The rain in Texas getting serious
- Thread starter Ozarker
- Start date
I grew up in the Hill Country where all the troubles are. Still have family & friends there - I've been talking to them most every evening this week. They hadn't been "swept away" yet, but it is not a fun situation. (one of my buddies had 4 ft of H20 in his house about 4 yrs. back due to rains like this - he's a little nervous this time too.)
It's kindof weird dynamics in that part of Texas, in that although this flood is certainly a bad one, "bad" floods seem to happen with a relatively high frequency. When I was a kid the road to our house flooded several times a year (4-10 ft, depending on how much rain we got). Since it was the only road in to town, it meant I didn't (couldn't) go to school if it "got up." /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Folks would generally "pick" which side of the creek they wanted to be on ("town" or "home") and then pull out their lawn chairs and watch the water rise. Almost a "neighborhood gathering" type of atmosphere. May sound a little strange, but it was kindof interesting.
I'm with you hoping that folks don't have to suffer much more down thata way. /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif
It's kindof weird dynamics in that part of Texas, in that although this flood is certainly a bad one, "bad" floods seem to happen with a relatively high frequency. When I was a kid the road to our house flooded several times a year (4-10 ft, depending on how much rain we got). Since it was the only road in to town, it meant I didn't (couldn't) go to school if it "got up." /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Folks would generally "pick" which side of the creek they wanted to be on ("town" or "home") and then pull out their lawn chairs and watch the water rise. Almost a "neighborhood gathering" type of atmosphere. May sound a little strange, but it was kindof interesting.
I'm with you hoping that folks don't have to suffer much more down thata way. /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif
BillG_in_TX
Veteran Member
Ozarker,
Marble Falls had 12" of rain between Sunday and Wednesday, 7" on Sunday alone. I had to go up on the ridge Sunday afternoon and retrieve the tractor - first wading the creek, then using the tractor to pull the trailer out of the woods to the road, then going back for the truck which was stuck in the mud, and pulling it out to the road. A 30 minute project turned into 3 hours! Lucky I had a tractor! (Of course, if I didn't have a tractor, I wouldn't have been up there in the first place /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif.)
I notice that "BBearden" is on Canyon Lake, which I think is getting ready to go over its dam for the first time ever. <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.mysanantonio.com/expressnews/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=180&xlc=750435>(see news article)</A> Also, "GlennT" and "mbjacobs" are in Fredericksburg, which has received some of the heaviest totals. I hope you guys are all staying dry and safe!
Marble Falls had 12" of rain between Sunday and Wednesday, 7" on Sunday alone. I had to go up on the ridge Sunday afternoon and retrieve the tractor - first wading the creek, then using the tractor to pull the trailer out of the woods to the road, then going back for the truck which was stuck in the mud, and pulling it out to the road. A 30 minute project turned into 3 hours! Lucky I had a tractor! (Of course, if I didn't have a tractor, I wouldn't have been up there in the first place /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif.)
I notice that "BBearden" is on Canyon Lake, which I think is getting ready to go over its dam for the first time ever. <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.mysanantonio.com/expressnews/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=180&xlc=750435>(see news article)</A> Also, "GlennT" and "mbjacobs" are in Fredericksburg, which has received some of the heaviest totals. I hope you guys are all staying dry and safe!
mikim
Veteran Member
and DavidH is in Wimberley - just north of Canyon Lake - How's your driveway Dave?
mike
mike
Gary_in_Indiana
Elite Member
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2002
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- 3,388
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- Fort Wayne, IN
- Tractor
- John Deere 4200 MFWD HST w/ JD 420 FEL w/ 61" loader bucket & toothbar & JD 37 BH w/ 12" bucket
And to think I was all upset about a 6" overnight rain when it flooded my barn...
GlennT
Gold Member
Gentlemen: It's kind of you to ask. My wife and I are blessed with property that lies above any flood plain. We have a live creek that now is a raging torrent, but it's well contained withing high banks.
Fredericksburg gets an average of 22 inches of rain per year. According to what we saw on TV out of Austin last night, Fredericksburg had received 14 inches of rain up to that point. My rain gauge shows that we received a little over 2 inches last night. We've probably had something closer to 18 inches total. My rain guage measures 5 inches with an additional two inches above that is unmarked; on Thursday morning the guage was overflowing so we had 7 or 8 inches overnight as best I can tell.
