Texas weather: Flooding concerns amid heavy rain
Texas weather: Local rain and flash flooding
Some areas in Central Texas have seen so much rain that flooding has become a concern.
TEXAS - Some areas in Central Texas have seen so much rain that flooding has become a concern.
It's a stark difference from just a few months ago when much of the region was dealing with extreme drought.
Local perspective:
For many Central Texans, this summer has felt different than usual. Instead of triple-digit heat and dry conditions, it’s been raining, and a lot of it.
Eighty-year-old ‘Catfish Kelly’ said he is finally back to his routine. That may just be his secret to staying in shape.
"If there is a secret, yeah," ‘Catfish Kelly’ said.
He said he tries to swim in Barton Springs Pool twice a day.
"I usually swim for about 20, 25 minutes," ‘Catfish Kelly’ said.
Recent flooding has kept him away for about a week. After heavy rain last month, crews had to remove debris from the pool before it could reopen.
"I suffered, I went to Deep Eddy some, but it's not the same," ‘Catfish Kelly’ said.
The recent rain also changed plans for Joseph Jeffers and his two boys.
"My son Jacob is supposed to be at camp today, and they canceled it because of the weather," Round Rock resident Joseph Jeffers said.
Jeffers brought his sons to see the high water at Memorial Park — Brushy Creek in Round Rock.
"I wanted to show him how strong the water is. I wanted to show him how dangerous it can be and how we need to stay safe in these circumstances," Jeffers said.
Dig deeper:
The rain also created hazardous conditions on roadways and at low water crossings.
This is not what we normally expect this time of year. Jason Runyen with the National Weather Service said July is typically one of Central Texas’ drier months.
"We typically only average about two inches of rain in July. And of course, so far, this has been a pretty wet July to start off," Runyen said.
It follows what was already an extremely wet June.
"One of our wetter ones in recent years, and even one of our top 20 or 30 wettest Junes of all time," Runyen said.
So what is behind it?
"One is the unusual amount of moisture that we have in the atmosphere. It's at near record levels for this time of year, based on some of the weather balloon data that we've launched. So, we have a lot of moisture just sitting there, and the second thing is the triggering mechanism to generate the thunderstorms. We have this broad trough of low pressure that's developed. We have a ridge of high pressure that has actually shifted into the northern plains and is bringing them kind of record heat up in the northern U.S. and south of that, it brings storms," Runyen said.
Floodwaters rage across parts of Texas
High-water rescues and water-covered roadways are being reported in parts of Texas as heavy rain slams southern areas of the state.
The rain has provided some relief from the drought. Runyen said parts of Central Texas have improved significantly, with some counties no longer in drought conditions at all. The rain is coming so fast though, it is also creating flood concerns.
"We're seeing some rainfall rates with these storms of two to four inches per hour, which is a lot of rainfall in one hour," Runyen said.
That kind of rain can quickly overwhelm creeks, low water crossings, and city streets.
With more rain in the forecast, keep a close eye on changing conditions and make sure you can receive flash flood warnings.
Local disaster declarations
Dig deeper:
Travis County Judge Andy Brown and City of Austin Mayor Kirk Watson issued local disaster declarations, as the threat of heavy rain and flash flooding continues across Travis County and the City of Austin.
"When our community faces an emergency, we act. This disaster declaration ensures that we can respond immediately and marshal every available resource in the event of flash floods threatening Travis County," said Travis County Judge Andy Brown.
"I am declaring a preemptive local state of disaster for the City of Austin. This declaration will allow the City to quickly organize our resources and respond to any disaster event that might occur. This is being done in coordination with Travis County Judge Andy Brown, who is issuing a similar declaration for Travis County," said Austin Mayor Kirk Watson.
Travis County and Austin residents are urged to monitor local weather forecasts and warnings.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Meredith Aldis