Flash Flooding in Texas, August 23, 1998

By nightfall on the evening of Saturday, August 22nd, the remains of Charley had stalled over southern Uvalde and northern Zavala Counties. Heavy rainfall from the previous week had left soils in the two counties saturated. Through the night and into the early morning hours of Sunday, August 23rd, heavy rainfall in bands continued over mainly these two counties. Thunderstorms in the bands were producing rainfall rates approaching five inches per hour. A total of between 6 and 8 inches was reported between the towns of Uvalde, Batesville and Leakey. A devastating flood wave developed along the Frio, Dry Frio, Sabinal and Nueces Rivers and moved over camps, recreational areas and residential sections of Uvalde, Real and Zavala Counties.Four lives were lost where a small creek crosses Highway 41 about four miles west of the highway 83 intersection in the extreme northeast corner of Real County near 7:30 am CST. This was at the divide between the South Fork of the Llano, the Frio, and the Guadalupe River drainages. Most likely the incident occurred in the South Fork of the Llano River drainage. Eleven citizens of Mexico were traveling in a 3/4 ton pickup truck as it drove into the flooded roadway. All occupants were thrown into the river, and all but four were rescued by volunteer firemen from Hunt, Mountain Home, and Kerrville.