Austin Faces Record Rainfall, Flood Advisory Issued

AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin area experienced a potential record-setting rainfall on Tuesday, prompting the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue a flood advisory for Travis and neighboring counties.

Weather records indicate the region received between just under an inch and nearly 3 inches of rain, varying by location. By 2:20 p.m., Camp Mabry recorded 0.93 inches, while Austin Bergstrom International Airport reported 2.96 inches. Meteorologist Matthew Brady noted this amount could surpass the daily record of 1.8 inches set in 1977.

“The area received slightly more rain than we had anticipated,” said Harrison Tran, a meteorologist at the NWS Central Texas office. “Meteorological models suggested a line of storms would pass along the I-35 corridor, but there was some uncertainty about their exact locations.”

The flood advisory warns of possible minor flooding in low-lying areas or regions with poor drainage, leading to “urban and small stream flooding.” The Austin Fire Department reported an incident before 11:40 a.m. when three people and a dog were swept downstream in floodwaters while inside their tent. Fortunately, all were safely recovered.

Road closures remained minimal, with only one county road crossing near Brushy Creek in Pflugerville reported closed Tuesday morning, according to ATX Floods.

As rain and thunder are expected to diminish by Tuesday afternoon, another round of storms could develop overnight from midnight to daybreak, Brady said. “Partly sunny skies and warmer temperatures are forecast for Wednesday, ahead of a cold front that will bring morning lows in the 30s on Thursday,” he added.

Highs on Thursday are projected to be in the upper 40s, while Valentine’s Day will see a slight increase in temperatures with highs in the upper 50s. A brief warm spell is anticipated on Saturday, with highs in the mid-70s, before typical winter weather returns on Sunday, with temperatures in the low 50s.