Llano River flooding today? Lake Travis closed; NWS issues new alert for Texas. Here's a map

The Llano River is experiencing severe flash flooding on Sunday following heavy rainfall

Published on: Jul 13, 2025, 19:50:36 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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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.

A cross is placed by the Guadalupe River across from Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas (REUTERS)

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.

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.

Brown in the latest NWS map denotes flash flood warnings (NWS)

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.

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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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