Flooding in Texas, August 23, 1998

Flooding along the headwaters of the Frio River was devastating, but campers had been removed in advance from the camps, preventing the need for dangerous last-minute rescues. Still, the flooding covered the entire camping area of Garner State Park in northeast Uvalde County. Water was reported to be five to six feet deep in some of the park building. Parts of some park structures were destroyed by the flood and washed downstream. Picnic tables and debris were strewn everywhere. Steel signs were bent to the ground. Without this timely evacuation, lives almost surely would have been lost. Flow in the camping area was several feet deep and moving very fast.Over twenty homes were flooded along the Frio River between Leakey and Concan. One log home floated downstream so serenely that furnishings inside were scarcely disturbed. A coffee pot on the kitchen counter remained in place. The crest at Concan was near 25.5 feet, about a foot higher than the disastrous flood of last year. Up to nine feet of water was reported in the camping areas of many commercial recreation camps between Rio Frio and Concan. Again, without early evacuations, several lives would surely have been lost. Helicopters were used to remove at least 40 campers from the flooded camps while nearly four times that many decided to remain. Flooding on the Dry Frio River was also disastrous, with several homes flooded and numerous vehicles washed downstream. Debris was strewn over many of the local Farm-to-Market roads, and several low bridges were rendered inaccessible.The Nueces River would again rise above flood stage, this time inundating ten homes downstream in Crystal City. Nearly all the secondary and primary roads in Zavala County were flooded as the wave passed. The river gauge at Asherton would crest at 29.98 feet, flood stage 20 feet, and would flood SH190.The Sabinal River rose to 17.67 feet by mid morning of the 23rd and again to 21.3 feet by mid afternoon of the 23rd.