Austin proclaims May 25 Flood Remembrance Day and reviews decade of preparedness

At a May 25 ceremony, Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes presented a proclamation marking the 10th anniversary of the Memorial Day 2015 floods and city officials described flood-preparedness steps taken since the event.

The proclamation — read by Fuentes, who represents District 2 — and remarks from Watershed Protection, Austin Fire and Austin-Travis County EMS summarized past impacts of the 2015 floods and highlighted upgrades such as new flood-detection cameras, an early flood-warning system, active capital improvement projects in flood-prone areas and a pilot flood-insurance assistance program.

Fuentes opened the event by recalling the 2015 Memorial Day weekend storms and their effects across the region. “We saw more than 200 buildings flooded,” Fuentes said. She also cited “nearly 500 road closures across Central Texas and the tragic loss of life including here in Austin and in Travis County,” and named creeks that rose during the storms. In presenting the proclamation she read specifications included in the document: “Be it known that whereas we remember the devastating flood that struck our community 10 years ago on 05/25/2015 … and whereas floodwater closed approximately 50 roads, impacted at least a 37 properties, and 1 individual lost their life here in Travis County.”

Jorge Morales, director of the Watershed Protection Department, described technical and programmatic steps taken since 2015. “We have activated active capital improvement projects throughout the city in flood prone areas. We have made upgrades to the flood early warning system,” Morales said. He also noted a FEMA upgrade to the city’s score in the National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System, which Morales said helps homeowners save on premiums, “getting up to a 25% discount.” Morales reiterated the department’s mission “to protect lives, property, and the environment, and protect our community from the impacts of flood, erosion, and water pollution.”

Assistant Chief Tom Bokey of the Austin Fire Department described on-the-ground rescue operations during the 2015 event. “Units began running water calls around 9 a.m. that morning,” Bokey said. He said firefighters responded in the Pleasant Valley area south of William Cannon, establishing what responders called “Quicksilver Command,” and that crews rescued and evacuated many residents. Bokey recounted that there were “27 firefighters working that area at the time” and that after the surge “24 of those firefighters were sheltering in place in high areas with members of the community, for several hours waiting for the water to recede.” He urged residents to “be prepared to escape, when you’re notified,” and to pay attention to notification systems.

Kevin Parker, assistant chief for Austin-Travis County EMS, emphasized regional cooperation during the floods and the city’s continuing role in mutual aid. “We sent paramedic rescuers with Starflight out to Wimberley and to the outlying areas of the community,” Parker said, describing coordinated operations with Homeland Security and Emergency Management and Watershed Protection at the Emergency Operations Center.

Speakers and the proclamation also described recent local initiatives: a flood insurance assistance pilot program (managed, according to the proclamation text, by a community coalition), the city’s first Flood Safety Festival organized by Watershed, and continued drainage infrastructure upgrades. Fuentes also said the Southeast Austin district had recently lost a $50,000,000 FEMA grant, a point she raised while urging further action for the area.

Officials directed attendees to city resources for residents preparing for floods, citing the website ATXfloodsafety.com for preparedness information and disaster-related mental-health resources. No formal votes or motions were recorded as part of the ceremony.

The commemoration combined remembrance of lives lost and practical updates about mitigation and preparedness work; city officials repeated appeals for residents to register for alerts, review preparedness plans and use available resources.