Evacuated!

After a long summer of drought, heavy rains caused flooding of the Llano River in Junction TX early in October.  My neighbours at Rio Vista Resort in Kingsland were advised to pull their boats out of Lake LBJ due to turbulence from the waters rushing in.  This video from facebook shows the violence of the flow as it moves through Castell. https://www.facebook.com/kmarion2006/videos/2382204188462101/

The Llano River reaches flood stage at 10 feet, and it was there!  Then overnight, less than a week later, heavy rains brought it to 42 feet and devastation hit Kingsland!  Most of these are photos I pulled off facebook and I'm not sure who to credit.  Moving down river, they show the bridges and dams as they usually are and as they were during the flood.

Route 16 Bridge, Llano TX

Kingsland Slab

Slab Road Closed

The bridge on 2900 didn't survive.

Route 2900 Bridge, Kingsland TX

The Llano River and the Colorado River join together at Kingsland and Rio Vista Resort sits on the point at the junction.  I took these shots of my "new" car on the 6th of October.  Note the office and trailer in the background of the photo on the left.

These were taken 10 days later, on the morning of the 16th.

About 1 pm that afternoon I was told the lake was expected to rise another ten feet, to get out while I still could.  The 1431 bridge to Marble Falls was under water, and so was 1431 into Kingsland.  The 2900 bridge was under water, if not already washed away.  Euel Moore Drive was flooded.  My only escape was through a deep puddle near Kingsland Park, onto Euel Moore Drive to access the little (usually one way) lane for parents leaving the Elementary School after dropping off their children!
I was advised to take EmaGene as they weren't sure my little car would make it through the puddle, but I'd rather lose the truck.  Keeping the clutch in and engine revved so she wouldn't suck water, I coasted through and was able to make it to my friend's in East Buchanan.

Kingsland Dairy Queen

1431 between Rio Vista & Kingsland

More flood gates were open on the dams than any time in their history!  I heard on the news that Lake Travis took on more water in the day than the City of Austin uses in four years!!!

Wirtz Dam between Lake LBJ and Lake Marble Falls

EmaGene & TowTow escaped damage

US 281 bridge in Marble Falls

Starke Dam between Lake Marble Falls and Lake Travis

One man survived going over Starke Dam trying to retrieve his boat!

Safely tucked away in Buchanan Dam until we can find a new spot.

EmaGene and TowTow were far enough from the edge of the lake to stay dry.  Once 1431 into Kingsland was passable I was able to retrieve them and take them to storage.
Texas Hill Country has become my home.  Though I will be travelling with work, this is where I will return between assignments.
  I am currently looking for a piece of land where zoning will allow me to live in TowTow and have a storage shed for my bikes.