UPDATED: Flooding forces evacuations, road closures
Web Posted: 07/21/2007 05:33 PM CDT
High-water rescues and evacuations were prompted across parts of South Texas Saturday after the torrents that battered New Braunfels and Seguin Friday moved west of San Antonio overnight.
A 36-mile stretch of railway in Medina County was shut down as crews waited for floodwaters to recede, a railroad spokesman said. [bold my add]
There were dozens of calls for rescues in Bexar County, where flooding overcame scores of roadways. In one spectacular rescue in San Antonio, four lucky young adults whose truck was stuck last night returned to the scene near Leon Creek off Grissom Road, in the northwest part of the city, only to be overwhelmed by floodwaters.
The two men and two women, ranging in ages from 19 to 25, sought safety in a tree and were happened upon by a passing police helicopter. They subsequently were rescued by a Fire Department boat, officials said.
Meanwhile, in Medina County, there was heavy flooding in D'Hanis, near Tarpley and along Hondo Creek at Highway 173. Highway 90 was closed in D'Hanis, where a National Weather Service spokesman estimated rainfall at 17 inches.
A Hondo Police dispatcher estimated that 300 people were evacuated along Hondo, Seco and Verde creeks and said emergency workers had rescued people from low water crossings and roofs.
The area along Seco Creek in D'Hanis was evacuated Saturday morning, and a voluntary evacuation was underway along Hondo Creek in the morning.
A shelter was set up in Hondo at Woolls Intermediate School.
Police in Uvalde reported street closures across the city, but no mandatory evacuations or rescues.
Road closures and rescues also were reported Saturday morning in Kendall County and campgrounds along the Medina River were being evacuated in Bandera County. Wilson County also reported many road closures.
Overnight, high winds that possibly came from a twister damaged four businesses and at least one house in southern Guadalupe County, said Guadalupe County Sheriff's Department Cpl. John Batey. Among the damaged businesses were Elm Creek Country Feed and Supply and Country Style Salon along Highway 123 near Angel Road.
At one point Friday night, Guadalupe County reported close to 120 road closures and officials there were evaluating flood damage. Batey said he believes the Guadalupe River flooded at least a couple of homes on the lower end of Lake Placid.
Pat McDonald, a forecaster at the New Braunfels National Weather Service office, said parts of northern Uvalde and Medina counties received up to 17 inches of rain between 10 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday.
The rain already is the second greatest yearly total on record, he said: As of Saturday, 34 inches had fallen since January. The all-time mark to this point, some 36 inches, fell in 1993. The city averages 32.93 inches in a year.
McDonald said the culprit upper-level low pressure system in New Mexico was dissipating and high pressure from the Central Plains was coming in, which could allow for some drying out over the next few days-though sun baking the saturated ground could cause the moisture in the air to aggregate into yet more thunderstorms.
Though the total rainfall was historic, McDonald said, it has not fallen in the singular amounts of 1998 and 2002, when concentrated bursts led to dozens of death and more than $2.5 billion in estimated damage.
About 300 children and staff at the Bandina Christian Youth Camp in Bandera were stuck in the camp by the rising Medina River, said camp nurse Cindy Donahoe. The camp itself was not flooded, and the campers, ranging from seventh grade to high school seniors, and staff, were preparing to use the "emergency exit" at about 2:30 p.m., Donahoe said.
The group was going to have to exit through the back of the camp property and then through private property, walking some of the way and riding for other parts.
Children were busy using their cell phones to call parents, who could not reach the camp, to let them know where to pick them up, Donahoe said.
In Bexar County, the Medina River was forecast to hit minor flood stage and the San Antonio River near Elmendorf was forecast to reach moderate flood state, with pastures, cropland and livestock affected. In Frio County, the Frio River, Hondo Creek, Nueces River, Sabinal River and Seco Creek all were in flood stage.
The San Marcos River, below Luling in Gonzales County, was forecast to reach 10 feet above flood stage, which would inundate most of Palmetto State Park and could leave extensive damage to park facilities. And the Guadalupe River in Gonzales was forecast to inundate most of City Park.
Rivers also were at flood stage or forecast to reach flood stage in Guadalupe, Hays, Karnes, Kerr, Uvalde and Wilson counties, among others. Most of the rivers were not threatening homes.
rcroteau@express-news.net
