Report Title: Major and Catastrophic Storms and Floods in Texas     
Opening
Guide to report
Glossary of terms
Lists of storms sorted by date, county or maximum precipitation
Storms lists sorted by date
Storm lists sorted by county
Storm lists sorted by maximum precipitation
Substantial flood peaks
Links to related WWW resources
Assorted documents related to Texas storms
Bibliography
Dedication and Credits
  Texas Storms in Travis County Select Another County
12 storms  
     
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1.  
Austin Vicinity
July 3, 1869
The greatest rain known in Austin (at least until 1921) began July 3 and lasted about 64 hours. The towns of Webberville and Bastrop were inundated. read more...
Deaths and Damage:   Lower Austin was inundated, and several people drowned.
Max. Precipitation:   Unknown
Severity:   Catastrophic
Storm Center(s):   Travis Co., Austin
References:   Ellsworth, 1923, p. 50

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2.  
Central Texas
April 29 to May 1, 1894
A narrow band of 5-6 in. of rain from vicinity of Bandera, Kendall, Blanco, and Travis Counties to Lamar County caused minor flooding.
Deaths and Damage:   Unknown
Max. Precipitation:   Unknown
Severity:   Major Storm
Storm Center(s):   Bandera Co.
Kendall Co.
Blanco Co.
Travis Co.
References:   U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, unpub. data

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3.  
Panhandle and Central Texas
April 5 to 8, 1900
Substantial rainfall from the Rio Grande to the High Plains caused damage in the Colorado, Brazos, and Guadalupe River Basins.
Deaths and Damage:   McDonald Dam on the Colorado River in Austin was destroyed. A wall of water claimed 23 lives and caused $1.25 million in damage in Austin.
Max. Precipitation:   8.80 in. (Mitchell Co.)
7.10 in. (Travis Co.)
Severity:   Major Storm
Storm Center(s):   Mitchell Co., Colorado
Travis Co., Austin
References:   U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, unpub. data

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4.  
Central and East Texas
December 1 to 6, 1913
Rainfall for the last 10 days of November averaged 4.21 in., Guadalupe River Basin; 3.74 in., Colorado River Basin; 3.53 in., Brazos River Basin; 2.98 in., Trinity River Basin; and 4.05 in., San Antonio River Basin. These rains laid the foundation for floods greater than any known at that time. Rains for first few days of December were more or less continuous but were heaviest Dec. 2-4. Rainfall Dec. 1-6 averaged 4.78 in., Guadalupe River Basin; 3.95 in., Colorado River Basin; 5.37 in., Brazos River Basin; 5.30 in., Trinity River Basin; and 2.94 in., San Antonio River Basin. About 85 percent of the rain fell Dec. 2-4. read more...
Deaths and Damage:   Flooding resulted in 177 deaths, and losses exceeded $8.5 million.
Max. Precipitation:   18.80 in. (Hays Co.)
14.07 in. (Travis Co.)
13.78 in. (Williamson Co.)
Severity:   Catastrophic
Storm Center(s):   Hays Co., San Marcos
Travis Co., Austin
Williamson Co., Leander
References:   Ellsworth, 1923, p. 46-47

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5.  
Central and East Texas
July 18 to 23, 1919
Excessive and damaging local rains occurred in parts of Cooke County on the 19th, Travis County on the 21st, and DeWitt County on the 23rd.
Deaths and Damage:   Small streams were flooded by these rains and the damage to roads, bridges, crops, and soil was estimated at over $2 million.
Max. Precipitation:   12.71 in. (DeWitt Co.)
12.43 in. (Travis Co.)
Severity:   Major Storm
Storm Center(s):   DeWitt Co., Cuero
Travis Co., Hills Ranch
References:   U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, unpub. data

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6.  
Central Texas
October 12 to 17, 1925
The largest amounts of rainfall occurred in Washington, Austin, Brazos, and Travis Counties. 6.68 in. on the 12th in Washington County followed by 6.95 in. in a 24-hour period in Austin, Travis County, on the 13th.
Deaths and Damage:   Unknown
Max. Precipitation:   6.95 in. (Travis Co.)
6.68 in. (Washington Co.)
Severity:   Major Storm
Storm Center(s):   Travis Co., Austin
Washington Co.
References:   U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, unpub. data

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7.  
Southwest Texas
June 16 to 18, 1958
Flooding in the Devils River Basin in the headwaters of the Nueces and Guadalupe Rivers and in certain tributaries to the Colorado River above Lake Travis produced peak discharges at several streamflow-gaging stations. The heaviest rainfall amounts reported were 6-10 in.; however, there were a few unofficial reports of 16-20 in.
Deaths and Damage:   Unknown
Max. Precipitation:   10.00 in.
Severity:   Major Storm
Storm Center(s):   Travis Co., Lake Travis
References:   Asquith and Slade, 1995; Hendricks, 1963b, p. 52-53

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8.  
Austin Vicinity
June 17 to 18, 1961
Flash flooding in Austin during the night June 17-18 resulted from intense rainfall. The greatest recorded rainfall was 6.86 in.
Deaths and Damage:   About 300 people were evacuated from their homes in southeast Austin when Boggy Creek overflowed its banks.
Max. Precipitation:   6.86 in.
Severity:   Major Storm
Storm Center(s):   Travis Co., Austin
References:   U.S. Geological Survey, unpub. data

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9.  
Central Texas
November 23, 1974
Heavy rainfall in Travis County caused flooding that claimed 13 lives and $1 million in property damages.
Deaths and Damage:   Thirteen lives lost and $1 million in property damages.
Max. Precipitation:   Unknown
Severity:   Major Storm
Storm Center(s):   Travis Co., Austin
References:   Dallas Morning News, 1999

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10.  
Austin Vicinity
May 23, 1975
Heavy rainfall.
Deaths and Damage:   Four people drowned and about $5 million in property damages.
Max. Precipitation:   Unknown
Severity:   Major Storm
Storm Center(s):   Travis Co., Austin
References:   Dallas Morning News, 1999

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11.  
Austin Vicinity
May 24 to 25, 1981
A short-duration, intense rainfall caused the worst flooding since 1935 on many of the small watersheds in and around Austin. The rainfall began at 9:30 p.m. May 24 and ended shortly before midnight May 25. Some locations had more than 10 in. of rain during 4 hours. read more...
Deaths and Damage:   Thirteen people drowned in flash flooding, and property damage was reported at $35.5 million.
Max. Precipitation:   10.00 in.
Severity:   Catastrophic
Storm Center(s):   Travis Co., Austin
References:   Massey and others, 1982; Moore and others, 1982


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12.  
Central Texas See floodsafety.com.
November 15, 2001
The storm of November 15, 2001, began with mild to moderate rainfall over the night of November 14th and through the morning of November 15th. At about 3:30 p.m. on November 15th, a large thunderstorm cell began to approach the Hays-Travis County line, with tornadoes and intense rainfall. The tornadoes touched at various locations along the I-35 corridor starting near Buda and the Ben White Blvd. - I-35 interchange and continuing north and east through Travis County. The heaviest rainfall began about 3:30 p.m. over south-central Austin in the middle of the Slaughter Creek Basin and upper South Boggy Creek Basin. The intense thunderstorm cells continued to track rapidly and generally north-northeast over Barton Creek at Loop 360, West Bouldin Creek, Johnson Creek, and Shoal Creek. The area of the most intense rainfall decreased as it tracked farther north over the upper Little Walnut and Walnut Creek watersheds. Although the storm gradually decreased in intensity over the next 6 hours, it continued to produce intense rainfall.

Widespread rainfall totals typically ranged from 5 to 8 in., with individual reports of 10 in. and more. Much of this rain fell within about 6 hours. Generally, the storm intensities and flood levels were higher on the south and west sides of Austin. Rainfall intensities exceeded the estimated 100-year rainfall rates in some locations and caused widespread but isolated flood damage where the drainage capacity of streets and storm drains was exceeded by localized rainfall.

The flow measured in area creeks does not match the statistical significance of individual maximum rainfall measurements because the intense rainfall was not evenly distributed over all of the watersheds. For example, the USGS estimated that the flood peak in Onion Creek at U.S. Highway 183 was approximately 93,200 cubic feet per second, which corresponds to about a 50-year peak. Other watersheds on the south and west (for example, Slaughter, Williamson, South Boggy, West and East Bouldin, Barton, Bull, Johnson, and Shoal Creeks) experienced flood peaks that correspond to a return period of 5 to 20 years. The USGS gage on Shoal Creek at W. 12th Street recorded a peak corresponding to approximately a 10-year return period. Watersheds on the east side of town (for example, Waller, Boggy, Tannehill, Fort, and Buttermilk Creeks) were less affected and experienced flood peaks corresponding to return periods of less than 10 years. Other watersheds that flow from northwest to east (for example, Little Walnut and Walnut Creeks) experienced peaks corresponding to return periods of up to 10 years.

Deaths and Damage:   968 homes were flooded and cost of damages to public property was 11.3 million dollars.
Max. Precipitation:   14.00 in.
Severity:   Major
Storm Center(s):   Travis Co
References:   http://tx.usgs.gov/

Report assisted by City of Austin.


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