Austin Watershed monitoring flooding hotspots as scattered rain remains in the forecast

Shoal Creek flooded on Monday. As the water receded, Austin Watershed leaders noted which areas took on too much water.

AUSTIN, Texas — As the flood waters of Monday receded, the Austin Watershed Protection Department said it was prepared for the heavy downpour.

“We have droughts that are interrupted by floods like the one we had yesterday, but luckily it was a fairly manageable flood. We were ready for it,” Scott Prinsen, the program manager for Watershed’s Early Flood Warning system, said.

Prinsen noted the high waters hit specific areas of Austin, most noticeably in Shoal Creek from North Austin to downtown.

“This is Central Texas. This is flash flood alley,” Prinsen said. “In big cities, like in the center of Austin, we have a lot of concrete. We have a lot of, you know, buildings, offices, neighborhoods, things of that nature. So the more ground that you cover up, the less ability that the ground has to absorb all of that rainwater.”

As the waters rise, Prinsen’s job falls on alerting people of the impending danger.

“It’s almost a flood wave, we think of it that way, rushing down Shoal Creek,” Prinsen said. “We are very concerned about loss of life and things of that nature. So we’re trying to kind of get the word out. And I know, again, with the city and other departments that there is this effort that’s been going on for quite a while now to try to inform, especially those that are living in low lying areas, to be ready to move to higher ground, and in a very short period of time.”

With scattered rain in the forecast, Prinsen said he will be watching very specific areas of Austin for possible flooding.

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