City of Victoria Communications & Public Affairs staff members appeared on the City’s Town Talk podcast to discuss the June 12 rainfall and other recent developments.
Although Victoria’s drainage system can handle heavy rainfall that takes place over a long period of time, the “high-impact, short-duration” rainfall on the morning of June 12 saw multiple City departments springing into action to address potential impacts.
“People were gearing up—Fire, PD, OEM [Office of Emergency Management], us—to notify the public about the situation and what was going on,” recalled Communications & Public Affairs Director Ashley Strevel.
As the rising waters covered the streets in some areas, the Communications team reminded residents to “turn around, don’t drown”—advice that some staff members had to take themselves by working remotely until the floodwaters subsided.
“In six inches [of water], you can lose control of your vehicle, and it can stall,” Strevel said. “That happened to a lot of people. A foot—a car can actually float. Two feet, it carries it away.”
The team used the City’s Alert Center to share updates throughout the day, including notices about street closures and changes to the trash and recycling schedule.
Although the rainfall throughout the region has allowed the City to roll back some drought restrictions, staff reminded residents that a longer period of sustained rainfall will be needed to remove the remaining restrictions.
Staff also discussed the lineup for the 2025 Tejas Fest, which will include rising stars and veteran performers across the Tejano and country music scenes, and the City Council’s adoption of the venue tax that was approved by voters to fund the Community Center project.
To learn more, watch or listen to the latest episode of Town Talk on YouTube at Victoria Texas Videos or on Spotify at Town Talk (City of Victoria).