[Paddlewise] Flash Floods: A Real Threat

Posters note:  After reading the eyewitness accounts, remember what those
people were doing and why they were there.  Be PADDLEWISE !

One of the scouts on my first BWCAW trip lost a fiance in the historic Big
Thompson Canyon Colorado flood of 1976.  Almost 300 people were killed there.
This brings it a little closer to home.

Most of us read these reports and/or news articles that are remote enough that
we simply think "yeah, but that was in a place that HAVE flash floods.  It
doesn't do that here."  Flash flood warnings kill so many people every year
that the weather service gives warnings well in advance that have become
almost like crying wolf.  They become the brunt of jokes.

Keep this in mind.  It CAN happen anywhere it rains.  That pretty much covers
all the surface of the earth.

I live in coastal Texas.  Our land is just about as flat as a pancake, but I
have seen 15 to 20 inch rains continuous from a tropical storm that caused
local waters to rise 5-6 feet in a matter of hours.  It can happen anywhere,
not just in areas associated with a tropical storm.

Below are several accounts of this past October event.  These rains were NOT
associated with a tropical storm, simply two large air masses colliding.  One
warm and moist and one cold and dry.  It happens all the time over all parts
of north America including Canada.

This event caused these rivers to rise over 40 feet in a matter of hours.
Floodwaters rose some thirty feet and flooded over several miles of Interstate
10, the main southern east, west highway.  Events that had never happened in
recorded history happened.

Downstream in Cuero, Texas a large house was floated down main street in the
downtown section.  Cuero is about the size of Ely.  Stores on either side of
the street were in water over their roofs.

The purpose of this post is to remind you that it can happen to you anytime
you are on the water.  Whether you live to tell about it is completely up to
you and your actions.  Just be aware.

John LeBlanc



Texas Hill Country Flood   October 1998

Borrowed from BCWC Nov.98 newsletter

The biggest flood ever recorded on the Guadalupe, San Marcos and Blanco 
rivers roared through the Texas Hill Country on October 17th, 1998. The 
Guadalupe and San Marcos Rivers posted record gauge readings as more 
than 20 inches of rain fell on the hill country in this unprecedented 
event.

There were more than 12 fatalities attributed to this flood at the time 
this issue goes to press. More are expected as the floodwaters recede.

Fortunately, no one in the paddling community of Texas was injured; 
however, many of our friends lost gear and personal property during this 
disaster. BCWC Skills Chairperson Julie Funderburk had a car swept down 
the Guad and most of her gear lost. Her account is contained elsewhere 
inside this issue.You'll also find other personal accounts, information 
and pictures, but here is a brief overview of the events that occurred. 
The weekend began with a forecast calling for some rain and cloudy 
skies. At 7:00 AM that morning, the Canyon Lake Reservoir was at 908 
feet and the USGS gauge on the Guadalupe at New Braunfels wasreading at 
about 160 CFS. The gauge on the San Marcos at San Marcos was reading 
about 250 CFS. 

By 7:00 PM Saturday evening, Canyon Lake Reservoir was at 920 feet and 
the gauge on the Guad at New Braunfels above the Comal River was out of 
commission after posting a reading of 78,000 CFS and still rising. 

Serious widespread damage was reported along the San Marcos, the 
Guadalupe and the Blanco Rivers. 

Three scheduled paddling classes or clinics were happening. All of these 
classes were canceled and in at least one case, stranded. 

Charles Moen's River Reunion was being held on the San Marcos on 
Saturday and the Guad on Sunday. At 10:00 AM on Saturday morning, a 
decision was made at Rio Vista Dam to go back to Spencer campground and 
wait out the rain. By 11:00 AM, the group had taken shelter under the 
pavilion but the wind was blowing the rain so hard that no spot was dry. 
The San Marcos had risen several feet in just a couple of hours and the 
group headed home while the roads were still passable.

Bill Whitaker, Tom Jenkins and others were holding a Swiftwater Rescue 
Course on the Guadalupe at Slumber Falls. They were very aware of how 
fast the river was rising and by 10:30 AM, had called the class off and 
most of the students got out before the roads were completely flooded.

Unfortunately, the other class being held that day didn't fare quite as 
well. Mark Poindexter was conducting a slalom/stroke drill class. One of 
the students included Julie Funderburk, the BCWQ Skills Chairperson. 

Eyewitness to a Record Flood

By Julie Funderburk

Wow! I never dreamed of what lay ahead of me on the weekend of October 
l7th and 18th. Here's my story of what has become a catastrophe.

I went to the Hueco Springs Campground on the Guadalupe for Mark 
Poindexter's Stroke Drills class. The weekend forecast called for a 30% 
chance of rain on Saturday and an 80% chance of rain on Sunday with 
somewhat cooler temperatures associated with a cool front. So, I wasn't 
surprised when it started to rain Saturday morning.

I met Mark Poindexter and Dana Tokash, a paddler from New Braunfels, at 
9:15 near Slumber Falls. Mark decided to start the class in one of the 
shelters at the Slumber Falls Retreat because of the rain. I had already 
taken my Dagger Outburst off my car and we put it against Mark's truck. 
We were waiting for another person, so we left a note in Mark's truck 
and went to the encampment. 

The entire time we were in the shelter it continued to rain with thunder 
and lightning, but it seemed like nothing beyond the ordinary Hill 
Country thunderstorm. It certainly didn't seem as if enough rain was 
falling for a flash flood to occur.

