LCRA begins flood operations, Llano closing streets ahead of anticipated flooding

LLANO, Texas (KXAN) — The possibility of flooding is leading to the City of Llano closing some streets Tuesday afternoon west of the downtown area. Floodgates at nearby dams are also being opened Wednesday morning to release storm runoff.

City leaders posted on Facebook that they’ll shut down West Sandstone Street from Malone to Lauderdale streets starting at 4 p.m. due to anticipated flood waters. Flag Creek, which runs to the Llano River, is in that area, so it appears that’s the concern from the city.

The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) said around 7:45 p.m. Tuesday that it planned to open up floodgates at Wirtz and Max Starcke dams early Wednesday. The floodgate at Wirtz will release storm runoff flowing into Lake LBJ from the Llano River and the gates at Starcke will move runoff downstream into Lake Travis, according to the LCRA website .

“Flows will be fast and water levels will be higher than usual downstream of the dams,” LCRA said.

LCRA said early Wednesday two floodgates at Wirtz Dam had been opened. Three floodgates at Max Starcke Dam were also opened to move the runoff downstream into Lake Travis.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flood warning for the Llano River in Llano starting Tuesday evening. It’s anticipating the water there to rise to 14.8 feet late Wednesday morning, which is 12 feet higher than its current levels.

According to the NWS, this kind of flooding could threaten docks and boats in the floodplain downstream in Kingsland. Some roads and bridges could be flooded, too, making it potentially dangerous to drivers.

John Hofmann, the executive vice president for water at the LCRA, said rain totals in the Hill Country ranged from three to six inches. That’s brought more water into the Llano River watershed than it’s had in over a year, he added.

“Because of that, folks need to be very careful. They need to stay away from low-water crossings. They need to pay attention to any warnings from local law enforcement,” Hofmann said. “Because we haven’t seen this much rain in a while, there’s probably some people in the area that maybe are not as familiar as they could be with some of the things that happen when there’s flooding like what we’re experiencing right now.”

Volunteers working with the Highland Lakes Crisis Network , which comprises a network of churches in the area, told KXAN they’re on standby to assist with providing resources or assisting governmental agencies to help anyone impacted by potential flooding. This organization formed after the disastrous 2018 flood that struck the same area.

Kevin Naumann, who helps lead the network, said anyone interested in being placed on its list for notifications in the event they need to mobilize can visit the group’s website .

“One of the great things that did come out of that last flood was that we were able to amass a really big volunteer network and so we have all those contacts,” Naumann explained Tuesday. “Just at a moment’s notice, I’m able to send out an email, and people start rallying behind whichever project is needed. We have our warehouse that’s ready to go to support material needs and some of those more tangible things.”

Additionally, LCRA’s Hofmann said a surge in water could result in the LCRA having to open floodgates at the Wirtz and Max Starcke Dams as soon as Wednesday, which would in turn boost levels at Lakes Buchanan and Travis.

“That water would make its way from the Llano River down through those two dams into the upper end of Lake Travis, and that would be where the rise in Lake Travis would come from,” Hofmann said.

Throughout the day Tuesday, neighbors kept stopping by the park overlooking the Llano River bridge in Llano to check out the conditions. Carrying a yellow and red striped umbrella, Julie Ireland said she wanted to see whether the storms further west had started carrying any debris downstream yet, which they hadn’t.

“If you see water, turn around. Don’t try to go cross it. That’s the warning people should respect,” Ireland said. “I have one low-water crossing. I should be okay going home, but people really need to consider that.”

KXAN will keep monitoring the conditions and provide the latest information, as it becomes available.

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