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PROUD TO SERVE AS AUSTIN'S MAYOR PRO TEM AS THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT TWO IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN.
TODAY, WE REMEMBER THE DEVASTATING FLOODS OF MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, 2025, EXCUSE ME, 2015, AN EVENT THAT LEFT A LASTING MARK ON OUR CITY AND OUR REGION THAT MAY SAW SOME OF THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF RAIN ON RECORD WHEN BACK TO BACK STORMS THAT OVERWHELMED OUR CREEKS, OUR ROADS, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, AND OUR FAMILIES.
WE SAW MORE THAN 200 BUILDINGS FLOODED, NEARLY 500 ROAD CLOSURES ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE TRAGIC LOSS OF LIFE, INCLUDING HERE IN AUSTIN AND IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
OUR CREEKS, SHOAL, WALLER, BARTON ONION WILLIAMSON, AND BULL ROSE QUICKLY AND DANGEROUSLY FLOODING HOMES, PARKS, AND STREETS FROM PEACE PARK TO LADY BIRD LAKE IN WIMBERLEY, THE BLANCO RIVER ROSE 20 FEET IN JUST ONE HOUR, CLAIMING 12 LIVES.
12 CHILDREN WERE NEVER, TWO CHILDREN WERE NEVER FOUND.
THESE FLOODS DON'T JUST EXPOSE OUR VULNERABILITIES.
IT'S A CALL THAT WE HAVE TAKEN SERIOUSLY EVER SINCE.
FOR ME, FLOOD PREPAREDNESS HAS BEEN ONE OF MY TOP PRIORITIES ON CITY COUNCIL.
AND IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER TO LAUNCH THE FLOOD INSURANCE ASSISTANCE PILOT PROGRAM, WHICH IS MANAGED BY DELL VALLEY COMMUNITY COALITION.
WANNA THANK THEM FOR BEING HERE, AS WELL AS WE'VE INSTALLED NEW FLOOD DETECTION CAMERAS AND EARLY FLOOD WARNING SYSTEMS, AS WELL AS WE CONTINUE TO UPGRADE OUR DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, WATERSHED BROUGHT US OUR CITY'S FIRST EVER AUSTIN'S FLOOD SAFETY FESTIVAL.
AS WE REFLECT ON THE PAST, LET US COMMIT TO, TO BUILDING A SAFER, MORE RESILIENT FUTURE FOR EVERY AUSTINITE, AND LET US HONOR THOSE THAT WE'VE LOST AND ENSURE THAT OUR CITY'S BETTER PREPARED, BETTER PREPARED FOR THE NEXT STORM.
SO WITH THAT, IT'S MY HONOR TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION TO JORGE MORALE'S, DIRECTOR OF OUR WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, BE BE IT KNOWN THAT WHEREAS WE REMEMBER THE DEVASTATING FLOOD THAT STRUCK OUR COMMUNITY 10 YEARS AGO ON MAY 25TH, 2015, AND CAUSING BARTON BULL LITTLE WALNUT, ONION, SHOAL, WALLER, WALNUT AND WILLIAMSON CREEKS AND LADY BIRD LAKE TO LEAVE THEIR BANKS.
AND WHEREAS FLOOD WATER CLOSED APPROXIMATELY 50 ROADS IMPACTED AT LEAST 137 PROPERTIES.
AND ONE INDIVIDUAL LOST THEIR LIFE HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND WHEREAS THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT'S MISSION IS TO PROTECT LIVES, PROPERTY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT AND PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY FROM THE IMPACTS OF FLOOD EROSION AND WATER POLLUTION.
AND WHEREAS AUSTIN IS COMMITTED TO BUILDING A FLOOD RESILIENT COMMUNITY THROUGH CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, REGULATIONS, EDUCATION, AND ENGAGEMENT.
WHEREAS OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, AUSTIN HAS UNDERTAKEN FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS, STRENGTHENED REGULATIONS, ENGAGED WITH OUTREACH EFFORTS TO ENHANCE AUSTIN'S RESILIENCY.
AND WHEREAS WE ENCOURAGE AUSTINITES TO BE WEATHER READY AND TO VISIT FLOOD ATX FLOOD SAFETY.COM, THAT'S ATX FLOOD SAFETY.COM FOR FLOOD RELATED RESOURCES, INCLUDING DISASTER RELATED MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES.
NOW, THEREFORE, I VANESSA FUENTES MAYOR PRO TEM ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR OF CITY OF AUSTIN, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 25TH, 2025 AS 2015 AUSTIN FLOOD REMEMBRANCE DAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR PRO TIM, AND EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE.
UH, THE 2015 MEMORIAL DAY FLOOD WAS A DEFINING MOMENT AND THE CALL FOR ACTION FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.
IT SHOWS, UH, ALL OF US THE ENORMOUS IMPACT FLOODS CAN HAVE FOR RESIDENTS.
