City of Austin rocked by severe flooding

Austin experiences severe flooding

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(ABC 6 News) – Residents across the city of Austin felt the effects of recent downpours of rain on Saturday.

Heavy rainfall on Friday and Saturday caused water from rivers and stream in Austin to flood over into parks, roads and residential areas.

The flooding caused major roads, including I-90, to close for several hours on Saturday.

First responders from Austin emphasized the importance of safety, especially on the roads.

The Mower County Sheriff’s Office and Austin Fire Department did several swift water rescues on Saturday after cars passed through barricades and onto flooded roadways.

“We just never know what’s going to happen,” Commander Tom Schulte of the Austin Fire Department, said. “Obviously life-safety is our number one priority, the victims and ours, so anytime somebody drives into that water and gets stuck, they’re risking our lives at that point as well.”

Officials also warned to avoid flooded roadways because you never know what the state of the road underneath the water is.

“Do not play in floodwater. Do not drive in flood water. Especially don’t let children play in flood water. There’s an undercurrent that you may not be able to see and it can be very dangerous,” Amy Bramwell, emergency and operations manager for Mower Count Sheriff’s Office, said.

The Cedar River will crest on Saturday night and is forecast to drop below flood stage late Sunday evening.