Texas Storms Cause Sudden Floods in Llano County

LLANO, Texas –

A body was found in a rain-swept lake in central Texas after the floodwaters quickly collapsed, destroying a bridge, forcing the evacuation of riparian houses and causing many rescue operations on Tuesday after heavy rains .

The video shows the collapse of the bridge, overgrown by the bloated and undulating Llano River, in Kingsland, about 65 miles northwest of Austin. The Llano and Colorado rivers meet at Kingsland, and the National Weather Service said the two countries were experiencing "major floods".

The body was found in Lake Lyndon B. Johnson, located where the Llano flows into Colorado. Local officials say they have not yet identified the person, but many homes along the lake and rivers have been flooded. A flash flood warning was in effect.

Residents were evacuated from their homes in Kingsland and nearby Marble Falls, submerged by the Colorado River. Several school districts were closed for the day and emergency personnel blocked access to more than 150 low-water points.

Bill and Laura Villella woke up early Tuesday with about 12 inches of water in their home in Llano, a town just northwest of Kingsland. The rising waters forced them to stand on the counter of their kitchen before the emergency staff in a boat put them on the safe side.

"Honestly, we did not think it would go up so high," said Bill Villella at the American Statesman of Austin. His wife added, "I have gone through a lot of things in my life, but it's the scariest thing I've ever been."

Governor Greg Abbott issued a statement urging "all Texans to take their own safety by closely monitoring weather conditions and taking into account warnings from local officials."

The governor's warning comes just over a week after four people were swept away when the South Llano River, which becomes the Llano River downstream, invaded a recreational vehicle park in Junction, Texas. . Three bodies were found. The fourth search was suspended due to heavy rains.

The body found Tuesday does not seem to be the missing person in the motorhome park along the South Llano River, about 90 miles away, said Captain Tom Dillard, Burnet County Sheriff.

Flood takes motorhome into Texas Hill Country

The most dramatic scene on Tuesday took place in Marble Falls, where an extraordinary amount of water poured over the Starcke Dam, taking with it river docks and other large debris.

Houses were also evacuated at nearby Granite Shoals, and people fled to a college.

Water levels along the Llano River in Llano have decreased but remain well above the major flood stage. Levels climbed to just under 40 feet on Tuesday, but declined as the morning progressed to just over 35 feet, according to the National Weather Service. The major flood level is 23 feet, and the river should not descend below this stage before Wednesday.

Heavy rains have also affected other parts of the state.

Flood warnings were issued for areas north of Houston and the Fort Worth Fire Department reported that he had been the victim of some 80 road accidents attributed to highways. slippery and reduced visibility on Tuesday morning. Officials in Dallas said the rain was causing sewer overflows in several parts of the city, but added that its water supply was not affected.

In Austin, firefighters temporarily banned all personal watercraft. Floods were also occurring in Kerr County, northwest of San Antonio, and in other parts of Texas Hill Country, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. The Guadalupe River at Comfort, northwest of San Antonio, was to go from about 5 feet to over 28 feet.

Patricia Sanchez, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Fort Worth, said the transition from autumn to winter usually resulted in heavy precipitation, but nothing compared to the amount of precipitation recorded last month.

"The many rainy days and the extraordinary amount of rain are of course not normal," she said. "Not for this time of year."

The recent tropical systems and the humidity of the Gulf of Mexico contribute to the amount of rain Texas has experienced, she said. Light to moderate rains will continue for the next few days, but they should decrease as the weekend approaches, she said.