IT ALSO SHOWED HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO COMMUNI FOR COMMUNITIES TO ADDRESS THE RISK OF FLOODING.
SINCE 2015, THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT HAS ACCOMPLISHED MANY MILESTONES THAT HELP SAFEGUARD OUR COMMUNITY.
AS YOU HEARD EARLIER, WE HAVE ACTIVATED ACTIVE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS.
WE HAVE MADE UPGRADES TO THE FLOOD EARLY WARNING SYSTEM.
AND AS A REMINDER, THAT STARTED AFTER THE 1981 FLOODS.
THAT ALSO HAPPENED ON MEMORIAL DAY THAT HAD DEVASTATED IMPACT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
LAST YEAR, FEMA ALSO UPGRADED THE CITY'S SCORE IN THE COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM, UH, HELPING HOMEOWNERS TO SAVE MONEY ON THEIR HOME INSURANCE PREMIUMS. NOW GETTING UP TO A 25% DISCOUNT.
AND WE HAVE A PILOT PROGRAM AS AMERIPRO TE SAID, THAT HELPS COVER THE COST OF FLOOD INSURANCE.
THAT JUST GOT KICKED OFF THIS YEAR AS WELL.
THE BIGGEST LESSONS FROM 2015 IS THAT THE PEOPLE NEED TO BE PREPARED.
AS YOU HEARD, IF YOU WANT TO GET MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO
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ATX FLOOD SAFETY.COM TO FIND A NUMBER OF RESOURCES THAT WILL HELP YOU BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER A FLOOD.WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY SINCE 2015, BUT WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO KEEP OUR CITY SAFE FROM FLOODING.
NOW I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO ASSISTANT CHIEF TOM BOKEY WITH AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, WHO WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
TOM BOKEY, UH, ASSISTANT CHIEF AUSTIN FIRE.
UM, AUSTIN FIREFIGHTERS ARE TRAINED TO RESPOND TO FIRE AND MEDICAL CALLS THAT ALSO INCLUDES S STILL AND SWIFT WATER RESCUE CALLS.
THE HISTORIC FLOODS MEMORIAL DAY IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS TESTED OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
SUDDEN LARGE SCALE EMERGENCIES LIKE THIS IS HISTORIC FLOODING WILL ALWAYS INCLUDE TRAGEDIES, BUT THEY ALSO SET THE STAGE FOR PEOPLE, UH, TO SHOW THEIR I IMMENSE COURAGE AND COMPASSION.
WE SAW FIRST RESPONDERS COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN PARTNERSHIP PERFORM SELFLESS, HEROIC ACTS, WHETHER THEY KNEW THEIR NA, THEIR NEIGHBOR'S NAMES, OR WERE FROM A DIFFERENT ZIP CODE, THEY ALL COMBINED TO HELP THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
WHAT SEEMED LIKE A REGULAR RAINY DAY TURNED INTO A SCARY DAY.
UNITS BEGAN, UH, RUNNING WATER CALLS AROUND 9:00 AM THAT MORNING.
UM, WATER AND FLOOD RELATED CALLS, UH, STARTED, BUT EVENTUALLY TURNED INTO THE UNITS THAT WE WERE WORKING WITH, BEING ASSIGNED TO THE PLEASANT VALLEY AREA SOUTH OF WILLIAM CANNON.
SO WE, WE TRANSITIONED OVER TO WHAT WE, WHAT WE CAME TO CALL QUICKSILVER COMMAND, WHICH IS A, A, A COMMON STREET DOWN IN THAT AREA.
OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS, WE RESCUED AND EVACUATED MANY MEMBERS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, WE HAD BEEN THERE IN 2013 FLOODING, AND SO WE WERE AWARE OF WHAT THE LEVEL MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
AND SO WE WORKED REALLY QUICKLY TO EVACUATE AS MEMBER, AS MANY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AS WE COULD.
AND SO, UM, THAT WAS A, A VERY SUCCESSFUL EVENT.
IT WAS MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY REACHING OUT AND HELPING THEIR NEIGHBORS.
EVENTUALLY THOUGH THE WALL OF WATER DID COME AND IT CAME VERY QUICKLY.
IT WAS, UH, SURPRISING TO ME, HAVING BEEN THERE IN 2013, HOW QUICKLY THE AREA TRANSITIONED FROM FOLKS SCATTERED TRYING TO EVACUATE TO RAGING RIVERS DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.
AND WE ENDED UP WITH, WE HAD 27 FIREFIGHTERS WORKING IN THAT AREA AT THE TIME.
AFTER THE WATER CAME THROUGH, 24 OF THOSE FIREFIGHTERS WERE SHELTERING IN PLACE IN HIGH AREAS WITH MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, UH, FOR SEVERAL HOURS WAITING FOR THE WATER TO RECEDE.
AND SO AS THE WATER RECEDES, THEN WE'RE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, EVACUATE THE REST OF THE FOLKS.
