14 Inches Of Rain Causes Flash Flooding Disaster In Central Texas

A foot of rainfall caused widespread flooding across the central portion of Texas over the weekend. The heavy rainfall totaled 12.1 inches in the Barton Springs subdivision north of Austin and downtown Austin itself got 10.6 inches of rain. The National Weather Service reported Sunday night that there were numerous water rescues taking place across Central Texas and that more rain was being forecast to fall in the days ahead.

The downpouring of rain may not have done any good for the drought in some areas of Central Texas as most of the heavy rain fell downstream from two lakes that were at very low levels. With the knowledge that more rain is being forecast for Central Texas over the next few days, officials are worried because the ground is too saturated to absorb any significant amounts of additional rain.

The flooding that took place in Austin Sunday canceled all types of events including the last day of the Austin City Limits Music Festival. The National Weather Service said Sunday that the heavy rainfall and flooding threat will continue for the Austin area into midweek.

Several vehicles were involved in a pile-up early Monday in Irving, TX as rain moved through North Texas. Some of the people involved in the accident were treated at the scene for injuries. On Saturday afternoon, a bus carrying members of a wedding party flipped on its side while crossing a flooded road near Dripping Springs.

The pounding rains that fell in Central Texas Sunday transformed many parched creeks into whitewater rapids. Residents of one Austin neighborhood had to be evacuated quickly Sunday as a nearby creek overflowed its banks. A pregnant woman found herself trapped inside her vehicle in rising floodwater. Luckily she was plucked from her car by firefighters.

Boat traffic and other recreational use of Barton Creek has been banned until at least Monday afternoon. That creek is a tributary that feeds the Colorado River as it flows through the Texas Hill Country. Austin’s Fire Chief said Sunday that the creek is extremely dangerous to both boat and foot traffic due to rising water levels. Meanwhile, the Parks and Recreation Dept of Austin closed all its trails Sunday because the heavy rains and flooding have made the trails unsafe.

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