Flash Flood — Gillespie, Texas

2020-03-21 · near Morris Ranch, Gillespie, Texas

Direct deaths

$10K

Property damage

Event narrative

At 9:26 p.m. CDT Saturday, March 21, the Gillespie County Sheriff's Office and Fredericksburg Fire EMS responded to a report of a vehicle that had been swept away by fast-moving water at the Pedernales River crossing on Alfred Petsch Road. Upon arrival, it was determined that there had been four occupants in a vehicle, ages 36, 15, 14, and 13. Three people made it out of the vehicle safely but the 14-year-old was missing. Shortly after 11 p.m. CDT, the girl was located in the water about a mile from where the vehicle was. Emergency personnel began CPR and transported her to Hill Country Memorial Hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

Wider weather episode

Isentropic upglide over a cold airmass generated sufficient lift to produce rain showers across South Central Texas. A CoCoRAHS observer reported 1.8 of rain in a basin feeding the Pedernales River. This caused flash flooding along the river in Gillespie County.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (30.2102, -99.0081)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 873165. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.