in the Onion Creek neighborhood.
The Onion Creek neighborhood has a history of flooding and in a short time span, the neighborhood was hit back to back with devastation.
"We've been hard hit by a couple of floods both in 2013 and in 2015 that have had tremendous impact on our families," says Fuentes.
In 2013, water levels at Onion Creek at US 183 reached its record height of 41 feet during the storm. Killing four people and destroying hundreds of homes,
After the floods, the community tried to rebuild but faced many challenges.
Letters were sent out from the city informing those with "substantially damaged" homes that they were prohibited from making any repairs until they were raised above the floodplain.
As these families worked on rebuilding, they were hit again.
"By the time we got here, the water was too high to get back over there and her neighbor Sam was literally swimming with his dog to get out," a resident impacted by the 2015 floods previously told FOX 7.
Since the flood hit Onion Creek area, the city of Austin has made safety improvements.
"We have upgraded our early warning detection systems. We have installed new cameras to detect the water levels in our creeks. We also have passed a bond back in 2018 that was around drainage improvement and flood mitigation," says Fuentes.
As Austin lies in the heart of flash flood alley, Fuentes says more action must be done.
"Next year, when we take a look at how much more we need to scale up our drainage improvement standards and our flood mitigation efforts, that's going be top of mind for me," says Fuentes.
Earlier this year, the City of Austin launched its first ever pilot program to help families to afford flood insurance.
"We've also seen changes in how we build and plan our city. So, to me, it's going to be important that we continue to invest. In drainage improvement and flood mitigation efforts," says Fuentes.
What you can do:
Fuentes is asking the public to attend two community events to honor the flooding victims.
Flood Remembrance Memorial Proclamation
- 📅 Thursday, October 30 | 🕚 11 am – 12 pm
- 📍 Onion Creek Metropolitan Park – Yarrabee bend, 6900 Shady Cedar Dr
🎬 Film Screening: Floodplain
- 📅 Thursday, October 30 | 🕕 6 – 8 pm
- 📍 Perez Elementary School, 7500 s. Pleasant Valley Rd
- 👉 Click here to get tickets
The Source: Information from interview with Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes.