'Devastating' Texas floods kill 9

[Guest guest]

http://www.cnn.com/2002/WEATHER/07/05/texas.flooding/index.html

'Devastating' Texas floods kill 9

July 5, 2002 Posted: 11:09 PM EDT (0309 GMT)

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (CNN) -- An official in south-central Texas described the

damage from this week's flooding as " very devastating " after conducting an

aerial survey of the area.

One house was swept away, riding the flood water like a small ship leaving

port, while dozens of others have been deluged. Several bridges are

underwater and one town's drinking water has been contaminated by the floods

that have killed nine people.

" I've been here my entire life, " said Danny Scheel, emergency operations

officer for Comal County, northeast of San . " I've been here for the

'52, the '72 and the '98 flood, and I've never seen anything that would come

close to comparing with what I saw today. "

Floods have wreaked havoc across six central Texas counties in the last

week, with some parts receiving as much as 30 inches of rain since Monday

night. President Bush Thursday declared the counties disaster areas, making

them eligible for federal relief funds. Authorities have said nine people

have died in the flooding.

Parts of the state have gotten as much as 30 inches of rain since Monday

night.

Heavy rains have pushed water levels at the Canyon Lake Dam to record

levels, sending water coursing over an overflow spillway for the first time

in the dam's 45-year history. The water poured into the Guadalupe River,

turning it into a powerful force that swept away a house in New Braunfels, a

town of 36,000 residents about 16 miles downstream.

More rain is expected early Saturday.

More than 1,000 residents and hundreds of tourists visiting the lake for the

holiday weekend were evacuated Thursday, New Braunfels Mayor Adam Cork said

Friday.

" The dam is performing as designed and is structurally sound, " the statement

said.

Water rages over the Canyon Lake spillway near New Braunfels on Friday.

The spillway is emptying into the Guadalupe River at about 55,000 cubic feet

per second, a rate that was expected to increase to 85,000 cubic feet per

second by the end of the day, said Judy Marsicano, a Corps spokeswoman.

The spillway was designed to be able to discharge water in excess of 500,000

cubic feet per second.

" If we get significant additional rainfall, the spillway discharge could

exceed 100,000 CFS by tomorrow, " Marsicano said.

Officials said the earthen dam itself remains functional. The spillway,

which drains water from the lake into the river below, is 31 feet below the

top of the dam.

Flood waters washed away a bridge over the river carrying Farm Road 306, a

major county thoroughfare 13 miles south of New Braunfels, and several other

bridges are underwater.

Officials in Bexar County, which includes San , urged residents near

the Medina River, in the southwest part of the county, to go to higher

ground as a precaution.

" There's probably about 100 houses in the area that we're going to ask

people to voluntarily evacuate, " said Deputy Chief Dennis McKnight of the

Bexar County Sheriff's Department.

Meanwhile, in Medina County, 41 miles west of San , about 3,000

residents were allowed to return to their homes after being evacuated

Thursday night, Sheriff Gilbert said.

" We let the folks go home and get their affairs together, " he said, adding

that they may be required to leave again if the waters rise again at the

Medina Dam.

said that the flood waters have contaminated drinking water in the

city of Castroville, so 3,000 residents have been told to either boil their

water or drink bottled water.