AUSTIN, Texas – Ten years ago, residents along Onion Creek were forced from their homes by a flash flood.
City officials gathered to look back and to talk about the recovery since the waters receded.
2015 Onion Creek flooding
The backstory:
Dense vegetation currently covers the Yarrabee Bend area, which 10 years ago was a densely populated southeast Austin neighborhood.
On Thursday, where there once were homes, a group of city officials gathered for a city proclamation marking October 30 as a day for remembrance.
“The 2015 Halloween floods were a critical moment as we witnessed how destructive flooding can be to our city. No one understands that better than the people who used to live here in the Onion Creek neighborhood and who still live here. Almost 500 families used to call this area home. This is where they lived, where their children played and where they raised their families,” said Austin Watershed Protection Director Jorge Morales.
A major rainstorm overwhelmed Onion Creek and a surge of water crashed into homes. Three people died and more than 35 water rescues took place. Among those responding to the crisis was Austin-Travis County EMS Assistant Chief Kevin Parker.
“And so that night was a very, very busy night, not only for our rescue assets, but also just our ambulances in the city who were coming in to assist the people who had their whole life swept away,” said Parker.
Nearly 500 homes were bought by the city and families were relocated. One-hundred acres have been converted into park land with improved drainage.
“These improvements are not just about infrastructure. They’re about healing, resilience and creating spaces where families can come reflect and reconnect with nature,” said Austin Parks and Recreation Director Jesus Aguirre.
New flood detection cameras have also been installed along Onion Creek since the 2015 flash flood. But the threat remains across Austin, according to council member Vanessa Fuentes.
“We need to continue investing in improving our drainage infrastructure. That is a huge area of need. City staff have identified over a billion dollars’ worth of capital improvement projects that are needed for us. And so that’ll be, council and our community will have the opportunity to consider that next year, continuing to invest in the infrastructure throughout our city,” said Fuentes.
Two years before the 2015 Halloween flood, the same area along Onion Creek was flooded. There is also a memorial to that event.
A documentary on the floods in 2015 and 2013 was viewed Thursday night at Perez Elementary.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski