Hurricane Harvey: Williamson County Urges Residents To Prepare for Possible Flooding

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — With Williamson County under a flash flood watch until Wednesday, county officials sent a plea to residents on Sunday to prepare themselves to potential high waters in their midst.

According to the National Weather Service, rainfall will continue for at least the next 24 hours and likely beyond that.

"Residents are asked to remain weather aware," county officials wrote in an advisory. "Check for closed roads at www.atxfloods.com in the Central Texas area and check road conditions across Texas at www.drivetexas.org. Never drive through water flowing over a roadway. Turn around don’t drown."

Residents are urged to sign up for local alerts by voice, text, or email at WarnCentralTexas.org. Also, they urged residents to closely monitor weather conditions with a NOAA weather radio or through local media.

Residents living along a waterway or in or near a flood plan should be prepared to evacuate if water levels continue to rise, county officials suggested. Residents can plot out a plan at https://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan.

If shelters are opened for local flooding, information will be posted on the American Red Cross website at http://www.redcross.org/get-help/disaster-relief-and-recovery-services/find-an-open-shelter. To let family and friends know that you are safe or to find loved ones who have evacuated, residents are urged to check the American Red Cross website at safeandwell.org.

Power outages can be reported to the Oncor utility via their website found here. '

While Harvey was downgraded to a tropical storm a while back, its hurricane remnants are potentially deadly. Once hurricanes dissipate, the real danger lies in the torrential rainstorms they later develop that can result in catastrophic flooding.

The effects of the hurricane's powerful remnants are being seen locally:

• Trails in Berry Springs Park and Preserve were closed Sunday due to high wind advisory and potential for fallen limbs.
• The wind advisory is in effect until 4 p.m., with gusts anticipated to be speeding through between 25 miles per hour and 35 miles per hour.
• Large tree limbs downed by the storm litter the landscape. To report trees or limbs down on county roads, call 512-864-8282, option 1, option 1.
• Portions of the Brushy Creek Regional Trail by Brushy Creek Lake Park and Brushy Creek Sports Park are closed due to flooding. "Do not walk through flooded paths," county officials urge in a succinct yet appropriately stern advisory.

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