Multiple bodies found in Austin waters following severe weather
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Following severe weather in the Austin metro Friday night into Saturday, multiple bodies were pulled from the water.
A little after midnight Saturday, Austin Travis County EMS conducted a water rescue after reports of people getting washed downstream by Shoal and Hancock Creek. The Austin Police Department said the call came in around 12:40 a.m. Saturday.
ATCEMS said at 2:36 a.m., public safety teams were unable to locate a victim after an extensive search. On Saturday evening, the Austin Police Department got a call about a deceased body near Shoal Creek, about two miles from where authorities had earlier been called for the water rescue.
In a press briefing, APD said that they are still investigating the deceased body and it is not clear if these two incidents are related. APD said they will provide more information in the upcoming days.
Teresa Chatkoff lives near the creek and a bridge that crosses it. She mentioned that during heavy rainfall, the water levels can rise significantly.
"When it rains—like it did last night and other times—the water can be up just within a couple of feet of the bottom of this bridge," Chatkoff said.
Another person was found dead after Austin Police responded to a report of a body found in Lady Bird Lake on Saturday. In a social media update around 3:28 p.m., Austin Police confirmed an adult was pronounced dead at the scene. APD said the victim has not been identified yet.
Nexstar's KXAN reached out to APD for more details and learned four people experiencing homelessness were washed away near a storm drain. Two of the four were rescued, but a man and a woman were swept away and were not found. It is not clear if the two that were swept away are the same deceased people found on Saturday.
Prior to severe weather hitting the Austin metro this weekend, KXAN reached out to the City of Austin on how it handles weather preparations for people experiencing homelessness. In a statement, the city said:
Outreach teams from Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS) and the City’s Homeless Strategy Office (HSO) have spent the day canvassing low-lying and flood-prone areas ahead of the forecasted severe weather, offering to connect people to shelter and resources, and to ensure that individuals in vulnerable areas are aware of the potential risks.
This is not unique to the citywide initiative that began on Monday. Outreach teams routinely provide education to individuals about the dangers of flash flooding in low-lying areas and emphasize the importance of seeking higher ground during heavy rain events.
As part of the outreach effort to keep our unhoused neighbors safe, HSO sent a text alert through the PEH Text Notification System to warn individuals about the impending weather and the possibility of flooding.
City of Austin
"I grew up in Austin, so I kind of used to severe weather. It's still shocking sometimes how threatening it can be," Chatkoff said.