Texas Capitol floods in brief deluge

published 16 August 2021

The National Weather Service issued a flash-flood alert for the Austin area on Sunday afternoon, and while most of the city escaped unscathed, about an inch of the 2-5 inches that dumped on Travis County fell into the Texas State Capitol through a leak in a skylight. The Capitol was closed to visitors on Sunday afternoon, and Gov. Greg Abbott (R) assured Texans that his office was working with the State Preservation Board, which oversees the building, "to address flooding at the Capitol stemming from the current storm in Austin." He added, "It's all hands on deck."

Chris Currens, director of special projects with the State Preservation Board, attributed the leak in the Capitol's underground annex to a clogged storm drain. "That line's never clogged in 30 years, but it did today," he told The Texas Tribune. Currens said there was water damage found in offices in the flooded parts of the Capitol, but state workers vacuumed up most of the water and lawmakers were told to report to work Monday for the (so far quorum-less) second special legislative session.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

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