'Unfortunate mess': Texans outraged as storms sirens fail during tornado

'Unfortunate mess': Texans outraged as storms sirens fail during tornado

Officials said a software update prevented the sirens from activating, even though San Marcos was on the edge of a tornado warning, according to the city’s Facebook post. The warning originated in Blanco County but extended into neighboring Hays County, which includes San Marcos. While the tornado dissipated before reaching the city, the siren failure raised concerns about public safety. “We had an opportunity to utilize our high-dollar investment in technology, and we failed,” Hays…

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NWS: Flood watch extended for San Antonio, much of Hill Country

NWS: Flood watch extended for San Antonio, much of Hill Country

San Antonio’s flood watch continues. Following overnight showers from scattered storms that brought one to two inches of rainfall in the area, the National Weather Service has extended their flood watch warning here and for portions of the Hill Country, I-35 corridor, and coastal plains until 9 p.m. on Saturday, October 25.  This morning’s ongoing showers and storms around San Antonio are expected to weaken and move east in a few hours, according to the weather…

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NWS: Cold front brings tornado, hail, flood threat to San Antonio area

NWS: Cold front brings tornado, hail, flood threat to San Antonio area

Update at 2 p.m.: The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for portions of South Central Texas, which includes San Antonio, Austin, New Braunfels, Kyle, Kerrville, Georgetown, Fredericksburg, Uvalde and Del Rio. The flood watch will be in effect from 7 p.m. on Friday to 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 25.  NWS warns that “heavy rainfall and excessive runoff could lead to life threatening flash flooding somewhere in the watch area.” The flood watch…

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Austin and Travis County issue disaster declaration as wildfire risk rises

Austin and Travis County issue disaster declaration as wildfire risk rises

It has been more than six weeks since any measurable rain has fallen at Austin’s official recording sites, creating extremely dry conditions and raising the risk of wildfire. That increase in risk has prompted the city of Austin and Travis County to issue disaster declarations Monday. The declarations allow the city and county to put plans in place ahead of a large wildfire breaking out. Travis County Judge Andy Brown said this provides the city…

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New legislative panels will investigate ‘facts and circumstances’ of deadly Central Texas floods

New legislative panels will investigate ‘facts and circumstances’ of deadly Central Texas floods

A hearing attendee labels a map of the Guadalupe River during a joint committee hearing at the Hill Country Youth Event Center on July 31, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. Credit: Texas Tribune / Ronaldo Bolaños Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Top Republicans in the Texas Legislature have announced the creation of committees tasked with “getting to the bottom…

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New legislative panels will investigate “facts and circumstances” of deadly Central Texas floods

New legislative panels will investigate “facts and circumstances” of deadly Central Texas floods

Audio recording is automated for accessibility. Humans wrote and edited the story. See our AI policy, and give us feedback. Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Top Republicans in the Texas Legislature have announced the creation of committees tasked with “getting to the bottom of” the July flooding that killed more than 130 people, including 25 young girls and…

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Speedy Sparks, bassist for Texas Tornados, other San Antonio music icons, has died

Speedy Sparks, bassist for Texas Tornados, other San Antonio music icons, has died

Speedy Sparks (second from left in the rear) performed with legendary musicians, including the Texas Tornados. Credit: Courtesy Photo / Texas Tornados Speedy Sparks, a bassist who played with Lone Star State music icons including Doug Sahm, Joe King Carrasco and the Texas Tornados, has died at age 79, according to friends and associates. Though he primarily worked out of Austin, Sparks first made his mark in San Antonio, recording with new-wave wild man Carrasco…

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Central Texas floods reveal need to shore up disaster response in unincorporated areas

Central Texas floods reveal need to shore up disaster response in unincorporated areas

Audio recording is automated for accessibility. Humans wrote and edited the story. See our AI policy, and give us feedback. Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. This story was produced by Grist and co-published with the Texas Tribune. Editor’s note: This story contains explicit language. Rain was already coursing through the usually dry creek near Abraham Stallins’ home in…

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'Gut punch': Kerrville slaps homeowners with tax hike after July 4 floods

'Gut punch': Kerrville slaps homeowners with tax hike after July 4 floods

The 7.98% property tax rate increase was approved on Tuesday, September 23, during a city council meeting that drew angry residents in strong opposition to the tax hike. City officials have the option to keep the new tax hike for three years or until the city’s total taxable value exceeds $3.6 billion without a vote, which angered residents even more.  “This tax increase is basically a gut punch to the flood victims in the city,” Jacklynn…

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Camp Mystic plans partial reopening in 2026 after devastating floods

Camp Mystic plans partial reopening in 2026 after devastating floods

Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Camp Mystic, the Christian girls’ camp where 25 young campers and two counselors died during the July 4 flooding, will reopen one of its campsites in 2026, according to an email shared with families. Camp Mystic officials said in the email sent Monday that they would follow all new laws and regulations as…

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Travis County is raising property taxes to pay for past and future floods

Travis County is raising property taxes to pay for past and future floods

The Travis County Commissioners Court has approved a 9.12% property tax rate increase. All four county commissioners and Travis County Judge Andy Brown supported the increase, which they say is necessary after the county zeroed out its savings account responding to catastrophic flooding this summer. So far, the county has spent just over $21 million cleaning up flood debris and setting up emergency services, according to Travis County spokesperson Hector Nieto. The tax increase is…

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Texas passed laws to address historic flooding. We asked a flood expert if they'll work.

Texas passed laws to address historic flooding. We asked a flood expert if they'll work.

After historic floods on the Fourth of July killed more than 130 people in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott vowed state lawmakers would pass transformative legislation, designed to “make sure communities are better, more resilient, and have the resources that they need.” Just two months later, on Sept. 5, Abbott held a bill signing ceremony surrounded by families who’d lost loved ones in the tragedy. That day, the governor signed a package of flood-related measures into…

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Tropical Storm Mario forms off Mexico's Pacific coast, expected to bring rain and possible flooding

Tropical Storm Mario forms off Mexico's Pacific coast, expected to bring rain and possible flooding

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Mario formed Friday off the Pacific coast of Mexico and was expected to bring wind, rain and possible flash flooding, forecasters said. Mario was described as “mini” in the National Hurricane Center’s morning advisory, but the storm packed maximum sustained winds of 40 mph.  A tropical storm watch was in effect for parts of the Michoacan state. It spanned from Lázaro Cárdenas to Punta San Telmo. The Miami-based weather service…

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Life in the Time of Hurricanes

Life in the Time of Hurricanes

Editor’s Note: The following is excerpted from the first chapter of Life in the Time of Hurricanes by Rod Davis, out this month from TCU Press. It is republished here with permission. “And once the storm is over you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the…

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Texas braces for drastic temperature drop amid cold front, tropical storm

Texas braces for drastic temperature drop amid cold front, tropical storm

Photo of cloudy skies. Annett Engelhardt / 500px/Getty Images/500px Now that August is behind us, it’s really time for it to start feeling like fall. While it typically takes until nearly the start of winter to really feel a significant cool down, a cold front sweeping across Texas is bringing the autumnal feels early. If there’s anything we can expect from Texas weather, it’s to expect the unexpected. For the northern half of Texas – sorry…

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