ATX-LLH: Impact 10/14/2025

Williamson County residents who need help clearing debris in the aftermath of the July 4 weekend floods will have until Oct. 31 to apply for county assistance, according to an Oct. 10 news release.

The details: Williamson County and the Texas Department of Emergency Management initially opened applications for flood relief Aug. 28 to benefit the victims of the flooding, which tore through parts of Central Texas in July. Much of Central Texas, including the Williamson County cities of Leander, Georgetown and Liberty Hill, was affected by the damage.

Hope House is a nonprofit organization based in Liberty Hill providing care and housing to children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

The features: Each child at Hope House has their own private bedroom. The housing model helps support the child’s overall well being, according to its website. The organization focuses on not just meeting federal regulations, but giving children personalized care. 

The grand opening: On Oct. 9, Hope House debuted the Rathgeber Community, which consists of two new homes constructed to provide housing to 16 additional children, according to a news release. The housing addition was built with help from Sara and Dick Rathgerber, HomeAid Austin, and Pacesetter Homes. 

• 1705 CR 285, Liberty Hill

Battery-powered home energy service Base Power has acquired funds to expand its operations with a Texas factory in the heart of Austin.

What to know: The company has raised $1 billion alongside 20 investors which will help build its first Texas factory in the space previously occupied by the Austin-American Statesman printing press in downtown Austin.

"Base Power is an Austin-born company, and we're excited about deepening our investment in the city with the goal of bringing affordable, reliable power to Texans," Co-founder and CEO Zach Dell said.

The energy storage and power electronics factory will help meet the company’s current and future demands with its plans to expand services nationwide.

“We’re building domestic manufacturing capacity for fixing the grid,” COO and co-founder Justin Lopas said. “The only way to add capacity to the grid is physically deploying hardware, and we need to make that here in the U.S., ourselves.

• 305 S. Congress Ave., Austin

Concordia University Texas added its bachelor's of science in wildlife conservation for students in the fall 2025 semester. The new major will focus on management of wildlife populations, protecting endangered species and maintaining healthy ecosystems, according to a university news release. 

The details: Students in the new program will prepare for careers in conservation, habitat management, ecology and wildlife biology through classes and fieldwork. Those pursuing the wildlife conservation major will utilize Concordia's on-campus nature preserve for their education.  

The background: Concordia University, located in northwest Austin, is home to part of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve. The 250-acre federally protected land makes up more than half of the 440-acre campus, and hosts endangered and threatened species like the golden-cheeked warbler and Jollyville Plateau salamander.

Off campus, Concordia manages the Friesenhahn Cave in San Antonio, a paleontological site. 

• 11400 Concordia University Drive, Austin