Flood watch for Hill Country, I-35 corridor in effect until 7 p.m., local warnings sent

Multiple flood warnings have been sent Sunday morning since a flood watch for the Hill Country and the Interstate 35 corridor was issued by the National Weather Service.

The flood watch, in effect until 7 p.m. Sunday, applies to Bandera, Bexar, Blanco, Burnet, Comal, Edwards, Gillespie, Hays, Kendall, Kerr, Kinney, Llano, Medina, Real, Travis, Uvalde, Val Verde and Williamson counties.

While the weather service expected widespread rainfall amounts in the watch area of up to 4 inches, with isolated amounts of 9 to 12 inches, localized flood warnings included reports of dangerously high rainfall amounts leading to flash flooding along rivers and low-lying areas.

“A weak upper-level system (of low atmospheric pressure) approaching from the north, combined with above-normal moisture will result in locally heavy rainfall across the region through this evening,” forecasters said in the flood watch announcement. “This rainfall, along with saturated soils, will lead to rapid runoff.”

Kerr County

A flood warning was extended for the Guadalupe River at Hunt in Kerr County until late Monday morning. The weather service reported that at 9:35 a.m. Sunday, the river at Hunt was staging at 8.2 feet.

"The river will rise above flood stage this afternoon to 13.2 feet late this afternoon," forecasters said. "It will then fall below flood stage late this evening to 9.1 feet just after midnight tonight. It will rise to 9.3 feet tomorrow morning. It will then fall again and remain below flood stage."

The weather service warned that at 12 feet, floodwaters would reach the floor of the Texas 39 bridge about two miles east of Hunt. The river's record crest at that location was 13.5 feet on Dec. 21, 1991.

Burnet and Williamson counties

A flash flood warning for central Burnet County and northwestern Williamson County is in effect until noon Sunday. At 9:39 a.m., emergency management officials reported flash flooding at RM 963 and CR 201 from the San Gabriel River, the weather service said.

"Up to 1 inch of rain has fallen," forecasters said. "The expected rainfall rate is 1 to 2 inches in 1 hour. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are possible in the warned area."

Communities that could experience flash flooding include Georgetown, Burnet, Bertram, Florence, Mahomet, Joppa, Shady Grove and Andice.

Gillespie and Llano counties

A flash flood warning was in effect in northwestern Gillespie County and western Llano County until 12:45 p.m. Sunday. The weather service said Doppler radar at 10:16 a.m. spotted thunderstorms producing heavy rainfall across areas where up to 5 inches had already fallen. Another inch of rain was possible.

Communities that could experience flash flooding include Llano, Castell, Prairie Mountain, Cherry Spring, Field Creek and Doss.