Eric Gay, File via AP
- Some hallways in the Texas State Capitol filled with water amid a flash flood warning.
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said "it's all hands on deck" as government agencies worked to address the flooding.
- Texas has struggled to pass environmental regulations amid climate change denials among lawmakers.
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Parts of the Texas State Capitol flooded on Sunday night as the state was hit with flooding as capital city Austin faced flash-flooding in several spots.
Videos shared by one staffer showed water in an underground portion of the Capitol as rain poured in from windows above.
"It's all hands on deck," Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted on Sunday, adding that government agencies were working to address the flooding.
Some facilities on the University of Texas at Austin campus also faced surprise flooding amid the heavy rains.
Chris Currens of the State Preservation Board told the Texas Tribune that the flooding at the State Capitol was due to a clogged storm drain.
The agency also told the outlet it was less than an inch of water, and the damage was contained to offices in two hallways of the Capitol's extension building.
The heavy rains come as extreme weather has sparked countless headlines in recent months centered on Texas. Six months ago, a freeze left millions of Texans without power, heat, or water. Some experts told CBS News at the time the emergency was a first look at the effects of the climate crisis that will likely grow more concerning for the state.
A 2020 study found from the Office of the Texas State Climatologist at Texas A&M University said Texas residents should prepare for climate change to cause extreme weather in the next 15 years, including extreme heat, wildfires, flooding and hurricanes.
Despite a renewed conversation on consequences stemming from the climate crisis, representatives working in the Texas legislature have faced roadblocks in their efforts to address the climate crisis.
Rep. Erin Zwiener told the Austin Chronicle in June that she was initially "optimistic" that the legislature would make moves forwarding environmental regulations, but it didn't happen.
"It's disappointing, especially since we all just experienced an event in February that is likely connected to global climate change," said Zwiener, who did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Texas previously said at least 151 people died in the freeze and subsequent power outages, although the real toll could be closer to 700, a BuzzFeed News analysis reported in May.
In 2019, Abbott said it was "impossible" for him to acknowledge whether man-made climate change was worsening weather disasters in the state. Abbott's office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.