Updated
Updated · KUT · Jul 17
LCRA to Open 2 Mansfield Dam Floodgates as Texas Flooding Kills 2
Updated
Updated · KUT · Jul 17

LCRA to Open 2 Mansfield Dam Floodgates as Texas Flooding Kills 2

3 articles · Updated · KUT · Jul 17

Summary

  • Two Mansfield Dam floodgates will open Saturday morning and early afternoon as floodwaters push Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan toward 100% capacity for the first time since 2019.
  • More than 20 inches of rain fell in parts of Central Texas between Monday and Thursday, and flood warnings remained in effect Friday for rivers including the Guadalupe, Pedernales, Nueces and Llano.
  • Two people died Thursday in the Kerrville and Uvalde areas, while flooding also triggered evacuations, hundreds of rescues, and road and building damage.
  • Part of the FM 481 bridge southwest of Uvalde was destroyed by the Nueces River, and counties around Midland and Odessa stayed under a flood watch through early Friday evening.
  • Gov. Greg Abbott requested a presidential disaster declaration for dozens of Southwest Texas counties as the state confronts another major flood season just over a year after floods that killed more than 130 people.

Insights

With lakes overflowing, why must Texas still spend billions preparing for extreme water scarcity?
As floodwaters surge, is Texas letting a solution to the next drought flow out to sea?