Austin Neighbors to Take Bite Out of Crime

Neighborhoods in Austin will join thousands of other communities throughout the country for the October edition of National Night Out, a crime awareness and prevention program.  The 27th National Night Out kicks off Tuesday evening from 5 to 7 p.m. at "The Grove" at Southpark Meadows, located at 9300 South I-35.

National Night Out increases crime awareness and prevention by acquainting neighbors with each other, community leaders with neighborhood watch leaders, and the police officers who patrol their streets.  Often times, support is strengthened through these personal introductions that helps people increase crime efforts.  Police say the night is important to send the message to others that your neighborhood is a safe place to live.

Neighborhoods are encouraged to come together and send the message that we are
all working together to prevent crime and keep our neighborhoods safe.  Starting at 6 p.m., residents are asked to turn on their porch lights, lock their doors and spend the evening outside with their neighbors, police officers, EMS, and fire fighters.  Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo will speak at 6:30 p.m. about the night and what it means to him as the leader of the Austin Police Department.

For the rest of the nation, National Night Out occurs in August.  Since Texas is so hot,
the event has been moved to October when it is cooler outside.

Flash Flooding from Hermine Prompts Water Rescues

Here in Austin, we live in one of the most flood-prone areas of the country, according to FloodSafety.com. The majority of flood-related deaths are caused by people trying to drive through running water, particularly at low-water crossings.

Despite continual reminders from emergency personnel and local media to "Turn Around, Don't Drown," as well as road closures and the threat of arrest for crossing barriers, several people have been the subject of water rescues since Tropical Storm Hermine swept through Central Texas.

Rescue crews are still trying to recover a woman who, according to witnesses, drove a Lexus SUV around barricades and was swept away into Bull Creek. The search was called off Wednesday night and scheduled to resume Thursday morning.

There are still several roads closed due to flooding conditions. Check the City of Austin's Office of Emergency Management site for more information on road closures.