Predawn Austin storms bring up to inch of rain, leave thousands without power

Austin News Briefs - Austin American Statesman

Powerful westerly winds buffeted Austin-area neighborhoods Wednesday, rampaging across lawns festooned with Halloween decorations and reportedly damaging trees in Wells Branch and Cedar Park. The gusty winds had been preceded by a fast-moving but noisy wave of thunderstorms that heralded the arrival of a cold front moving through Central Texas early Wednesday. The storms dropped up to an inch of rain across the Austin area and left more than 6,000 Austin Energy customers without power.