Travis County

County property taxes are going up — at least for this year — to help cover the costs of the July floods and prepare for future natural disasters.

Central Health officials said the effective 8% tax rate increase was driven by funding cuts coming from the federal level.

When the state held a convention in 1861 to vote on seceding from the Union, delegates were not all on board.

Time is running out to apply for financial help and get debris picked up from your property.

The Central Texas Community Foundation launched a fundraiser with a goal of raising $10 million to support people in Travis and Williamson counties who were affected by the floods.

Federal and state disaster declarations allow the county to raise taxes without voter approval. The average Travis County homeowner would pay about $200 more in property taxes than the previous year.

KUT's Kailey Hunt was reporting near Big Sandy Creek in northwestern Travis County when a crew of search and rescue workers discovered the body of one of the people missing from the devastating July 5 floods.

Just 7% of homeowners in Texas have flood insurance through the federal government, which runs the biggest flood insurance program in the country. That percentage drops to 2% when you move inland, to areas like Travis and Kerr counties.

A disaster recovery center is opening Friday at the Williamson County EMS North Campus in Georgetown. People affected by floods in both Williamson and Travis counties are now eligible for federal assistance from FEMA.

Residents in the Big Sandy Creek neighborhood say it could take months to return the area back to normal. More hands on deck will help speed up the process.