Editing Austin, Texas (section)

===Natural disasters===

==== 2011 drought ====
{{main|2011 Southern US drought}}

[[File:2011 Texas Drought.jpg|thumb|The 2011 Texas drought dried up many of central Texas' waterways. This boat was left to sit in the middle of what is normally a branch of [[Lake Travis]], part of the [[Colorado River (Texas)|Colorado River]].]]
From October 2010 through September 2011, both major reporting stations in Austin, Camp Mabry and Bergstrom Int'l, had the least rainfall of a [[water year]] on record, receiving less than a third of normal precipitation.<ref name="NWSC-NOAA" /> This was a result of [[La Niña]] conditions in the eastern Pacific Ocean where water was significantly cooler than normal. David Brown, a regional official with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, explained that "these kinds of droughts will have effects that are even more extreme in the future, given a warming and drying regional climate."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Galbraith |first=Kate |date=August 26, 2011 |title=Assessing Climate Change in a Drought-Stricken State |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/26/us/26ttdrought.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/26/us/26ttdrought.html |archive-date=2022-01-01 |url-access=limited |access-date=September 7, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The drought, coupled with exceedingly high temperatures throughout the summer of 2011, caused many wildfires throughout Texas, including notably the [[Bastrop County Complex Fire]] in neighboring Bastrop, Texas.

==== 2018 flooding and water crisis ====
{{main|Llano River#2018 Flood}}
In the fall of 2018, Austin and surrounding areas received heavy rainfall and [[flash flood]]ing following [[Hurricane Sergio (2018)|Hurricane Sergio]].<ref name="rainfall" /> The [[Lower Colorado River Authority]] opened four [[floodgates]] of the [[Mansfield Dam]] after Lake Travis was recorded at 146% full at {{convert|704.3|ft}}.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reding |first=Shawna |date=October 20, 2018 |title=Austin's Lake Travis level decreases for first time this week following recent floods |url=https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austins-lake-travis-level-decreases-for-first-time-this-week-following-recent-floods/269-606274991 |access-date=December 18, 2018 |website=KVUE |archive-date=December 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181219044025/https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austins-lake-travis-level-decreases-for-first-time-this-week-following-recent-floods/269-606274991 |url-status=live }}</ref> From October 22 to October 29, 2018, the City of Austin issued a mandatory citywide [[boil-water advisory]] after the [[Texas Highland Lakes|Highland Lakes]], home to the city's main water supply, became overwhelmed by unprecedented amounts of silt, dirt, and debris that had washed in from the [[Llano River]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Mulder |first1=Brandon |last2=Wilson |first2=Mark D. |date=October 28, 2018 |title=Austin water drinkable again, but keep usage low, officials say |url=https://www.statesman.com/news/20181028/austin-water-drinkable-again-but-keep-usage-low-officials-say |access-date=December 18, 2018 |website=Austin American-Statesman}}</ref> Austin Water, the city's water utility, has the capacity to process up to 300&nbsp;million gallons of water per day; however, the elevated level of [[turbidity]] reduced output to only 105&nbsp;million gallons per day. Since Austin residents consumed an average of 120&nbsp;million gallons of water per day, the infrastructure was not able to keep up with demand.<ref name="rainfall" />

==== 2021 winter storm ====
{{main|February 13–17, 2021 North American winter storm#Central and Southern Plains}}
{{see also|2021 Texas power crisis}}

