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The city of Austin’s recently disbanded Flood Mitigation Task Force revealed its final report to about 200 people at the South Austin Neighborhood Alliance meeting at the Onion Creek Club on June 28, explaining various recommendations the city of Austin should take to prevent further loss of life because of floods.
The 92-page report, first given to City Council on May 16, includes recommendations such as creating a plan to replace the outdated drainage system within five years, prioritizing city funding and bonds for flood mitigation, and finishing the home buyouts along lower Onion Creek and Williamson Creek. Replacing the drainage system was listed as one of the higher priorities in the report.
South Austin resident Ken Jacob, a member of both the task force and SANA said although the task force has completed its final report, members intend to continue scheduling meetings throughout the city to explain the report results and their importance to lives. The meetings and outreach are taking place before City Council prepares to approve the fiscal year 2016-17 budget, which could contain flood mitigation funding, in September.
Jacob, who was one of two District 5 representatives on the task force, said District 5 Council Member Ann Kitchen organized the council resolution that created the task force in June 2015 and is currently coordinating with state leaders to seek a solution for Central Texas flood mitigation.
“This is a regional problem, not just one for Austin,” Jacob said.
Representation for concerns
A resident of North Austin’s District 7, task force member Dorsey Tidwell said events like the 2013 and 2015 Onion Creek flooding incidents in South Austin could also happen in other parts of the city if no action is taken.
“There are creeks, watersheds and undersized, closed drainage systems all over Austin,” Tidwell said. “Flooding occurs not just because you’re next to a creek, but because there are stormwater drainage systems that haven’t been upgraded in decades.”
According to the task force, 30 percent of the city’s storm pipes were constructed before 1977. Tidwell said there are not enough resources to upgrade the old pipes while Austin continues to grow.
In District 5, Rollin MacRae said it may cost $100 million or more to repair the city’s old drainage system.
In his district, MacRae said the most impact from flooding in Austin has occurred to homes in the Williamson Creek and lower Onion Creek areas, and the city’s program to buy flood-prone homes from residents is not moving at a fast enough pace.
Buyouts for homes along Onion Creek began in 2013, and Williamson Creek home buyouts began in 2015.
“The buyout program started soon enough to save hundreds of lives, but it’s still not complete,” MacRae said. “One of the things the task force noticed is that the city has a tedious buyout process.”
Another of the task force’s recommendations is to make public safety the first priority in city budgeting. Task force members acknowledge that flood mitigation may not have the appeal of transportation improvements, but awareness can be sustained by continuing the task force’s post-final report presentations and outreach to council members.
“Let’s keep a light shining on this so people can understand–no one else has to die before we decide to spend money on [flood mitigation],” Dorsey said.
