Firefighters pull a woman from rising Shoal Creek downtown. A full flood fix for the creek has been studied, and priced out of reach

Austin police officers and firefighters rescued a woman from Shoal Creek near downtown early this morning, Nov. 3, after heavy rain overnight, CBS Austin reported.

Police got a call around 5:39 a.m. from someone who heard a person yelling for help near West Fifth Street, between West Avenue and Bowie Street. Responders found a woman holding onto a tree as the water rose, the station reported. KVUE's video shows the rescue. Her condition had not been released, and police had not said how she came to be in the creek. A CBS Austin meteorologist suggested she may have been camping along the creek, but authorities had not confirmed that.

Flood gauges along Shoal Creek showed only a small rise, CBS Austin reported. That is a reminder of how quickly a creek bed can become dangerous even when the rest of the city sees modest flooding. Storms were moving out ahead of Election Day, with cooler weather to follow, according to KVUE's forecast.

Why Shoal Creek matters

Shoal Creek runs from North Austin through the west side of downtown to Lady Bird Lake, with the Shoal Creek Trail along much of its downtown stretch. Its flooding problems have come up in council budget talks this year, as our records show below.

What our records add

A fix studied, but not funded. During budget discussion at the council's July 16 meeting, Mayor Pro Tem José "Chito" Vela asked Watershed Protection Director Jorge Morales whether the city could tackle Shoal Creek's flooding problems the way it did Waller Creek, with a bypass tunnel.

Morales said the city did a preliminary engineering report on Shoal Creek years ago, and that a solution would be "in excess of what we did on Waller Creek," which he described as a roughly $150 million tunnel. With inflation, he said, the cost is probably about double that now. He explained that the drainage fee's cash transfer can cover only one or two projects a year in the $15 million to $20 million range, so the city relies on general obligation bonds for large drainage projects. No Shoal Creek flood project is on this year's ballot; Propositions A and B cover parks and libraries.

Building in the floodplain nearby. In July 2025 the council voted 10-0 to extend floodplain variances for a residential building at 506 West Ave., near where today's rescue happened. The property sits in Shoal Creek's 25-year and 100-year floodplains, according to the item.

The trail at the rescue site. In March 2025 the council ratified, 11-0 on consent, a $539,095 contract to rehabilitate the Shoal Creek Trail between Fifth and Sixth streets, the same block.

Water quality upstream. In June 2025 the council approved, 11-0 on consent, a $3.66 million contract to retrofit water quality ponds at MoPac and Steck Avenue in the Shoal Creek watershed. That work treats runoff rather than reducing flood levels downtown.

How to stay safe

• Check road and low-water crossing closures at ATXfloods before driving in or after storms.
• Never walk or drive into moving water.
• Call 911 if you see someone in a creek or stranded by water.

What's next

The city's next bond program, and any staff proposal for major drainage work, would come before the council in future budget and bond cycles. For now, residents can follow watershed projects through the city's Watershed Protection Department.