The Central Texas area is expecting heavy rainfall and flash flooding this evening, with rain continuing over the next few days. Forecasters predict rainfall totals will average three to four inches, and could reach six to eight inches in some areas.
A flash flood watch for Travis County goes into effect at 6 p.m. tonight, and will remain in effect through Saturday evening. Bob Rose, chief meteorologist with the Lower Colorado River Authority, predicts the heaviest rain will begin to fall after dark and will continue through the morning.
You can learn more from the National Weather Service and the city’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, which is monitoring the flooding risks.
The city is also preparing for a flood of a different sort: the deluge of lost pets that end up in animal shelters after a storm.
The city is asking pet owners to keep their animals properly ID'd and inside during storms. And as the Austin Animal Center is at capacity, it asks anyone encountering a stray to “keep him/her safely contained, call 3-1-1 to report the lost animal, and house the animal a few days before turning in to the shelter.”
Rose doesn’t believe this storm is part of the El Nino weather pattern that is expected to bring longer-term drought relief to the area. “But I do think we’ll see more wet weather developing later into October and certainly by November, as we do finally see some of this connection with the weak El Nino."
