A decade has passed since the swift waters of October 2013 rudely breached the banks of Onion, Bull, Shoal, Walnut, and Williamson creeks, submerging parts of Austin in a calamitous flash flood that claimed five lives and brought ruin to hundreds of homes; now the city honors the memory and the resilience of its people. In the dawn of destruction, over 40 roads became impassable, and the waters swallowed up approximately 745 homes within the bounds of Travis County, a somber ten-year reminder of nature's might laid bare, as reported by the City of Austin.
Marking the tenth anniversary of this tragic episode, Austin's City Council officially declared October 31, 2023, as 2013 Austin Flood Remembrance Day, revisiting the wounds of the past with a solemn pledge toward future safeguarding, "Can we do better? Absolutely. Are we working to do better? Yes, we are," Constable George Morales said. Echoing this sentiment was Jorge Morales, who presides over the Watershed Protection Department, reinforcing their steadfast mission "to protect lives, property, and the environment" in an ongoing quest underscored by improvement and vigilance, according to the City of Austin news release.
From flood gauge improvements to partnership fortifications that span the span of governmental to local community entities, the City of Austin is piecing together a mosaic of resilience against the unpredictable tempest that is Mother Nature - more than 40 projects have been completed in the creek watersheds since the 2013 Austin Flood, as per the City of Austin.
