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Creeks, rivers across Central Texas fill with rain over Memorial Day weekend
When the Rice family woke up Monday morning, the river had risen several feet and was “really close” to their camper.
WIMBERLY, Texas - Several Central Texas creeks and rivers were filled with rain this Memorial Day weekend.
Sunday night, the Blanco River received four inches of rain. Austin couple Stephen and Barbara Rice have a property on the river in Wimberley.
“I think last night I heard some of the loudest thunder I’ve ever heard in my life,” said Barbara Rice.
When the Rice family woke up Monday morning, the river had risen several feet and was “really close” to their camper. “We were seeing like big huge trees go by and kayaks going by and other people's water, toys, logs,” said Barbara Rice.
The Rice family left the property, and headed back to Austin Monday morning. The area received an additional five inches of rain that day.
For the family, the flooding brings back memories of the Memorial Day flood of 2015. Thirteen people were killed in Wimberley and San Marcos.
RELATED: Rain headed towards Hill Country as meteorologists monitor flood risk
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Rain headed towards Hill Country as meteorologists monitor flood risk
FOX 7 Austin meteorologist Zack Shields urges people to actively keep an eye on the weather, especially those who live in flood-prone areas like Onion Creek or the Blanco River.
“Our grandparents had always told us [the river] could come up. But weren’t expecting to come back and like those trees were broken, telephone poles were missing, live wires, dead animals,” Stephen Rice explained.
He says the family has experienced catastrophic flooding on the river for generations. They have had multiple homes destroyed by the Blanco River — which is why they now only take campers to the property.
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“‘Cause when the water does come up, you gotta be ready to go,” said Stephen Rice.
In the 1980s his grandparents' mobile home was swept away when the property flooded. “...all was left was the frame. It was wrapped around a tree like a couple hundred yards downriver. Everything else was gone.” he explained.
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Stephen Rice’s uncle briefly kept a camper on the property, but that was flooded several times and eventually ruined.
Still, the Rice family says they’ll be back up on the property next Memorial Day Weekend — just monitoring the weather. “You respect Mother Nature,” said Stephen Rice.
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