The Hill Country Antique Tractor and Engine Club's annual show was last weekend. Friday and Saturday were wonderful, with record crowds and hundreds of tractors, engines, implements, etc. on display. It started to rain on Sunday morning and has continued rather steadily for about a week. The majority of the tractors on display are still standing there lined up in rows. It's a good thing that the soil is caliche in that area or some of those big old tractors would be sunk up to their hubs. We were supposed to go in today and try to take down canopies and clean up, but it's raining steadily so that's a no go. The only excitement we've experienced personally is that my buddy Hermano (un burro muy guapo) was marooned on the other side of the creek yesterday and I had to help him get across.
Fredericksburg gets an average of 22 inches of rain per year. According to what we saw on TV out of Austin last night, Fredericksburg had received 14 inches of rain up to that point. My rain gauge shows that we received a little over 2 inches last night. We've probably had something closer to 18 inches total. My rain guage measures 5 inches with an additional two inches above that is unmarked; on Thursday morning the guage was overflowing so we had 7 or 8 inches overnight as best I can tell.
The Hill Country Antique Tractor and Engine Club's annual show was last weekend. Friday and Saturday were wonderful, with record crowds and hundreds of tractors, engines, implements, etc. on display. It started to rain on Sunday morning and has continued rather steadily for about a week. The majority of the tractors on display are still standing there lined up in rows. It's a good thing that the soil is caliche in that area or some of those big old tractors would be sunk up to their hubs. We were supposed to go in today and try to take down canopies and clean up, but it's raining steadily so that's a no go. The only excitement we've experienced personally is that my buddy Hermano (un burro muy guapo) was marooned on the other side of the creek yesterday and I had to help him get across.
Good to hear that all is well with you.
You have the same good luck that I do. I live on the Gasgonade River in Missouri and there are feeder creeks upstream and down stream from me. I sometimes find myself on an island with no way out for a couple of days when they all flood but my house is high enough that it has never been flooded. Even in the 1993 floods, the worst Missouri has seen for 100 years, the water never got closer than in my back yard. The house was still about 5 vertical feet above the flood high mark. Now my shed didn't fair so well.
You have the same good luck that I do. I live on the Gasgonade River in Missouri and there are feeder creeks upstream and down stream from me. I sometimes find myself on an island with no way out for a couple of days when they all flood but my house is high enough that it has never been flooded. Even in the 1993 floods, the worst Missouri has seen for 100 years, the water never got closer than in my back yard. The house was still about 5 vertical feet above the flood high mark. Now my shed didn't fair so well.
drpepper
Bronze Member
I live in Texas, and feel for the folks down south. We are getting a blessing out of this. Up till last night, we have had only 7" rain for the year to date. We have 3" and counting right now. I had forgot that grass could be green. My prayers are with the folks in the "Hill Country".
centex
Gold Member
It is not quite so bad where I am at as it is south of here. The creek on my property has been out of it's banks a couple of times but the worst that has happened to me is that my drive washed out after I put a lot of time, money, and sweat into it. I got the following from the GRTU (Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited) this morning:
<font color=red>To: GRTU General Announcement
Subject: Canyon Lake Reaches Emergency Spillway Level
For those contemplating a trip to the Guadalupe River and/or Canyon Lake
now, or in the next few weeks, be advised not to go. Canyon Lake has reached
maximum flood storage capacity and is now spilling over the emergency
spillway- a 100 year flood event. It is expected that many homes and
businesses will be devastated along River Road below Canyon Dam. Let us hope
and pray for our friends on the Guadalupe and that everyone will come
through this safely.</font color=red>
As you can see it is a very serious situation a few miles to the south. We
really needed the rain last week but not a years worth in less than one week.
Each day the weather forcast is that the rain will end today but we wake up the
next day with the rain continuing to come down. The grass is green though!
<font color=red>To: GRTU General Announcement
Subject: Canyon Lake Reaches Emergency Spillway Level
For those contemplating a trip to the Guadalupe River and/or Canyon Lake
now, or in the next few weeks, be advised not to go. Canyon Lake has reached
maximum flood storage capacity and is now spilling over the emergency
spillway- a 100 year flood event. It is expected that many homes and
businesses will be devastated along River Road below Canyon Dam. Let us hope
and pray for our friends on the Guadalupe and that everyone will come
through this safely.</font color=red>
As you can see it is a very serious situation a few miles to the south. We
really needed the rain last week but not a years worth in less than one week.
Each day the weather forcast is that the rain will end today but we wake up the
next day with the rain continuing to come down. The grass is green though!
Bird
Epic Contributor
Yep, it's pretty bad for a lot of folks down south, but here in the middle of the state, we've had some rain each day for 7 of the last 8 days and still haven't had a total of 2", but it sure has greened up the grass and made it grow fast, and we're getting another light shower right now.