Kailey Hunt

I’m moving back to Central Texas! Super excited to announce that I’ve accepted a reporting position with @KUT, Austin’s @NPR station. Starting tomorrow, I will be responsible for covering Williamson County, where my hometown of Leander is located, for the station.

Just 7% of homeowners in Texas have flood insurance through the federal government, which runs the biggest flood insurance program in the country. That percentage drops to 2% when you move inland, to areas like Travis and Kerr counties. l8r.it/zBlb

NEW: Construction starts Monday to rebuild the RM 1431 bridge over Cow Creek that was destroyed by floods. TxDOT hired Hunter Industries for just over $4 million to finish within 60 days. Will get a bonus of $50,000/day for each day they finish early up to 20 days max.

NEW: The federal government has approved public assistance for Williamson County. This means local government entities can now apply for reimbursement from FEMA for costs incurred during flood rescue and recovery efforts, as well as repairs to damaged public infrastructure.

NEW: As Texans begin to rebuild after devastating floods, the big question will be how to pay for it. Just 7% of homeowners in the state have flood insurance. In Travis County, where 10 people died, just 2% have insurance. kut.org/housing/2025-0…

Williamson County is opening a disaster recovery center for people affected by deadly flooding. In Travis County, representatives from FEMA are on site at the Round Mountain Baptist Church near Leander to help people apply for disaster aid. l8r.it/zXwA

Stop by and say hello!

NEW: More than five million Texans live in a flood plain. Last year, Texas release its first every statewide comprehensive flood plan. It ranked thousands of projects across the state, from Dallas to Houston. The price tag is not cheap. Addressing every flood need across the…

A view of the new, low water crossing constructed next to the Big Sandy Creek bridge — just outside Leander’s city limits. The bridge sustained major damage during flooding in the area on July 5th, leaving some people in the neighborhood trapped on one side of the creek for days.

I spent my day yesterday talking to folks in the Big Sandy Creek area. I asked people what they think the community needs most right now. Almost everyone had the same answer: more volunteers.

At least 17 people from the Austin-area were killed by flooding over the Fourth of July weekend. They included 15-year-old Braxton Jarmon, a rising sophomore at Glenn High School in Leander. l8r.it/TSLY

NEW: Leander Mayor Christine DeLisle says Travis County turned away the city’s offer to assist in search and rescue efforts in the Sandy Creek neighborhood. At least 8 people have died as a result of flooding in the area. Others remain missing. Read her full statement below:

Hundreds have come out to help clean the Hope House property after floods tore through the Liberty Hill campus and took the life of their office manager. l8r.it/2s6q

At least 36 of those confirmed dead in the Central Texas floods were children. As people sift through the debris, they're finding stuffed animals: a giraffe, a horse, a lamb. Some are trying their best to return them to their owners: kut.org/texas/2025-07-…

Two flood-damaged bridges. Two repair plans. TxDOT is fast-tracking replacement of this bridge on FM 1431 between Marble Falls and Lago Vista. "We're pushing to get this done in weeks rather than months," Austin District Engineer Tucker Ferguson told KUT News. 📷 Mari Urbano

Several local businesses are donating a portion or all of their profits earned today to flood relief efforts. @pterrys is one of them. Over here in South Austin the line inside and in the drive thru are wrapped around the building.

NEW: WilCo officials say another person is missing as a result of flooding in the area on July 5. WilCo Judge Steve Snell says the city of Leander is leading the search efforts. I deleted an older tweet that mentioned no one else remained missing from the county. @KUT

The head of the Austin firefighters union says Fire Chief Joel Baker prevented crews from being deployed ahead of the Hill Country floods. Mayor Kirk Watson criticized the union boss, saying he "shouldn't be politicizing this horrible loss." l8r.it/ir8c

NEW: 161 people still missing in Kerr County due to the Texas floods. That figure includes five Camp Mystic campers and one counselor. Death toll is 109 (94 in Kerr County area, 15 in other areas of the state.)

The Big Sandy Creek Drive Bridge is the only way in and out of this community of about 300 homes in northwestern Travis County. People are hauling supplies across in wagons. A resident told me they have power but no running water.

NEW: In his first presser after the deadly floods, the Kerr County Judge said they do not have an emergency alert system. But we've learned that not only does the county have such a system, but first responders asked that it be triggered very early Friday AM. Some residents…