UPDATED: at 4:30: UPDATE ON HAYS COUNTY AND SAN MARCOS FLOODING AND THE AFTERMATH
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WE ARE CURRENTLY UPLOADING VIDEO FROM PRESS CONFERENCE
UPDATE: City of San Marcos 3:15 press conference ~ Ken Bell, the City of San Marcos Fire Marshal “one confirmed male fatality found in San Marcos.” City authorities were unable to confirm the identity at time of press conference. We do have a total of three people confirmed missing.
Ken Bell “we did have 1 tornado touch down off 290 around Dripping Springs. Destroyed at least 25 mobile homes.”
Curfew: A mandatory curfew for 9:00 PM is in place for Hays County, including San Marcos.
Kharley Smith with the City of San Marcos ” water rose to 43.2 feet in Wimberley.”
Ken Bell “this is not over. People think that just because water has receded they’re safe. It does not work like that. We have a situation where we have two rivers that meet and come together. There is only so much room, so when the water recedes people think it’s safe, but the water will bounce back because it has no place to go.”
Ken Bell “Flow was last recorded at 223,000 cubic feet per second. That was the last reading recorded as our gage broke, so we are not sure of the final peak.” Corridor News reported earlier that a flow of 223,000 cubic feet per second is a little over a 100 Million gallon per minute (gpm)!!
County Asks Evacuees to Register by Phone, Report Abandoned Vehicles
Hays County is requesting that evacuees who are sheltering with friends, relatives and at churches call 512-393-7896 so that the County can ensure they are safe and not among the missing. Evacuees who registered at the official shelters at Wimberley High School and the San Marcos Activity Center are already accounted for. Please give your name, address, phone number and names of family members.
That same number can be used to report abandoned vehicles so that authorities can ensure those vehicles are accounted for and removed. Any information that does not cause a passerby to endanger him- or herself is helpful – location, color, make, model and license plate are all helpful if obtained safely.
UPDATED: 7:05 AM: SOUTHBOUND I35 ALL LANES CLOSED NOW
Updated 6:57 AM: FF Watch has been canceled & rain has ended but FLASH FLOODING far from over! Please stay off roads if possible.
UPDATE at 6:48 AM: NORTHBOUND LANES OPEN ONLY ONE SOUTHBOUND LANE OPEN.
UPDATE: One I35 Southbound lane open
35 closed both directions at exit 207 between Blanco River and Aquarena Springs.
San Marcos Residents Ordered to Evacuate Blanco River.
City of San Marcos: Willow Creek Evacuations for residents who live close to San Marcos River.. If you live in this area please evacuate to Hernandez Elementary School. San Marcos Activity Center is full….please evacuate to Hernandez Elementary.
Residents of the Rio Vista Neighborhood were ordered to evacuate due to rising waters on the San Marcos River.
San Marcos residents along River Road between the Blanco River and IH-35 have been ordered to evacuate their homes effective 2:30 a.m. to escape rising floodwaters.
The City has opened the San Marcos Activity Center, located at 501 E. Hopkins as temporary shelters. The City has activated school buses and other vehicles to move residents who do not have transportation available.
City of San Marcos: Willow Creek Evacuations for residents who live close to San Marcos River.. If you live in this area please evacuate to Hernandez Elementary School.
Evacuated neighborhoods include the Blanco Gardens area, Crepe Myrtle/Pecan/Hackberry Street area, and the portions of Blanco Vista nearest to the river.
Evacuation messages have gone out via reverse 911, and police officers and firefighters are going door-to-door to notify residents in affected areas.
The Blanco River has surpassed record flows set in the 1920s during this rain event.
Wimberley bridges, roads and homes washed out
The latest information on road closures and evacuations can be found online at www.haysinformed.com under the ATXFLOODS tab. Residents are asked to only call 911 for emergencies, not for flood updates.
Hays County and San Marcos officials continue working the catastrophic weather incident in our area. Rescue operations are continuing. It is expected that a full-scale search and rescue mission will begin when the sun comes up. Hundreds of citizens from the Wimberley and San Marcos area have been rescued and/or evacuated from their homes or vehicles. We urge everyone to recognize this continued threat and to take safety measures. Do not drive, travel or leave a safe location. Do not attempt to go back to your residence today.
We remain committed to ensuring the public’s safety.
