Search operations for a Travis County Deputy, who went missing after her cruiser was swept by flood near the Colorado River, have been postponed until Friday due to severe weather conditions.

Only identified as a seven-year veteran in the service, the deputy went missing early on Thursday.

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According to Travis County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Roger Wade, the missing deputy last radioed a few minutes before 2 a.m. about her car being swept away by flood water at a subdivision in Austin.

However, the area is still under severe weather conditions. Wade explained that the search and rescue operations are set to resume the following day.

According to a forecast from the National Weather Service, heavy rains are to be expected in much of West Texas until Saturday while flash flood watches have been extended through Friday evening.

Wade said that the deputy was checking on low-water crossings in Bear Creek at Fritz Hughes Park Road near Colorado River when the incident happened.

"We believe she was swept into the low-water crossing by water going down the street," he stated.

Her cruiser had already been found shortly after the flash flood, but no sign of the deputy was found.

Rains in the southwestern part of the United States, including Texas, are due to moisture from Hurricane Odile and from the Gulf of Mexico.

Recent reports indicated that 4 ½ inches of rain have been recorded for the past 24 hours in Plainview, around 45 miles from Lubbock.

In Austin, 5 to 7 inches of rain have been recorded since early Thursday while the area near Jarrell, about 40 miles further north, has experienced 1½ inches of rain in just 30 minutes.

More than 1,000 households lost power on Thursday though the Austin Energy officials said that it has already been restored by 9 in the evening.

National Weather Service meteorologist Greg Lundeen said that the storm is moving away from the area and is set to cause severe weather in Hudspeth County, east of El Paso.

TagsHurricane Odile, austin, Texas, deputy, missing, flood, severe weather, rains