Flooding in downtown Austin (Spring, Center: 2015, rent, insurance)

[happypants 3235]

My husband has been offered a residency at the downtown med center in Austin. Requires that we move, again. My concern is the flooding. We've already traumatized the kids by having endured a couple of natural disasters already.

What's the prognosis for flooding downtown, and are there areas of town better to live because less likely to flood?

Thanks in advance.

[austin-steve]

If you live downtown you'll be in a highrise. Your interior living space can't be flooded. Sometimes streets will flood, but that's just a temporary inconvenience, and fairly rare. I think you can safely remove downtown flooding as something to worry about.

Steve

[ashbeeigh]

Search for Memorial Day flod 2015 in Austin to get an idea of how rough it can be in the downtown area. FWIW, I left Riverside and Barton Springs at about 1pm with a bit of drizzle and by 2:30 the area was unrecognizable. Many areas in Centeral and South Central Texas are flood prone. It's unlikely that something like last year would happen, but be aware of it. You won't need to purchase flood insurance or anything, but again, central and south central Texas are suspenable to flooding, mainly flash flooding like that happened last year.

[clarksvillemom]

I've lived here 25 years and can't recall any major flooding downtown, except for last year. Maybe I'm not remembering, but I only recall it being a problem in low water crossings. If you are really worried, you can look at houses that are up a bit - Austin is hilly in some parts. I certainly wouldn't let flooding deter you, and especially not if you are going to actually live in a highrise downtown

[A-Tex]

Originally Posted by ashbeeigh

You won't need to purchase flood insurance or anything,

Wrong. There are many areas of Austin that are in various floodplains. If one is planning on purchasing and financing that purchase, they will be required by the mortgage company to purchase flood insurance even if the home buyer themselves wish to take the gamble that they won't be flooded. Additionally, floodplains can be changed at any point. For instance, a whole lot of Crestview and Brentwood properties were remapped recently and those people found themselves now living in a floodplain --- with all the issues that entails.

OP, I am not sure where you mean by the "downtown med center." There's nothing named that here. What is the proper name of the hospital he's matched to? That will help us suggest areas that may be best suited to your needs. But there won't be anything you can do to avoid a tornado.

[happypants 3235]

University Medical Center. I never called it "Downtown Medical Center," and I also never said anything about living in a high-rise.

[hound 109]

Originally Posted by happypants 3235

My husband has been offered a residency at the downtown med center in Austin. Requires that we move, again. My concern is the flooding. We've already traumatized the kids by having endured a couple of natural disasters already.

What's the prognosis for flooding downtown, and are there areas of town better to live because less likely to flood?

Thanks in advance.

You asked about downtown (twice) & you called it "the downtown med center". Thus the recommendations & comments on high rise living.

Instead of telling us what you don't want, tell us what you do want. (Renting or owning? budget? preferred commute time? Will the commute be during rush hour...or not? Are schools an issue?)

What disasters "traumatized" the kiddos?


It looks like it's Brack Hospital at 15th & I 35. (or when will the new Dell Medical Center down the street be completed?)

[CT_ATX]

The flooding isn't that big of a deal. Flash flooding happens, but usually the conditions for major flooding and areas that are prone to it aren't a huge surprise.

[Glenn Ross]

You can check with FEMA to find out if a particular address is in a flood plain. The maps can be hard to decipher, though. If you are buying or renting a home, the Realtor can tell you by looking on the MLS.

[Westerner92]

Austin's topography is such that floods are ridiculously easy to avoid. All the hills composed of limestone and clay mean that the city is generally well drained, but the water gets funneled into creek beds, causing the dramatic, but very localized flash floods you see on the news. If you understand that water flows down hill, you'll be fine. Buy or rent at least a couple blocks from a creek bed. Make sure your property doesn't have any low spots that could potentially drain into your home. Don't drive when it's storming, and don't drive through water on the road.