Travis County officials told the Commissioners Court on Aug. 5 that recovery from the July 2025 storms remains active in the Sandy Creek and Cow Creek areas, with debris removal, permitting and infrastructure repairs underway.

Cynthia McDonald, County Executive for Transportation and Natural Resources, said county crews have collected 46,694 cubic yards of debris from the Sandy Creek neighborhoods and are preparing for private-property water-debris removal. She said the county submitted a request to the state for assistance removing vehicles and has distributed 300 vouchers to residents to haul debris to a landfill.

McDonald asked the court to extend the waiver of fees at the 1431 collection center; the court approved continuing the fee waiver through Aug. 24 on a motion from Commissioner Trevillian and second from Commissioner Shay, which passed unanimously.

Gary Howell, County Fire Marshal, said the burn ban remains in a narrow area of northwest Travis County — the creeks affected by the flooding — where permitting for controlled burns is allowed after inspection. He said the limited ban is scheduled to lift on Aug. 19 but recommended keeping it in place “on the side of safety.” Howell said his office and ESD1 have been conducting on-site inspections and that residents must call a hotline for a burn inspection and permit.

County floodplain manager Sean Snyder said the county is encouraging residents to consult county planning and permitting staff before rebuilding and noted the county has adopted Atlas 14 rainfall science for floodplain regulation. He said permits remain mandatory, but the court has waived permit fees and the county is expediting permit reviews for recovery. Snyder said only a small number of residents had started formal rebuilding inquiries but that staff expect those requests to increase as debris clears.

Robert (Eric) from county infrastructure staff and Cynthia McDonald described parallel repair efforts: TxDOT is repairing a state-owned Cow Creek bridge on FM 1431 while the county repairs the adjacent county road; county crews are evaluating repaving and design proposals for low-water crossings and bridges, and county engineers expect preliminary bridge-repair drafts soon.

McDonald estimated debris-removal costs at roughly $5 million to $6 million and said road/repair costs will be higher; county staff warned that expediting local repairs may affect FEMA reimbursement eligibility. Officials said the county is tracking costs in detail for potential reimbursement and noted that some expenses may not be reimbursable.

Ending

County staff said they will continue to staff recovery centers (Round Mountain Baptist Church and a Multi-Agency Resource Center) and urged affected residents to meet county personnel on-site, complete right-of-entry forms for debris removal, and use the county’s web resources or the Round Mountain recovery center for help with permits, documents and other recovery assistance.