We finished about 11:30 AM and the rain was still falling. I made a 
joking comment to Mark that "I hope my boat is there since it is still 
raining." He laughed and said, "Julie, if your boat is gone, that means 
my truck is gone, and the river would be very high!"

Right then Theresa Roberts and Tatiana Terauds ran up the driveway 
saying, 'Mark, your truck is under water!' Dana drove Mark down in her 
truck and I drove my car down. At that point, water was just beginning 
to flow over the Slumber Falls Bridge on River Road. When we saw Mark's 
truck, the water was already up to the windows. Tom Jenkins tried tying 
a rope to the front of Mark's truck to pull it out, but the rope broke. 
We then tied safety ropes to the truck and Casey Huckathorn's 4-Runner, 
and then to trees in an effort to keep the vehicles from floating away.

Mark, Theresa, Dana, Tatiana, Katie and I then tried to push Mark's 
truck over to the barbed-wire fence. The water rose from around our 
waist to our mid-chest in what seemed like 30 minutes, but with the 
excitement of the moment, it's hard for me to estimate time.

The current started picking up and it was obvious we had to abandon the 
vehicles and save ourselves. Theresa and I were able to get to the fence 
first. Dana, who had been holding on to a tree, was close enough so that 
I could easily reach her and help her to the fence.

Mark and Tatiana were still by the truck and he started handing some 
boats to us. By that time the current was so strong that we had to throw 
them a safety rope.

When we got to the hill by the cement restroom, we found that there was 
a group of guys and a Rockin' R employee that had also been stranded. At 
that time, there were approximately six cars or trucks and 15 people.. 
Dana and Tom had some extra rope, so they tied their vehicles to some 
trees while they were on the road. The rest of us kept moving our cars 
to what seemed like the highest area until the only area left was in the 
middle of the road.

We all geared up with our warmest clothes, helmets and vests because the 
rescue team wasn't there and dry land was disappearing fast.

As we were starting to look for trees that we could climb, the Swift 
Water Rescue Team from New Braunfels finally arrived in a Zodiac 
inflatable. They told us that we weren't in any immediate danger and 
that they were looking for a bus with people inside that was stranded 
further up the river.

Three of the six members of the rescue team tried to walk up the road to 
evaluate the situation. They immediately came back and told us they 
couldn't get any farther up the river. They told us that the water was 
rising so fast that we needed to be evacuated immediately. We all 
grouped together they asked for "good swimmers on one side and not-good 
swimmers on the other." This seemed like a ridiculous request because no 
one would have been a good swimmer in that current.

Mark didn't feel comfortable getting into the Zodiac, so he decided to 
paddle out. Out of all the boats there, he felt most comfortable 
paddling my RPM. Tom Jenkins paddled his canoe out.

Just as Tom started to ferry across the enormously swift current running 
over Slumber Falls Bridge, he lost his ferry angle and started drifting 
into the trees. At the last minute, he got his angle back and made the 
far shore.

As were being rescued in the Zodiac, we had to paddle because the 
current was so strong that the motor was overwhelmed. We also had to 
keep kissing the bottom of the boat to avoid hitting large branches 
because the river was running so high into the trees.

We got to shore at the stone entrance of the Church Encampment on River 
Road just above the Slumber Falls Bridge.

As I waited for the rest of the group, I could look straight through the 
trees to the river and see mobile homes, huge ice machines, and other 
debris being pushed down the river at incredible speed.

There were several bystanders from the Slumber Falls Retreat watching. 
They gave us food, shelter, and a phone. THANK YOU! They even let us 
bring in Katie's 3 wet dogs. We dirtied everything and ate their food 
and they didn't mind. They were definately sent by God.

Bill Whitaker, the Swiftwater Rescue Instructor, also met us at the 
encampment. Bill had been at the Texaco at the start of River Road 
because he had taken Casey to meet a locksmith before this started. 
Incidentally, the locksmith never showed.

Bill volunteered to take us wherever we needed to go. We all piled into 
his new vehicle and tried heading for Dana's house on the other side of 
the Guad.

When we got on Loop 337 to head across the river, we passed Bleiders 
Creek and it had become an enormous river. As we approached the bridge 
over the Guad, you could see that it was closed. Cars were turning back 
because the water was over the bridge.

We headed back across the Comal and found that bridge closed also. We 
then went to the New Braunfels High School shelter. The place was so 
noisy that we thought it would be quieter at the Slumber Falls Retreat. 
We also wanted to be close to our gear in case the water went down.

Sure enough by dark, the river started to subside. We walked down to see 
the damage and Tom was able to get some dry clothes out of his van, so 
we had something dry to sleep in. THANKS TOM! Mark, Tom and I slept on 
tables in the cafeteria watching the weather all night. Dana was finally 
able to get to her house and Theresa and Bill went back to Austin.

On Sunday at first light, we went back and saw the devastation. My car 
and a full size Bronco were gone down river. Mark's truck was pinned 
sideways against 2 trees. Casey's brand-new 4-Runner was still in the 
Slumber Falls area, but had a tree though the windshield and very beat 
up. A Ford Ranger was upside down in the road. All of the other cars 
were basically where we had left them.

In closing, we all lost something, but most importantly, we are all 
okay! Thanks for everyone' s thoughts and concerns!

Taken From Bayou City Whitewater Club Newsletter 

Again, this is posted to increase your awareness adn enjoyment of
paddlesports.

John LeBlanc

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