Devastating floods strike Central Texas From the cover
3 Georgetown
The background
2
NORTH FORK SAN GABRIEL RIVER
LAKE GEORGETOWN
183
The floods were caused by heavy rainfall, which began affecting Central Texas July 4, in some places dumping more than a month’s worth of rain in just a few hours, according to the National Weather Service. On July 4, water levels in the Guadalupe River surged up to 30 feet between 4-6 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. More than 80 fatalities have been confirmed in Kerr County, the hardest hit area, with more than 160 people still listed as missing as of press time. Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency for Kerr, Travis, Williamson and other nearby counties over the July 4 weekend. President Donald Trump approved a federal natural disaster declaration for Kerr County on July 5, and Abbott requested Travis and Williamson be added to the declaration on July 10. Lake Travis rose an estimated 21 feet over the course of the weekend, leading to flooding in Travis County, including unincorporated parts of Leander. The San Gabriel River, which flows through Georgetown and parts of Liberty Hill, rose to an estimated 36 feet over the weekend. On July 5 alone, the river rose from 3.81 feet at 3:10 a.m. to 36.36 feet by 11 a.m.
35
1
Liberty Hill
29
SOUTH FORK SAN GABRIEL RIVER
Georgetown
3
SAN GABRIEL RIVER
35
183
Austin
COLORADO RIVER
4
183A TOLL
N
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Williamson and Travis counties experienced extreme levels of rainfall over the course of three days. Rainfall totals, July 5-7
1 Liberty Hill
Total rainfall: 14 in.
2 Leander
Total rainfall: 8 in.
3 Georgetown
Total rainfall: 5.25 in.
July 6
July 5
July 7
4 Austin
Total rainfall: 7 in.
NOTE: THE LAKE TRAVIS GAGE DID NOT RECORD DATA JULY 6 AND 7 DUE TO DAMAGE. SOURCE: US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY/ COMMUNITY IMPACT
0
5
10
15
20
Inches
What happened
5 ft. 10 ft. 15 ft. 20 ft. 25 ft. 30 ft. 35 ft. 40 ft. 0
South Fork San Gabriel River water levels in Georgetown, July 1-8 On July 5, the river’s water level rose by almost 34 feet in the span of about six hours.
36.59 ft.
Williamson County began dispatching first responders to homes and recreational vehicle parks along Hwy. 29 in Liberty Hill early in the morning July 5, as rapidly rising water in the south fork of the San Gabriel River began over- flowing the banks. Meanwhile, Travis County communities, such as Sandy Creek, experienced severe flooding, includ- ing damage to roads that left many unable to get into or out of their neighborhoods. In Travis County, the 911 call center received a surge of calls July 5, Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez said. Dispatchers fielded 112 flood-related calls by 3 a.m. A total of about 50 rescues were conducted during the flood. Both Williamson and Travis counties urged impacted residents to evacuate and later issued disaster declarations July 5. A disaster declaration helps coordinate debris removal, search and rescue operations, and public information operations. Damage assessments, debris removal, and search and rescue operations will “still take days and weeks,” Travis County Judge Andy Brown said.
4.11 ft.
NOTE: MEASUREMENTS WERE TAKEN AT 12 AM AND 12 PM WITH A MARGIN OF ERROR OF +/- 5 MINUTES. SOURCE: UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY/ COMMUNITY IMPACT
media relations for Williamson County, said teams from the Houston and Galveston fire departments are assisting the county on damage assessments, and county Road & Bridge teams are evaluating damages to roadways. This assessment process is important because federal relief funds can only be unlocked once at least $2.8 million in uninsured damage has been confirmed, said Bruce Clements, director of emergency management for Williamson County.
“We know this is an incredibly difficult and emotional time for so many in our community,” Brown said in a July 9 news release. “Our top pri- ority remains the people impacted by this disaster, especially those still missing and their loved ones. Travis County teams, alongside our state partners, are on the ground assessing needs, clearing debris and making sure residents are connected with the help they need.” Connie Odom, director of communications and
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