AUSTIN, Texas — Austin and Travis County have activated their joint Emergency Operations Center as heavy rainfall and the threat of flooding continue across Central Texas Thursday night.
The Emergency Operations Center began a Level 3 Limited Activation at 7 a.m. Thursday, bringing together multiple city and county departments to monitor conditions and coordinate resources. Representatives will remain at the EOC overnight as additional rain moves through the area.
Travis County remains under a Flood Watch through 7 p.m. Friday. The forecast calls for 2 to 3 inches of rain in the Austin area through Friday morning, with isolated pockets of up to 8 inches possible, according to Austin Emergency Management.
Austin Watershed Protection is operating at increased readiness, with barricade crews on call through 6 a.m. Monday in case low-water crossings need to be closed.
Austin Fire has boat crews on standby if water rescues become necessary. Transportation and Public Works has also added on-call staff and is monitoring the city’s more than 1,100 traffic signals while preparing to assist with barricades and debris removal.
As of 4 p.m. Thursday, Austin police had responded to 24 vehicle crashes but reported no major flooding calls. Officials said the number of crashes was not considered an influx.
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One traffic signal outage was reported at Great Hills Trail and Rain Creek Parkway.
Hamilton Pool closed due to flood threat
Travis County Parks closed Hamilton Pool on Thursday because of the flooding threat.
Visitors with Thursday reservations were notified. Those with reservations Friday are being asked to check for updates before visiting. The county said visitors will be notified if another closure is necessary.
Officials are urging people who live or work in flood-prone areas to have multiple ways to leave their homes or neighborhoods if they need to move to higher ground.
Residents should stay away from creeks, trails, culverts, ponds and other drainage areas and should never walk, bike or drive through high water or around barricades.
As little as 6 inches of water can sweep an adult off their feet, while a foot of water can carry away most vehicles, according to Austin Emergency Management.
Drivers can monitor the status of low-water crossings at ATXFloods.com.
Officials are also urging people attending outdoor events this weekend to remain weather aware and prepare for changing conditions.
Residents can monitor official emergency information through the Austin-Travis County Active Emergency Information Hub.