Travis County extends disaster declaration, authorizes debris contracts and fee waivers after weekend flash floods

Travis County commissioners on July 8 extended a July 5 disaster declaration, authorized emergency spending and directed steps to accelerate debris removal and homeowner recovery after a severe flash-flooding event that struck parts of northwest Travis County.

"I would like to ask y'all to approve an order extending the 07/05/2025 disaster declaration," County Judge Andy Brown said during the court meeting. The court unanimously approved the extension; the order continues activation of the county emergency plan and temporarily exempts qualifying purchases from certain competitive-purchasing requirements so the county can respond rapidly.

The court also authorized contingency spending to speed debris removal. Planning and Budget staff recommended, and the court approved, directing up to $4,000,000 from the county emergency reserve to support debris contracts and immediate response actions; staff said unused funds would be returned to the reserve. The court additionally approved using standby debris-removal contractors and asked staff to begin staging debris-separation and drop-off operations at the county transfer station on FM 1431.

Travis County Transportation and Natural Resources requested and won unanimous approval to waive drop-off fees at the FM 1431 transfer station for a defined period so residents could offload flood-related debris; staff will publish separation requirements for different debris categories and coordinate with TCEQ guidance.

The court approved a needs-based waiver of county permitting fees for rebuilding in areas identified as affected by the floods, limited to property owners who demonstrate insurance will not cover permit costs or who otherwise cannot pay. County staff will identify the affected geographic areas and assist homeowners with damage assessments. Floodplain staff reminded the court that the county applies a 50% "substantial-damage" test (structures damaged at 50% or more of predamage value are subject to current elevation and mitigation requirements) and that permit reviews will apply Atlas 14–based elevations and best available information.

Emergency Management Coordinator Eric Carter briefed the court on search-and-rescue and recovery efforts. "The impact this past, weekend was, was significant in the, Lago Vista corridor, Jonestown corridor," Carter said, and he described an active multiagency response led by ESD 1 with support from other ESDs, Austin-Travis County EMS, Austin Fire, sheriff's deputies, TDEM and state engineers. Officials said an urban search-and-rescue team and additional TDEM personnel were arriving to support ground and canine searches.

County health, human services and nonprofit partners are operating resource and distribution sites. Officials reported H‑E‑B and the Central Texas Food Bank distributing supplies at the Round Mountain Baptist Church and said H‑E‑B planned additional distribution points; Integral Care and Ascension were providing mental-health and medical support, including tetanus vaccinations. Staff also noted AT&T was deploying a Wi‑Fi hotspot to improve connectivity for residents at the resource location.

How residents report damage and missing people: officials said residents should call 911 and report missing persons to emergency dispatch; the county also directed residents with property damage to report through the state's individual-reporting portal (referenced in court as damage.tdem.texas.gov / ISTAT) so the county and state can document impacts for FEMA and other assistance programs. County TNR and other teams will perform parallel field damage assessments to compile submission-ready data.

Why it matters: The court's actions open immediate resources to remove hazardous debris, help homeowners begin the recovery process, and streamline procurement for emergency purchases. They also preserve the county's ability to document damage for potential FEMA individual assistance and public‑works grants.

What happens next: County staff will stage debris-separation, begin contracting work, publish drop-off and separation guidance, and coordinate resource-center locations with H‑E‑B and nonprofits. Staff said they will track missing-person reports, integrate high-water marks into flood mapping work, and complete an after-action review of emergency communications once the response stabilizes.