Austin Texas News

AUSTIN, Texas — Several first responders from the Austin metropolitan area have been deployed to southeast Texas as part of an ongoing search and rescue effort. RELATED: More than 1,000 rescues, evacuations as Imelda soaks Texas The Austin Fire Department said on Twitter it sent a total of eight members to the region, six of whom will work together as a swift water rescue boat team. On Thursday afternoon, Austin-Travis County EMS announced it sent…

The remnants of what was Tropical Storm Imelda continues to produce flooding rains in southeast Texas. Doppler Radar is estimating some spots received over 30 inches of rainfall over the past two days. kvue The system is expected to continue to move north through East and northeast Texas on Friday, bringing heavy rain through that part of the state.  RELATED: Austin weather: Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma State forecast For Central Texas, widely scattered showers are…

Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster in several counties, including Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Hardin, Harris, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Newton, Orange and San Jacinto after the remnants of Tropical Depression Imelda unleashed torrential rain Thursday in parts of Southeast Texas.  The floods prompted hundreds of water rescues and road closures as the powerful storm system drew comparisons to Hurricane Harvey two years ago. Below are some of the images and videos those…

HOUSTON (AP) – Rain from Tropical Depression Imelda deluged parts of Texas and Louisiana on Thursday, prompting hundreds of water rescues, a hospital evacuation and road closures in areas east of Houston that were hit hard by Hurricane Harvey two years ago. Forecasters warned that Imelda could bring up to 35 inches (90 centimeters) of rain in some areas of Texas through Friday. The storm system also brought the risk of severe weather and prompted…

TAMPA, Fla. (FOX 13) – Hurricane Humberto continues to gain strength out in the Atlantic, but the new Tropical Depression 10 may be of more interest to meteorologists here in Florida. As of the midday Tuesday update, Hurricane Humberto had reached Category 2 strength with winds of 100 mph. The storm should remain on an east-northeast path out to sea and degenerate into a non-tropical low over the weekend, with rip currents on the East…

AUSTIN, Texas — According to researchers from CoreLogic, when it comes to wildfire risks, the Austin area is ranked fifth in the western parts of the U.S. The report said that almost 54,000 people in Central Texas live somewhere that has a high risk for wildfires. The researchers estimate that if a wildfire actually did happen in these areas, it could cause more than $16 billion in damages. RELATED:  Bastrop State Park employees reflect on…

A new report from a California-based market research firm finds that Austin ranks fifth in a list of cities facing the highest reconstruction costs due to potential wildfire damage. Researchers with CoreLogic found that 53,984 Austin residents live within an area designated as having a high-to-extreme wildfire risk, representing the potential for roughly $16 billion in reconstruction costs. The four cities outpacing Austin are all in California – Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego and Sacramento….

LULING, Texas — Residents have reported substantial wind damage after a storm ripped through Caldwell County on Tuesday afternoon. Pictures shared to the Lockhart-Caldwell County Discussion Group on Facebook showed damage to the Coachway Inn in Luling. Photos show damage to the roof of the motel and another nearby structure, as well as leaning powerlines and a toppled truck cab. Rodney Forcey Lockhart-Caldwell County Discussion Group has 9,771 members. This is an open group and…

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – Drivers in Texas are now going to have to move over and slow down for utility vehicles that are stopped on the side of the road restoring power or performing other work.  The new law went into effect Sunday, September 1. Move Over/Slow Down require motorists traveling on multi-lane roadways to, when practical, merge away from a vehicle working on the side of the highway to provide an empty travel…

PLANO, Texas (FOX 4) – “For the first time in all my years, I thought, I might die. We might not get out of this,” said Linda Becker. Becker and Russ Meinert had a dreamy few days on a friend’s boat in the Bahamas, snorkeling and exploring the islands. As Dorian intensified to a Category 5 hurricane and headed right at them, they booked rooms at Abaco Beach Resort and hunkered down. “And then it…

99° × News Local Texas US & World Politics FOX 7 Care Force Traffic Featured Videos Manchaca brush fire burns 75 acres of grassland Pet of the Weekend: Patsy Cline Dorian topples crane, knocks out power in eastern Canada Dallas father fighting for his life in ICU after being shot while taking out the trash with his wife Most Recent Stories Manchaca brush fire burns 75 acres of grassland Pet of the Weekend: Patsy Cline…

94° × News Local Texas US & World Politics FOX 7 Care Force Traffic Featured Videos Manchaca brush fire burns 75 acres of grassland Pet of the Weekend: Patsy Cline Dorian topples crane, knocks out power in eastern Canada 6 babies born at 1 Florida hospital during Hurricane Dorian Most Recent Stories Manchaca brush fire burns 75 acres of grassland Pet of the Weekend: Patsy Cline Dorian topples crane, knocks out power in eastern Canada…

