Storms Wreak Havoc On Austin-Area 4th Of July Activities (Update)

AUSTIN, TX — Rain descended on the Austin area Wednesday afternoon, wreaking havoc on planned Independence Day activities — chiefly the suspension of musical performances at the always-anticipated Willie Nelson's Fourth of July Picnic.

A concert official reached out to Patch after its initial report, stressing that musical performances have been suspended rather than canceled outright. Officials at the Circuit of the Americas venue urged concertgoers to seek shelter until the storms subside. Officials were targeting a time between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. for those attending to reenter the venue.

"Please seek shelter in your vehicle or find a staff member to assist you to a safe area," a tweet read. "Monitor @austin360amp for an update on when it is safe to return & music will resume.”

After a protracted interruption, the music started flowing again at Willie Nelson's picnic, according to organizers. "The rain can't stop Willie's Fourth of July Picnic...!" organizers tweeted after the rain stopped.

The Independence Day celebration in Pflugerville also was delayed after storm-caused power outages — including at the Pfield where doors were closed past the scheduled 5 p.m. entry.

"Areas of Pflugerville are without power right now, including the Pfield," Parks & Recreation officials wrote on social media. "Gates are supposed to open at 5 p.m. for the Pfirecracker Pfestival, but will not open until we have power. Food trucks are here and ready to serve at 5 p.m. We will update as we know more."

Eventually, both shows went on albeit delayed.

Cedar Park was soggy on the Fourth of July, but not enough to stop the light show from happening:

Yet the rain wreaked havoc in Williamson County too. Here's what the pond at Brushy Creek and Great Oaks looked like before cleanup:

The Williamson County Sheriff's Office reported a possible tornado as storms ravaged the region, posting footage submitted by a resident on Twitter to illustrate:

It's unclear if other highly anticipated annual Independence Day activities, including the H-E-B Austin Symphony July 4th Concert & Fireworks shows, will go on as planned later on Wednesday evening. National Weather Servicemeteorologists are predicting potential gusty winds accompanying rainfall through early evening. However, those activities are likely to resume assuming that storms subside by their 8:30 p.m. start time.

A chance of rain continues through the rest of the week as well, according to the NWS. On Thursday, a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms is predicted, the probability of same growing to 50 percent by Friday. Saturday and Sunday also could be wet, with a 40 percent chance of precipitation on both days, forecasters predict.

Spectrum News Austin tweeted photos at the scene of the annual picnic, with dark clouds in the background vividly illustrating the weather conditions prompting evacuation:

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>>> Top image: While good for plant life — with the possible exception of hanging plants such as the one top left, upended by winds and the sheer weight of accumulated water — rain on the Fourth of July has altered revelers' plans. This photo was taken in the West Campus area by Tony Cantú/Patch staff.