[[File:Austin, Texas covered in snow ESA23166430.jpeg|thumb|Austin covered in snow on February 15, 2021. Photo from [[ESA]].]]
In February 2021, [[Winter Storm Uri]] dropped prolific amounts of snow across Texas and Oklahoma, including Austin. The Austin area received a total of {{convert|6.4|in}} of snowfall between February 14 and 15, with snow cover persisting until February 20.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=ewx |title=Climate |publisher=National Weather Service |access-date=December 23, 2021 |archive-date=April 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409223456/https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=ewx |url-status=live }}</ref> 
This marked the longest time the area had had more than {{convert|1|in}} of snow, with the previous longest time being three days in [[1985 North American cold wave|January 1985]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bannin |first1=Nick |title=Austin breaks record for consecutive days of snow on the ground |url=https://www.kxan.com/weather/weather-blog/austin-breaks-record-for-consecutive-days-of-snow-on-the-ground |website=KXAN Austin |publisher=KXAN |access-date=15 November 2021 |date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=November 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115045008/https://www.kxan.com/weather/weather-blog/austin-breaks-record-for-consecutive-days-of-snow-on-the-ground/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Lack of [[winterization]] in [[Gas-fired power plant|natural gas power plants]], which supply a large amount of power to the [[Texas Interconnection|Texas grid]], and increased energy demand caused [[Electric Reilability Council of Texas|ERCOT]] and [[Austin Energy]] to enact [[rolling blackouts]] in order to avoid total grid collapse between February 15 and February 18.<ref>{{cite web |title=February 2021 Winter Storms After-Action Report February 11 – 20 |url=https://austinenergy.com/wcm/connect/482f26ba-7c94-465a-8a00-59bd65f33967/Feb2021-WinterStormsAfterActionReport.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=nPGWQUI |publisher=Austin Energy |access-date=15 November 2021 |archive-date=November 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115045004/https://austinenergy.com/wcm/connect/482f26ba-7c94-465a-8a00-59bd65f33967/Feb2021-WinterStormsAfterActionReport.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=nPGWQUI }}</ref> Initial rolling blackouts were to last for a maximum of 40 minutes, however lack of energy production caused many blackouts to last for much longer, at the peak of the blackouts an estimated 40% of Austin Energy homes were without power.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Autullo |first1=Ryan |title='Basically we're stuck here': 40% of Austin Energy homes without power amid failed 'rotating blackouts' |url=https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/02/15/austin-power-outage-40-without-power-amid-austin-energys-rolling-blackouts/6752667002/ |website=Austin American-Statesman |access-date=15 November 2021 |date=15 February 2021 |archive-date=February 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215203200/https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/02/15/austin-power-outage-40-without-power-amid-austin-energys-rolling-blackouts/6752667002/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Starting on February 15, Austin Water received reports of pipe breaks, hourly water demand increased from 150 million gallons per day on February 15 to a peak hourly demand of 260 million gallons per day on February 16. On the morning of February 17 demand increased to 330 million gallons per day, the resulting drop of water pressure caused the Austin area to enter into a [[boil-water advisory]] which would last until water pressure was restored on February 23.<ref>{{cite web |title=Austin Water Winter Strom Uri After Action Report |url=http://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Water/AW_WinterStorm_Report.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Water/AW_WinterStorm_Report.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |website=Austin Water |access-date=15 November 2021 |date=3 November 2021}}</ref>

==== 2023 winter storm ====
{{main|January – February, 2023 ice storm}}
Beginning January 30, 2023 the City of Austin experienced a winter freeze which left 170,000 Austin Energy customers without electricity or heat for several days. The slow pace of repairs and lack of public information from City officials frustrated many residents.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2023/02/07/austin-ice-storm-power-outages-2023/|title=How freezing rain, tree-lined neighborhoods and above-ground power lines prolonged Austin power outages|first=Samantha|last=Aguilar|date=February 8, 2023|website=The Texas Tribune}}</ref> A week after the freeze and when Austin City Council members were proposing to evaluate his employment, City Manager Spencer Cronk finally apologized.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kut.org/energy-environment/2023-02-07/with-job-on-the-line-austin-city-manager-spencer-cronk-offers-heartfelt-apologies-for-winter-storm-response|title=With job on the line, Austin's city manager offers 'heartfelt apologies' for winter storm response|date=February 7, 2023|website=KUT Radio, Austin's NPR Station}}</ref> On Thursday February 16, 2023, Cronk was fired by the Austin City Council for the city's response to the winter storm.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2023/02/15/city-manager-spencer-cronk-austin-fired-ice-storm-power-outages/69903330007/|title=Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk out, will get $463,000 in severance|website=Austin American-Statesman|access-date=February 20, 2023|archive-date=February 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223140357/https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2023/02/15/city-manager-spencer-cronk-austin-fired-ice-storm-power-outages/69903330007/|url-status=live}}</ref> Former City Manager Jesus Garcia was named Interim City Manager.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kvue.com/article/news/politics/jesus-garza-interim-austin-city-manager/269-d8fed411-ebe4-4a64-8c06-d044a162c9b0|title=Who is Jesús Garza? More about the new interim Austin city manager|date=February 15, 2023|website=kvue.com}}</ref>