SO FOR US, IT WAS A, A HARROWING EXPERIENCE.
UH, WE HAD EMS ALONG WITH US DOING THE EVACUATIONS, ALL OF THE FOLKS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD HELPING WITH THE EVACUATIONS.
AND IN THE END, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, RESCUE MANY PEOPLE AND MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS WERE ABLE TO GET THINGS OUT OF THEIR HOMES THAT THEY NEEDED.
'CAUSE THE THING, THE THINGS THAT GO ON BEYOND THE LIFE SAFETY THINGS IS WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR, YOUR PERSONAL PAPERS AND ALL OF THE, ALL THE THINGS YOU OWN IN A HOUSE THAT'S LOST IN, IN A FLOODING, IT, IT'S A BIG DEAL.
AND SO WE WANNA ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO BE PREPARED.
UH, BE PREPARED TO ESCAPE, UH, WHEN YOU'RE NOTIFIED, PAY ATTENTION TO THE NOTIFICATION SYSTEMS AND DO WHAT YOU CAN TO WORK WITH YOUR COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE PREPARED AND READY WHEN WE DO HAVE THESE EVENTS.
UH, THAT'S ALL I GOT FOR RIGHT NOW.
I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO, UH, KEVIN PARKER, ASSISTANT CHIEF WITH AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. THANK YOU.
AGAIN, MY NAME IS KEVIN PARKER.
I'M AN ASSISTANT CHIEF OF, FOR AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, OVERSEEING OUR OPERATIONS SECTIONS.
UH, THE MEMORIAL DAY FLOODS OF 2015, UH, TRIED NOT ONLY THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, BUT THE REGION AS A WHOLE AND THE, UH, MEN AND WOMEN OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, EMS, THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR, UH, COLLEAGUES IN HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND WATERSHED PROTECTION, WORKED WITH THE FLOOD EARLY WARNING SYSTEM TO ESTABLISH THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESCUERS WITH BOATS AND EQUIPMENT WERE THERE TO NOT ONLY, UH, PRESERVE LIFE, BUT ALSO TO PRESERVE THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT, UH, WE HAVE.
AFTER WE ENSURED THAT THE COMMUNITY WAS SAFE FOR AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, WE CONTINUED BY SENDING, UH, PARAMEDIC RESCUERS WITH STAR FLIGHT OUT TO WIMBERLEY AND TO THE OUTLYING AREAS OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO THAT SHOWS, UH, WE WANT NOT ONLY THE GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICY, UH, FOR OUR CITIZENS AND FOR THE PEOPLE WE SERVE HERE IN AUSTIN, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS TO OUR REGIONAL SURROUNDING AREAS.
AND THAT'S JUST ONE WAY THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAN CONTRIBUTE.
AND WE'VE SPENT THE LAST 10 YEARS SINCE THOSE FLOODS, UH, LEARNING WHAT WENT WELL, WHAT WE NEED TO MODIFY, AND WHAT WE SHOULD DISCONTINUE TO CONTINUE, UH, PERFORMING, UH, AS OUR COMMUNITY EXPECTS WHEN THEY LEAST EXPECT IT TO OCCUR.
UM, SO I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, MAYOR PRO TEM.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY DIRECTOR MORALES.
AND I'LL, UH, TURN IT BACK OVER TO MAYOR PRO TEM PUENTES.
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I BELIEVE, MAKE SURE, UM, ALL RIGHT, WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN.YOU KNOW, JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, THAT FLOOD PREPAREDNESS AND FLOOD MITIGATION ISN'T AN ISSUE THAT IS TOP OF MIND FOR ME.
AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF SOUTHEAST AUSTIN, WE HAD A $50 MILLION FEMA GRANT THAT WE JUST LOST FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THAT WAS CRITICAL IN ENSURING THE SAFETY OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND AS YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR US IN SOUTHEAST, THIS IS DEEPLY PERSONAL.
NOT ONLY WITH THE 2015 FLOODS, BUT ALSO WITH THE 2013 FLOODS.
WE'VE HAD HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES DISPLACED.
WE'VE HAD, WE'VE LOST LIVES, UM, AND WE, AND WE GOTTA DO MORE.
AND SO I THINK WE'RE ALSO USING THIS AS A MOMENT TO REFLECT ON HOW FAR WE'VE COME IN OUR PREPAREDNESS EFFORTS AS A CITY.
WE RECOGNIZE THERE'S A LOT MORE THAT WE NEED TO BE DOING TO PREPARE OUR FAMILIES AND TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING OUR HOMES, OUR FAMILIES, AND OUR OUR PROPERTIES.
UM, BUT WE'RE ALL COMMITTED IN THAT.
SO I JUST REALLY WANNA THANK THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I WANNA THANK OUR WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, OUR, UH, FIRST RESPONDERS FOR ALL OF THEIR HARD WORK AND ENSURING THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY.