Rare flash flood emergency issued after overnight rescues near Austin

Heavy rain continued across the Hill Country early Saturday, swelling rivers and creeks and prompting urgent warnings and water rescues overnight. Several cities around Austin saw rising waters and emergency rescues.

The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Emergency just before 5 a.m. on July 6, 2025 for Burnet, Marble Falls, Granite Shoals, and nearby areas. The warning remains in effect through 10 a.m. and signals the potential for life-threatening conditions.

In western Travis County, emergency crews launched two early morning water rescues as rising floodwaters trapped residents and made roads “impassable.”

Just after 2 a.m., first responders were called to Cottonwood Drive, where three people were stuck inside a flooded home. A second rescue was reported less than an hour later on Colorado Canyon Drive, where three others were reportedly stranded on a dock that had broken loose and was drifting downriver.

In Burnet, city officials urged residents to stay home if safe and avoid all road travel. The Burnet Community Center at 401 East Jackson Street has been opened as a shelter for those impacted.

“Do not attempt to drive through flooded roadways or low water crossings—it only takes a small amount of moving water to sweep a vehicle away,” the city said in a statement.

Crews remain on alert as dangerous conditions persist across the region.