Flood — Bastrop, Texas

2017-08-27 to 2017-08-29 · near Bastrop, Bastrop, Texas

Event narrative

A number of places in Fayette, Lavaca, and Bastrop Counties received 20 or more inches of rain. Tropical storm force winds with estimated gusts up to 60 mph caused damage across the region. Trees and branches were knocked down by the winds. Some of these in turn knocked down power lines causing power outages. 100 People were evacuated in Bastrop County. Rainfall over the far western side of Bastrop County was about 12 inches, while the Smithville area had a 7 day rain total of nearly 24 inches. The Colorado River at Smithville crested near 32 feet on August 28, flooding about 60 homes in the Smithville area. There were about 150 low water crossings underwater and many roads were damaged. Overall estimates to damage in the county are about 1.5 million dollars, about a million of that coming from damage to roads and bridges.

Wider weather episode

Hurricane Harvey moved onshore as a Category 4 hurricane over San Jose Island east of Rockport during the late evening of August 25th. Harvey moved inland entering southern DeWitt County during the morning of August 26th as a Category 1 hurricane. It continued to weaken as it moved farther inland eventually reaching south central Gonzales County as a tropical storm during the late evening of August 26th. The center of the storm made a loop through Gonzales, Karnes, and DeWitt Counties before exiting our County Warning Area during the afternoon of August 27th moving into Victoria County. The maximum sustained winds were 46 mph recorded at Austin Bergstrom International Airport and at two private weather stations, one near Yorktown and the other near Smiley. The maximum recorded wind gusts were 58 mph at New Braunfels Airport, Randolph AFB, and at a private weather station near Smiley. The highest rainfall total was 29.19 inches outside of LaGrange in Fayette County. A number of places in Fayette, Lavaca, and Bastrop Counties received 20 or more inches of rain. Tropical storm force winds with estimated gusts up to 60 mph caused damage across the region. Trees and branches were knocked down by the winds. Some of these in turn knocked down power lines causing power outages in Bastrop, Comal, Hays, and Guadalupe Counties. At one point, 15,000 customers in Comal County were without power. There was also some minor structural damage in Caldwell, Comal, and Lavaca Counties. Maximum rainfall totals in these counties ranged from 4.67 inches in Bexar to 29.19 in Fayette. Flooding and flash flooding forced 608 people to be evacuated from their homes. Most of these, 400, were in Fayette County.

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Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 798845. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.