Austin area under flood warning, storms dumping more than 2 inches of rain

A band of heavy thunderstorms are rolling through the Austin metro area, heading east, beyond the urban hubs along the Interstate 35 corridor, according to Doppler radar images.

A flood watch for the Austin metro area — Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop and Caldwell counties — was in effect until Wednesday afternoon, the National Weather Service said Monday. Hill Country counties, including Blanco, Burnet, Gillespie and Llano counties also were placed in the watch area.

"Gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall with rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour are possible this evening and tonight as storms move though much of South-Central Texas," the weather service said in a bulletin Monday. Shortly after 2 p.m., a rain gauge in central Mason County, about 100 miles northwest of Austin, reported 0.85 inch of rainfall in just 15 minutes.

At 3:30 p.m., the weather service issued a flood advisory for Travis and Williamson counties until 6:30 p.m. Monday because minor flooding was expected in those areas.

Doppler radar at 3:30 p.m. showed heavy rain from thunderstorms in the advisory area that was likely to cause stream flooding because up to 2 inches of rain had fallen. Up to 2 more inches of rainfall was possible, forecasters said.

By 4:10 p.m., a flash flood warning for central Travis County was in effect until 7:15 p.m. Monday. According to the weather service, Doppler radar images showed heavy rain producing between 1 and 3 inches of rain.

"The expected rainfall rate is 3 to 4 inches in one hour," forecasters said. "Additional rainfall amounts up to 2 inches are possible in the warned area."

The weather service warned that excessive runoff and heavy rainfall Monday could lead to the flooding of rivers, creeks and low water crossings. Rain gauges monitored by the Lower Colorado River Authority showed as much as 2.68 inches of rain on Shoal Creek Boulevard at Shoal Creek, and 2.16 inches in Central Austin.

As of 4:30 p.m., only 11 low water crossings in Central Texas were closed, with most closures in Hays County.

Meanwhile, Austin Energy reported as many as 3,000 customers without power as of 4:40 p.m., with about 1,000 customers in South Austin and another 1,770 in Southwest Austin. The electric utility expected power restoration in those areas to occur within a few hours.

At 5 p.m., the National Weather Service measured 3.6 inches of rain at Camp Mabry, site of Austin's main weather station. That makes Aug. 22 the rainiest day of the year so far.

"The good news is, many areas will see continued improvements to the ongoing drought, but it may come with some flood risk unfortunately for a few locations Wednesday and potentially Thursday," the weather service bulletin said. "In addition, below normal daytime temperatures will dominate the forecast."

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A flood watch is issued when a flood event is likely. Residents in the affected area "should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible flood warnings," the weather service added. "Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop."

Austin's forecast for Tuesday calls for an 80% chance of storms with as much as an inch of rainfall possible. Rain chances persist into the evening, when temperatures will stay above 76 degrees.

High temperatures in Austin on Wednesday could be the coolest they've been since May, with a maximum temperature expected to reach only 91 degrees, thanks to a 50% chance of storms.

Rain chances persist from Thursday into the weekend, but Austin may only see light, scattered showers.