AUSTIN, Texas — Ten years ago, Austin was hit by catastrophic flooding. The 2015 Halloween flood damaged or destroyed about 400 homes in Southeast Austin. Three people died in the torrential downpours and rapidly rising water.

Onion Creek has a history of making dramatic transformations. In minutes, it can go from calm and peaceful to violent and destructive. On October 30, 2015, 14 inches of rain fell in Southeast Austin. Onion Creek climbed to 39 feet, which is 22 feet above flood stage.

“I got hit by a wave, and when the wave hit me, my vehicle got pushed toward higher water,” said Travis County Deputy George Morales.

Travis County Deputy George Morales says he jumped out of his car and had no choice but to start swimming. On Thursday, he shared memories with his former partner, Constable Gabe Padilla, who rushed to help him.

“He’s refusing the orders to stay away from the area, and he gets swept in. The good thing about it is we both made it out safe,” said Morales.

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City leaders gathered at Onion Creek Metropolitan Park to honor the three people who died in the historic flooding and the first responders who risked their lives to save others.

“Flooding remains one of the most pressing challenges in Austin,” said Austin Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes.

Fuentes says more work needs to be done to improve drainage and make neighborhoods safer. But on the 10th anniversary of the Halloween flood, Fuentes outlined what the City of Austin has done to prevent a repeat of the 2015 destruction.

“We’ve upgraded early warning systems, we’ve installed new flood detection cameras, we’ve improved drainage infrastructures, and we’ve hosted our city’s first-ever flood safety fest,” said Fuentes.

Austin sits in the heart of Flash Flood Alley, which spans Central Texas from Dallas to San Antonio.

“We need to continue investing in improving our drainage infrastructure. That is a huge area of need,” said Fuentes.

Fuentes says city staff has identified over $1 billion of capital improvement projects that are needed to make Austin more flood-resilient.