AUSTIN, Texas — For four days, Stephen Russell frantically tried to get a response from his wife, Simone, who lives in Freeport, Bahamas.  She was stuck there with their four-year-old daughter, Skylar, as Hurricane Dorian hit. “We had planned on them moving here but in December,” Russell said. “I had no response. So I started to get worried because normally it doesn’t take that long.” The storm ravaged the islands as a Category 5 and…

99° × News Local Texas US & World Politics FOX 7 Care Force Traffic Featured Videos Trump shows apparently altered Hurricane Dorian forecast with hand-drawn cone toward Alabama FOX 7 Discussion: Permian Basin pipeline Australian vegan takes neighbors to court because she doesn’t like the smell of fish being barbecued Scam alert: iPhone users warned not to answer calls from Apple support unless they requested them Most Recent Stories Trump shows apparently altered Hurricane Dorian…

77° × News Local Texas US & World Politics FOX 7 Care Force Traffic Featured Videos Michigan becomes first state to ban flavored e-cigarettes City leaders respond to community questions on homeless policies at public forum Officer finds teen who shielded elderly woman from rain, treats him and his mom to dinner Gator crossing the street in DeBary during Hurricane Dorian Most Recent Stories Michigan becomes first state to ban flavored e-cigarettes City leaders respond…

77° × News Local Texas US & World Politics FOX 7 Care Force Traffic Featured Videos City leaders respond to community questions on homeless policies at public forum ‘Total devastation’: Hurricane Dorian slams parts of the Bahamas, leaves at least 7 dead FOX 7 Discussion: 2020 Democratic presidential race City places walking path signs at busy intersections near homeless camps Most Recent Stories City leaders respond to community questions on homeless policies at public forum…

96° × News Local Texas US & World Politics FOX 7 Care Force Traffic Featured Videos Tribute to Dick Wagner Travel Tuesday: Fall getaways 2019 CASA Superhero Run Team Rubicon’s response to Hurricane Dorian Most Recent Stories Walmart asks customers not to bring guns into stores, plans to end handgun ammunition sales Tribute to Dick Wagner Travel Tuesday: Fall getaways 2019 CASA Superhero Run Team Rubicon’s response to Hurricane Dorian School fundraisers Weather Forecast 7…

AUSTIN, Texas — Central Texas organizations are helping those in the path of Hurricane Dorian. Before dawn on Labor Day, Austin Energy deployed 27 employees to Jacksonville, Florida. “I think it’s a great opportunity to go help out other communities in need,” said Jeff Bradford, Austin Energy’s interim director of distribution operations – north. Austin Energy also sent 21 trucks to help the Jacksonville Electric Authority. As of Monday, the American Red Cross sent 10…

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – In an effort to help our east coast neighbors brace for Hurricane Dorian, dozens of central Texans ranging from the Red Cross to Austin Energy are heading their way to help.  “Right now, we are being deployed to Jacksonville, Florida,” Jeff Bradford with Austin Energy said. “We are going to assist Jacksonville Electric Authority.” Twenty-seven Austin Energy employees are on their way to help those deal with potential damage from…

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – Some Austin Energy crews are heading to Florida to help with any possible power outages there due to Hurricane Dorian. Austin Energy’s team will travel to Jacksonville in a convoy of bucket trucks and support vehicles. It’s made up of lineworkers and support personnel. The utility says it received the request for help from public power utility Jacksonville Electric Authority. Crews are expected to help for two to three…

AUSTIN, Texas — As Hurricane Dorian grows stronger, Austin Energy plans to do their part to help handle the aftermath. Twenty-seven Austin Energy crews are set to make the 1,000-mile trip to Florida to help with restoration efforts.  The crews will be made up of lineworkers and other support personnel and will travel in a convoy of bucket trucks and support vehicles to Jacksonville, Florida. They will be hauling a pole trailer, material trailer and…

AUSTIN, Texas — Volunteers from all over are heading to the East Coast to help with disaster relief, including Austin Red Cross volunteers. Veronica Ramirez, the American Red Cross Regional Communications Manager, said there are two volunteers from Austin. “Right now, we’re a part of the bigger structure of the response team,” said Ramirez. “So, in total, there’s about 600 volunteers. They’re being deployed to the region. Some of those might be closer whether it’s the…

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – Almost a dozen new firearm laws went into effect in Texas on Sunday, just hours after a shooting that killed seven people and injured more than 20 in Odessa. The laws loosen gun restrictions across the state. Texas has had four of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in recent history, including last month in El Paso when a gunman opened fire inside a Walmart, killing 22 and injuring dozens.  Three…

