Flash flood warning issued for areas northwest of Austin

As recovery and cleanup efforts from last weekend’s deadly floods continue, more drenching rains are falling Sunday morning in parts of Burnet and Williamson counties.

The National Weather Service says flash flooding is already happening with water over the road at RM 963 and CR 201.

The federal forecasting agency has issued a Flash Flood Warning for locations including Georgetown, Burnet, Bertram, Florence, Mahomet, Joppa, Shady Grove and Andice. The warning remains in effect until 10:15 a.m.

A Flood Watch is in effect for a vast swath of Central Texas, including the I-35 corridor and Hill Country, until Sunday at 7 p.m. A watch means flooding could occur. A warning is more serious, indicating flooding is about to happen or is already underway.

Even though last weekend’s flood waters have receded, the ground in Austin area and Hill Country remains unusually wet for this time of year. A NASA map measuring the moisture content of the top 3 feet of soil shows the Austin-area counties of Burnet and Llano exceptionally saturated.

“Couple that with the fact that a lot of areas in the Hill Country, the depth of soil is very shallow,” said Eric Platt, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “You’ve got very rocky terrain with very shallow soil. That can lead to increased runoff as well.”

The Lower Colorado River Authority plans to open a floodgate at Wirtz Dam and at Starcke Dam Sunday morning to release storm runoff into Lake LBJ after heavy overnight rain.

Meanwhile, an area southeast of Austin that was hit hardest by severe weather last weekend is seeing more flooding this morning. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning overnight for the Guadalupe River in Kerr County.

Even if you’re not affected by this warning, the National Weather Service urges people to monitor local forecasts.

“Always have at least two methods of getting current weather information,” Austin meteorologist Troy Kimmel advises. “You are also responsible for having, in advance, a severe/inclement weather safety plan for yourself, your family and/or your business.”

During the most recent floods, some people didn’t receive urgent flood evacuation messages on their phones. One woman wound up trapped in her home for two days.

At least a dozen people died in Austin-area floods.