Steady rains turned from blessing to curse not long after midnight on July 4, as local runoff from streets began filling storm drains, and causing trouble.
Strong steady rains and powerful lightning that continued throughout the night, had first responders working a steady stream of calls for assistance as local roadways became impassable in the early morning hours.
Early Saturday morning, authorities said at least 24 had been killed in flooding in Texas.
As of publication time, the death toll from flooding had risen to 32, including 14 children, according to the Texas Tribune.
Twenty-seven girls from the Camp Mystic summer camp are still missing, and a camp director was confirmed as one of the casualties.
In the span of 36 hours, first responders have rescued more than 850 people, some clinging to trees to stay safe amid the rising water.
Early Friday
At 3:07 a.m. the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office sent a flood advisory NIXLE alert warning everyone about low-water crossings in the San Angelo area.
At 3:40 they sent another alert announcing Farm-to-Market 2105 was closed.
Throughout the Concho Valley, locally heavy rainfall in places quickly saturated the soil, and began flowing downhill to the nearest waterway.
By dawn, emergencies were reported just about everywhere heavy rains had fallen, and flood gauges began showing a rise on several creeks.
During a press conference, San Angelo Police Chief Travis Griffth said his department had received about 1,000 calls for assistance and helped facilitate more than 100 water rescues.
There were reports of massive downpours in Lake View and Carlsbad, and water coming into homes in East San Angelo.
Paul Ann Baptist opened their doors to anyone displaced by the flooding.
The Flooding Continues
Saturday morning, as rains continued to slowly make their way out of Central Texas, the NWS was warning of an anticipated 32-foot crest on the Colorado River at San Saba late Saturday afternoon.
Timeline of Area Flooding
Around 7 a.m. the Concho River at San Angelo peaked at 18.29 feet on its way toward Paint Rock.
At 10 a.m. the flow on the North Concho River at Carlsbad was 12.41 feet; just above flood stage.
The San Saba River at Menard crested at 17.21 feet at 12:40 p.m. Friday, just below the minor flood stage threshold.
By 1 p.m. it was a roaring torrent south of Brady, cresting at 29.65 feet — 1.6 feet above major flood stage. The previous flood record on that waterway was 29.1 feet, set on July 23, 1938.
Meanwhile, on the Llano River near Mason, waters crested at 29.91 feet at 2:15 p.m.
Accumulating water from the channels of the system, the combined flow reached the bridge at Llano at 7 p.m. flowing 3-feet above major flood stage – 26.49 feet, roaring just a few feet under the roadway.
Around that same time, flows on the main stem of the Concho River reached Paint Rock cresting at 29.40 feet.
Saturday
At 12:35 p.m. Saturday, all of these waters were in the the Colorado River at San Saba and flowing at 41.8 feet above normal where 38 feet is considered major flood stage.
What Happened at Camp Mystic
According to official reports, there were more than 750 girls at Camp Mystic when the flood struck.
The camp, which has been in existence for a century, was built around Mystic Springs, and is located within one of the many canyon systems characteristic of the area, situated on the South Fork of the Guadalupe River — 6 miles southwest of Hunt, and about 15 miles, as the crow flies, from Kerrville.
According to computer-aided localized rainfall estimates, not long after it rained 14 inches in San Angelo, storms dropped more than 11 inches of rain very quickly into the watershed upstream of Camp Mystic.
The canyons in that area have hill tops about 100- to 130-feet above the riverbed, creating channels that neck down to a few hundred-feet across in many places, making for a very deep watercourse.
Historically, it hadn’t been a problem.
It’s very rare that anywhere gets 12-inches of rain all at once. But when it happens on a river that’s home to several sleep-away camps, it’s a very serious problem.
Sometime not long after it overwhelmed Camp Mystic, the flashflood crested at 29-foot, as a wall of water passed the measurement station 6-miles downstream at Hunt — 12-miles west of Kerrville — around 4:35 a.m., Friday.
Rescue operations began at once.
Quick to deflect blame for the situation, officials said they didn’t get enough warning from the National Weather Service, but the NWS in San Angelo sent out multiple flood advisories and emergency alerts not long after flooding in Far West Texas and the Permian Basin on Wednesday.
Cleanup in San Angelo
Saturday Morning: Bell St and Koberlin
The draw between Pulliam and Bell was still running at a good rate on Saturday about 9:30 a.m., where work crews repaired powerlines and residents cleaned up around the temporary river.
The remnants of a shed wrapped around the bridge at the low water crossing. Clothing and household items scattered all the way down the flood’s path, crossing Koberlin Street heading towards Paint Rock Road.
Fruitland Farm Road
The area between Fruitland Farm Road and Grape Creek Road received over 12 inches of rain.
Low spots in this area filled up fast and then flowed into Lake View through Cactus Lane.
Along Farm-to-Market Road 2105, machine shops and warehouses were flooded by 1-2 feet of water Saturday morning.
Several homes in this area had water rising up to their front porches.
Grape Creek Road and Chadbourne
The triangle between west 43rd Street, Grape Creek Road, and Chadbourne was another confluence, with the back property of San Angelo Cowboy Church flooded completely. What looked to be 3-4 feet deep around the pen areas.
Most of the homes in neighborhoods bordering Chadbourne had water approaching their back porch.
A few cars lay abandoned but the level was low enough to allow for light traffic that drove around the barricades.
Cleanup is well underway, and officials say debris can be moved the curbside at this time.
The landfill will remain closed to the public temporarily.
Residential trash will be delayed up to one week, but there are more trucks en route from across the state to help.
Those wishing to make monetary donations can do so at www.saafound.org. Other donations can be made to the United Way of the Concho Valley at 325-949-3716.
Assistance will be available for those in need on Saturday, July 5, with intake beginning at 11 a.m. at PaulAnn Church, 2531 Smith Blvd.
RAINFALL TOTALS
24-Hr. totals as of 7 a.m. July 4
- SAN ANGELO 7NW – 14.45
- NW of CARLSBAD – 13.21
- SW of HEXT – 12.97
- MASON 13 WNW – 12.96
- BRADY – 10.04
- WALL 2E – 9.57
- MENARD 2NW – 8.34
- MENARD – 7.46
- SAN SABA – 4.51
Source: National Weather Service
— Photos by Will McDaniel