92° × News Local Texas US & World Politics FOX 7 Care Force Traffic Featured Videos Fierce Category 4 Dorian menaces Bahamas en route to Florida APD searching for suspect in deadly downtown shooting Suspected drunk driver crashes into deputy ahead of ‘no refusal’ initiative Dale Earnhardt Jr. shares harrowing new details of family’s plane crash Most Recent Stories Fierce Category 4 Dorian menaces Bahamas en route to Florida APD searching for suspect in deadly…

AUSTIN, Texas — As Hurricane Dorian grows stronger, Austin Energy plans to do their part to help handle the aftermath. Twenty-seven Austin Energy crews are set to make the 1,000-mile trip to Florida to help with restoration efforts.  The crews will be made up of lineworkers and other support personnel and will travel in a convoy of bucket trucks and support vehicles to Jacksonville, Florida. They will be hauling a pole trailer, material trailer and…

AUSTIN, Texas — The video above was published Aug. 29. New guidance from the Austin City Manager’s Office calls for limiting homeless camping, sitting and lying in areas with high car and pedestrian traffic, as well as areas with a high risk of flooding. The memo, which can be read online, was released Friday morning, a little more than two months after the city council approved homeless camping, sitting and lying across the city. “Any…

AUSTIN, Texas — The video above was published Aug. 29. New guidance from the Austin City Manager’s Office calls for limiting homeless camping, sitting and lying in areas with high car and pedestrian traffic, as well as areas with a high risk of flooding. The memo, which can be read online, was released Friday morning, a little more than two months after the city council approved homeless camping, sitting and lying across the city. “Any…

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – The gun bills that moved through the Texas legislature earlier this year were mostly in response to the mass shootings in Sutherland Springs and at Santa Fe High School.  During the session, lawmakers debated whether or not a “good guy with a gun” can prevent an attack and that discussion continued Wednesday with those who spoke with FOX7.  “I do not buy that idea, I don’t think it does…

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97° × News Local Texas US & World Politics FOX 7 Care Force Traffic Featured Videos Gate agent entertains delayed passengers with ‘worst driver’s license picture’ contest Amazon wildfires get some help from US firefighting plane Starbucks debuts Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew — its first new pumpkin drink in over a decade 2019 FOX 7 Football Field Trip: Vandegrift Most Recent Stories Gate agent entertains delayed passengers with ‘worst driver’s license picture’ contest Amazon wildfires…

96° × News Local Texas US & World Politics FOX 7 Care Force Traffic Featured Videos Gate agent entertains delayed passengers with ‘worst driver’s license picture’ contest Starbucks debuts Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew — its first new pumpkin drink in over a decade 2019 FOX 7 Football Field Trip: Vandegrift Cockroaches ‘falling on our heads’: Couple charged after kids reportedly found in ‘unlivable’ home Most Recent Stories Gate agent entertains delayed passengers with ‘worst driver’s…

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – The planes started arriving last week and by Wednesday morning, three air tankers were rolling on the tarmac at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.  A fourth has already worked a fire fighting mission near San Angelo. It’s an example of why this location, according to Air Base manager Jeremy Wagner, is important. “The flight leg to that fire is about 45 minutes, and 45 minutes back so if this tanker was…

Austin City Council members say they need a better look at where Austin could be falling short in terms of its wildfire preparedness. A report out today from the City Auditor said the city is doing enough to prepare for wildfires, but it said Austin could do a better job of reducing the threat of wildfires in areas largely outside the urban core. Still, council members on the Audit and Finance Committee said they wanted…

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) – President Donald Trump defended his rhetoric Wednesday as he headed out to offer a message of healing and unity in El Paso and Dayton, where he was to be met by unusual hostility from people who fault his own incendiary words as contributing to last weekend’s mass shootings. The mayors of both cities were calling for Trump to change the way he talks about immigrants. Multiple protests were planned. And Democratic…

WIMBERLY, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – On Thursday, Wimberley City Council voted to support the Parks Department in their effort to raise money to purchase property that includes Mount Edith, the sister mountain of Old Baldy. “It’s 288 acres of completely natural Texas Hill Country, which is getting pretty rare,” said Richard Shaver, programs and operations manager for the City of Wimberley Parks Department.  With a $6.3 million price tag, the city is hopeful that…

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – Dozens of people rolled up their sleeves to give blood Monday following two deadly shootings. The turnout was so big that some people had to wait three hours to donate.  “After I found out what happened in El Paso I just had to give blood, I just had too,” said Andrew Pyle.  Pyle was one of the many who chose to give blood following two deadly mass shootings over the…

