The National Weather Service is cautioning Central Texans to keep an eye out for floods this week.
A flood watch has been issued in the area for Friday evening through Saturday evening, which means floods are possible in that timeframe. The service expects most of the heavy rain to come this weekend, with the highest risks of flooding on Saturday.
So, here's a rundown of how to stay up-to-date on rain totals, flooding and road conditions ahead of the possible deluge.
National Weather Service radar and emergency website
- Forecasts, severe weather notifications, current conditions and extended forecasts are available here.
Rain totals
Check on rain totals from the Lower Colorado River Authority's HydroMet monitoring system. The site allows you to toggle between hourly and daily rainfall totals. It also gives you a look at individual flood gauges being monitored by the authority.
Lake levels and flood status
LCRA also has a monitor for the Highland Lakes, which tend to take on a lot of water in serious floods.
Low-water crossings
"Turn around don't drown," as they say. Just a foot of floodwater can sweep a car away. ATXFloods.com keeps track of which low-water crossings — low-lying roadways that are prone to flooding — are closed all over Central Texas.
Flood gauges
Track flood conditions with the map from the U.S. Geological Survey or monitor statewide flood conditions at the Texas Water Development Board's interactive map here.
The City of Austin also has its own flood-monitoring site, FloodPro, which you can check out below.
Austin Energy outage map
Check for reported outages in Austin Energy's service area and view power restoration estimates. Granted, this outage map buckled under the pressures of February's crippling ice storm, which left more than 425,000 people in the dark, but it's the best we've got. You can report outages online, or by calling 512-322-9100.
Customers of other electricity providers in Central Texas can find outage reports, too:
Phone alerts
Sign up for advisories via the Warn Central Texas system, which can text, email or call you to update you during severe weather events.
Severe weather Twitter list
We've compiled a list of useful Twitter accounts to follow for the latest info on weather and flood conditions, road closures and other emergency information.
