From record-breaking heat waves to deadly flash-floods to growing wildfire risk, South Central Texas has been hit especially hard by increasingly frequent extreme weather events. That’s why, in September 2025, C2ES (the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions) announced it had selected the Austin–San Antonio region as its next hub for its Climate Resilient Communities Accelerator (Accelerator).
The Accelerator, already making an impact in Colorado’s North Front Range and Washington’s South-Central Puget Sound, is a multi-year regionally focused initiative led by C2ES that brings together local, regional, and State governments, businesses, nonprofits, academics, and community leaders to safeguard communities and strengthen economic stability in the face of extreme weather and climate threats.
The Accelerator is designed to follow the lead of the communities where it works. So, between October 2025 and February 2026, C2ES met with over 100 local leaders across South Central Texas to learn about their resilience priorities, existing efforts, and how the Accelerator can best support local needs and the region at large.
Based on these interviews, as well as an assessment of recent disasters, local priorities, and impacts on public health, safety, infrastructure, ecosystems, and the regional economy, C2ES is announcing that the South Central Texas Accelerator will focus on addressing the following three hazards: extreme heat, wildfire, and flooding.
Although the harmful impacts of any of these hazards alone can be very significant, the compounding impacts when they overlap can be devastating. Extreme heat can amplify wildfire risk, and heavy rainfall immediately following wildfire can increase erosion and flooding due to soil and vegetation changes. Addressing these hazards holistically can drive public‑ and private‑sector investment, advance multi‑benefit solutions, and improve public health and safety for communities most affected by extreme weather. Notably, the South Central Texas Accelerator will be the first Accelerator region to tackle flooding.
Through the scoping process, C2ES and stakeholders also identified drought as a major concern for the region. Because effective drought solutions often require state- or watershed-level coordination beyond the scope of this effort, the Accelerator will seek to advance heat, wildfire, and flooding solutions that deliver co-benefits for water affordability and access.
Over the next two years, the South Central Texas Accelerator will collaborate with regional partners to create an action roadmap to boost resilience to extreme heat, wildfire, and flooding, while also identifying shared federal policy priorities to guide long‑term climate investments and partnerships. This is good news for protecting public health, growing local economies, and safeguarding communities.
Next month, C2ES will convene the South Central Texas Accelerator in person, bringing together 50+ regional leaders to identify the local challenges and strategies associated with the region’s extreme heat, wildlife and flooding events.
Together, we will turn today’s challenges into a blueprint for a safer, more sustainable, and more prosperous South Central Texas.
To learn more about the South Central Texas Accelerator, visit South Central Texas Climate Resilient Communities Accelerator.
