Travis County approves nearly $8 million more for flood response, expands debris sites and contingency access in Sandy Creek area

Travis County Commissioners Court on Aug. 12 unanimously approved additional emergency spending and operational agreements to expand debris removal and contingency access after severe July 2025 flooding in the county's northwest, including the Sandy Creek and Cow Creek areas.

County officials said crews have removed roughly 50,000 cubic yards of debris from the public right-of-way in the Sandy Creek area and about 6,000 cubic yards from private property so far. “We've removed about 50,000 cubic yards of debris from the right of way in Sandy Creek,” Emily Ackland, division director for Natural Resources and Environmental Quality, told the court.

The court approved a $5.6 million transfer from the county emergency reserve earlier in the meeting and then, after additional briefings on evolving needs, unanimously approved a second transfer of $2,352,000 to the county central emergency response budget, bringing the day's total transfers to $7,952,000. "We need at least a million more dollars over the next seven days beyond the $5.6 million," Travis Gatlin of the Planning and Budget Office told the court, prompting the additional transfer vote.

Nut graf: The money will pay for debris removal on public and private parcels, short-term landfill vouchers and dumpsters for residents, site assessments and early engineering for damaged low-water crossings and bridges, and contingency measures — including rented or purchased temporary bridges — to preserve access and public safety while permanent repairs are designed and contracted.

Key details and operations - Private property work: The county is collecting right-of-entry…