Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Travis County Judge Andy Brown announced local disaster declarations ahead of potential flash flooding overnight Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Watson said the declarations were being made preemptively. “This declaration will allow the City to quickly organize our resources and respond to any disaster event that might occur,” he said.<\/p>\n
The declarations allow local governments to coordinate emergency response efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen our community faces an emergency, we act,\u201d Brown said in a news release. \u201cThis disaster declaration ensures that we can respond immediately and marshal every available resource in the event of flash floods threatening Travis County.\u201d<\/p>\n
Travis County, along with 21 other Texas counties, is under a flood watch until Thursday evening. Rivers, creeks and low-water crossings may swell, with roads potentially flooding.<\/p>\n
The declaration comes after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott activated state emergency response resources on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The National Weather Service forecasts a potential 2-6 inches of rain locally. The Rio Grande Plains, southern Edwards Plateau and the U.S 90 corridor may see 10-20 inches of rain, according to the NWS.<\/p>\n