The Llano River is expected to experience flash flooding on Sunday following heavy rainfall, prompting Flash Flood Warnings across multiple counties, including San Saba, Burnet, Llano, Menard, Gillespie, and Kerr, the NWS said in its latest press release. Lake Travis, a reservoir on the Colorado River in Texas, has been closed after a Travis County judge ordered the use except for emergency personnel.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued new alerts warning of life-threatening conditions. “Llano River is already in Moderate Stage and expected to rise further in the next hour to over 18 feet. The river may rise even further,” the agency stated on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
Llano River Flooding and NWS Alerts
Current Situation: On Sunday, the NWS extended and issued Flash Flood Warnings for:
San Saba County (until 11:00 AM CDT): 4–7 inches of rain, with isolated areas seeing 8–10 inches, causing the San Saba River to rise rapidly.
Western Burnet and Northeastern Llano Counties (until 10:15 AM CDT): 1–5 inches fallen, with 2–4 inches per hour expected.
{{/usCountry}}Western Burnet and Northeastern Llano Counties (until 10:15 AM CDT): 1–5 inches fallen, with 2–4 inches per hour expected.
{{/usCountry}}West Central Menard County (until 11:00 AM CDT): 2–5 inches fallen, with the San Saba River flooding.
Southwestern Gillespie and Kerr Counties (until 11:30 AM CDT): Up to 2 inches fallen, with 1–2 inches per hour expected.
Flash Flood Emergency: A Flash Flood Emergency was issued for eastern San Saba County near Bend until 7:00 AM CDT, with 6–8 inches of rain causing catastrophic flooding.
Llano River Impact: The Llano River, feeding into Lake Travis, is swelling due to heavy rain, with a July 4–5 crest at 17.2 feet in Llano (moderate flooding), the highest since October 2018’s 40.17 feet.
Lake Travis Closure
The City of Austin extended a watercraft ban on all waterways, including Lake Travis, Lady Bird Lake, Lake Austin, Barton Creek, and Bull Creek, until at least noon Monday, due to high, swift waters and debris.
The water level rose from 637.56 feet above mean sea level on July 4 to 655.35 feet by July 6, a 17.79-foot increase, driven by floodwater from the Llano and Pedernales Rivers.
The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) opened floodgates at Wirtz and Starcke Dams to manage runoff, with Lake Travis expected to hold floodwaters without opening Mansfield Dam.
Read More: Could Florida's St. Johns River witness flash floods similar to Texas that claimed 120 lives?
The LCRA warned against boating or swimming due to debris and elevated bacteria levels.
This comes days after flooding in Central Texas killed at least 129 people, including 75 in Kerr County, 9 in Travis County, 8 in Kendall County, 5 in Burnet County, and 3 in Williamson County. Over 30 people, including 10 campers from Camp Mystic, remain missing. Travis County EMS rescued 25 people, and Burnet County conducted 18 water rescues.