AUSTIN, Texas — Central Texas is facing the summer wildfire season. The Austin Fire Department said a rainy spring and early summer created a lot of vegetation. Battalion Chief Josh Portie said the brush overgrowth from the rain has increased fire risk. “We’re already starting to see an increase and the occurrence of grass fires and brush fires,” said Portie. We are at a moderate fire risk now. “With that, we’ve already started staffing rehab…

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The unprecedented resignation of Puerto Rico’s governor after days of massive island-wide protests has thrown the U.S. territory into a full-blown political crisis. Less than four days before Gov. Ricardo Rosselló steps down, no one knows who will take his place. Justice Secretary Wanda Vázquez, his constitutional successor, said Sunday that she didn’t want the job. The next in line would be Education…

REIMERS RANCH, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – The sound made by the fire cutting through part of Reimers Ranch wasn’t just coming from the grass but also from inside tree trunks as screeching heralded the last bit of moisture inside them evaporating. “It is controlled danger, but the danger is under control, and that’s the key to a prescribed burn,” said Will Boettner with the Travis County Fire Marshal’s office. About 60 acres were set…

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Waving flags, chanting and banging pots and pans, tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans jammed a highway Monday to demand the resignation of Gov. Ricardo Rosselló in a crisis triggered by a leak of offensive, obscenity-laden chat messages between him and his advisers. The demonstration appeared to be the biggest protest on the island in nearly two decades. “Finally, the government’s mask has…

Monday Manners: Roommate etiquette By Dave Froehlich, FOX 7 Austin, Amanda Salinas, FOX 7 Austin, Zack Shields, FOX 7 Austin, Jane Lonsdale, FOX 7 Austin, Leslie Rangel, FOX 7 Austin Posted Jul 22 2019 12:24PM CDT Diane Gottsman from the Protocol School of Texas talks about a few things you should know when living with someone. Read the full article

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – The Austin Humane Society helped clear shelter space in Louisiana ahead of Hurricane Barry, but now their own shelter is full.  On Wednesday, four staff members loaded 41 kittens and 33 dogs into a trailer and drove them from the Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter in New Orleans to Austin.  Ashley Steffey, community cat program supervisor at AHS, drove the trailer.  “It’s nerve wracking for sure.” she laughed. “You know…

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – More than 100 million people around the world have downloaded the popular phone app FaceApp, and it is now the top-ranked app in the iOS App Store in 121 countries. The app, created in 2017 by Russian startup Wireless Labs, allows users to digitally make themselves look older through uploaded photos. It’s picked up more popularity thanks to the new FaceApp Challenge on social media sites like Instagram, Facebook…

Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Harry Guillot is pictured with “Crash,” a 4-week-old kitten who was found July 11 in a crashed car in Louisiana. (Photo credit: Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office) Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Harry Guillot is pictured with “Crash,” a 4-week-old kitten who was found July 11 in a crashed car in Louisiana. (Photo credit: Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office) CUT OFF, La. – A deputy in Louisiana rescued a tiny kitten in the midst…

AUSTIN, Texas — Barry was upgraded to a category one hurricane as it moves toward Louisiana near Avery Island on Saturday morning. The latest update from the National Hurricane Center has the storm with 75 mph sustained winds. The storms main threats come from storm surge along coastal areas and heavy rain that will lead to serious flooding situations. Hurricane Barry KVUE Flooding from both the storm surge and torrential inland rains continue to be…

AUSTIN, Texas — Storms along the gulf coast stir up memories for people here in Austin, who left the region after Hurricane Katrina. It’s been 13 years since Lynzay Moran moved to Austin, her family is still in Louisiana and are prepared for what happens, but she knows this is a part of living in her home state. She now owns Baton Creole, a food truck in East Austin that she opened in 2013. “Yea…

AUSTIN, Texas — Tropical Storm Barry is continuing to gain strength as it churns over the northern Gulf of Mexico. At the 4:00 PM update, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) has Barry situated 70 miles to the south southeast of Morgan City, Louisiana and moving to the west northwest at 6 MPH. The NHC anticipates that Barry will continue to intensify into a weak category 1 hurricane just before it makes landfall on the central…

TEXAS, USA — Governor Greg Abbott announced on Friday that Texas would be deploying resources to Louisiana to assist with disaster response as Tropical Storm Barry approaches the Louisiana coastline. Texas will be deploying Texas Task Force 1’s Type III Urban Search and Rescue team with additional water rescue groups to assist in response efforts and prevent loss of life. “Texans remember how the state of Louisiana came to our aid during Hurricane Harvey and…