AUSTIN, Texas — State Senator Paul Bettencourt of Houston is pushing for major upgrades to Texas flood warning systems through new legislation aimed at preventing future disasters like the July 4th flooding in the Texas Hill Country that killed more than 130 people.

The flash floods that killed at least 135 people in Texas' Hill Country was the main topic during the opening of a special legislative session in the state on Monday.

At least 17 people from the Austin-area died in the Central Texas floods. Here is a timeline of what happened in Travis, Williamson and Burnet counties.

Texas Republicans had been working quietly for several months to take up Mr. Trump’s call for an aggressive redrawing of the state’s congressional maps, aiming to gain five additional Republican seats in the U.S. House and help the party keep control of the chamber after the 2026 midterms.

The Austin, Texas, fire chief is being accused of denying requests to send rescuers to Kerrville days before the catastrophic flooding — because of an $800,000 dispute with the state government.

Gov. Greg Abbott named nearly 20 issues to the special session agenda, including flood relief, hemp THC restrictions and redistricting.

Two weeks after deadly floods swept through Texas, officials dropped the number of still-missing people in the hardest-hit area to three — down from nearly 160 in the days following the July Fourth we

Austin Pets Alive! is encouraging the public to adopt pets in need during PetSmart Charities week and National Adoption Week.

The surviving family, grieving and unable to care for him, made the heartbreaking decision to surrender him” due to his injuries.