Two-Year Anniversary Of Floods Marked By Removal Of Blanco River Debris

Submerged, empty highways stretched ahead with abandoned cars cast adrift, and buildings were swept clean from their foundations.

By, Cristina Carreon

The Blanco River surged past bridges and creek beds to immerse central Texas in what is often referred to as the Memorial Day Flood of 2015.

In October 2015, San Marcos residents experienced another historic flood that caused $33 million dollars in damages to the city.

Hays County Commissioner’s Court updated the city’s debris removal plan on Jan. 24 to focus on 103 sites of debris caused by the Blanco River.

The plan is set to be completed the two-year anniversary of the flood in May.

So far, 22 sites are currently being worked on by crews to remove trees not damaged by the floods as well as ground level vegetation.

The construction firm H.R. Gray, headed by Director of Construction Will Little, is overseeing the removal project.

Over 23,709 cubic yards of debris have been removed since the program began on Dec. 1, 2016, after a $1.7 million dollar grant was given to the county to fund removal of the flood debris.