16 hours Ago By Rich Segal
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Central Texas lies in a region that has a greater threat for flooding than any other in the country -- earning it the nickname "Flash Flood Alley."The risk of flooding begins in the spring, as severe thunderstorms become more likely. Those storms can produce sizeable hail, damaging winds and even tornadoes, plus lots of rain that the ground isn't always able to absorb.
‘I got hit with a wall.’ Granger tornado victim takes rare step for protectionOur soil is clay-rich. Clay soils hold water and nutrients tightly.
Thus, they have higher water and nutrient holding capacity but lower drainage, resulting in slower water movement and potential waterlogging.Though it may not seem that way given the past several months of relatively rain-free weather, this area is prone to very intense rainfall that also contributes to our area's major flooding.Blanco River flood in San Marcos, May 27, 2015.
Courtesy: Getty ImagesTo that end, the rain, at times, comes down in a hurry, or rain trains over an area. Think of a train track where trains pass over the same area time and time again. When showers and thunderstorms train over an area, we're talking about water that moves over the same area.
The more rain that falls, the higher the threat of flooding. Flooding is often linked to thunderstorm cells repeatedly moving over the same area.Austin's worst floodsOne of the worst Austin floods happened in July 1869.
History recorded the Colorado River cresting at 51 feet in the capital city. Putting this in proper perspective, the river's normal flood stage is 12'. A minor flood happens with the river's stage reaches 23'.
At 25', moderate flooding occurs. A major flood is going on when the flood stage reaches 28'. At 51', the flooding is massive resulting in the widespread damage the city suffered.
Downstream of Austin, the crests were much higher, including 60.3 feet in Bastrop and 56.7 feet at La Grange.
Damage was estimated at $3 million according to the Austin Water Center for Environmental Research.What made this flood so remarkable was that it happened during what is traditionally one of the driest months of the year.Most locals will point to the Memorial Day flood of 1981 as being another "worst flood" event.
That was the day Shoal Creek overflowed, resulting in 13 deaths and nearly 20 families losing their homes. Many businesses were destroyed. Total damage in 1981 dollars totaled $36 million.
Another Memorial Day flood happened in 2015. This, too, affected Shoal Creek.Shoal Creek in flood May 27, 2015.
Courtesy: Getty ImagesOne of the businesses along it, the Shoal Creek Saloon, flooded. Owner Ray Canfield recalls that, in spite of the business establishment having a plan in place for the eventuality of a flood, as much as 50 to 55 inches of water accumulated on one side of the building. He says that several precautions were taken to mitigate the flooding.
But water is a force.Still, after all of the flooding, the business was able to reopen in five days.Following this flood event, Canfield and his business, along with the City of Austin, were honored with a Lone Star Emmy in the category of Public Service Announcement.
Canfield said the PSA focused on business disaster preparedness.The Birth of the FEWSAfter the Memorial Day flood of 1981, the City of Austin needed a better way to deal with a forecast of heavy rain and the potential of flooding. The Memorial Day flood sent Shoal Creek out of its banks.
Thirteen people lost their lives in that flood. A better method of early detection of flooding was needed.The Flood Early Warning Season, or FEWS, was born.
This is an agency managed by the City of Austin Watershed Protection Department.Meteorologist Scott Prinsen is the Program Manager of FEWS. FEWS monitors the weather all year round, using weather models similar to those KXAN meteorologists use as well as hydrological models.
Radar is one of their biggest images, they are consistently monitoring to see where the heavy rain is falling, the direction it's headed, and whether or not the storms will decrease or increase in area and intensity.Flood Safety Tips and more on "Turn Around, Don't Drown"FEWS added cameras and gates at some of the locations that flood worse than others. This technology, according to Prinsen, has been added over the last several years as it has been determined where the most severe flood-prone areas are.
The worst of the flood-prone areas, he says, is along Spicewood Springs Road up near Loop 360 where heavy rain that causes flooding will empty into Bull Creek.The gates come down when a significant amount of water causes low-water crossings to be flooded. Real-time information is available to everyone who also wants to monitor where flooding could be taking place, or where the roads are closed, on ATXfloods.
com.Austin's William Cannon Drive closed due to flooding on October 30, 2015. Courtesy: Getty ImagesIt's important to understand that flooding is the most serious weather hazard in Austin and Central Texas, according to the City of Austin Hazard Mitigation Plan.
More than half of the deaths due to flooding are caused by people walking into or driving around barriers and into a flooded roadway. It only takes a mere six inches of fast-moving floodwater to knock over an adult, and it only takes as little as 12 inches of running water to float most vehicles.Because most flooding deaths are preventable, the slogan "Turn Around, Don't Drown" was created in 2004 by the National Weather Service's Hector Guerrero.
The birth and reason for "Turn Around, Don't Drown"Finally, what should you do in the event of a flood?Going a little further on that second tip, it is important to know that if you are forced to evacuate your domicile, you have your emergency papers. We're referring to papers like birth certificates, passports, driver's licenses and Social Security cards..
