Central Texas residents rally to aid neighbors amid major flooding, with Lampasas County facing severe damage and mandatory evacuations as rivers rise.
LAMPASAS COUNTY, Texas — On the heels of heavy hearts and deep devastation, areas of Central Texas are holding onto the hope that the floods will be over soon.
“I turned and looked at my husband. I said, ‘This one’s a bad one,’” said Ginnefer Gass, a Lampasas resident.
Lampasas County is about two hours northeast of Kerr County, where more than 100 people were killed in flash floods on July 4.
“We were just helping last week, Bernard, Kerrville, Ruby Hill, all down in there. And then this week it’s hit us,” Gass said.
Heavy rain caused more flooding in the region, hitting areas like Lampasas and its neighboring county, San Saba. Residents shared video after video of flood water rushing through streets and of the nearby Sulphur Creek rising. The Lampasas River rose from its normal 10-foot level to more than 30 feet.
“We had a flood last year,” Gass said. “It was nowhere near this, nowhere near this.”
Lampasas Police said in a Facebook post that they closed numerous low-water crossings and roadways, as many were impassable.
San Saba County issued mandatory evacuations as the San Saba River is expected to rise above 31 feet by Sunday night. The National Weather Service categorized the rise of the river as “major.”
“Some people’s lost everything here, and that just doesn’t happen in our little town,” Gass said.
Despite the damage to her own home, Gass and her family are collecting donations to help others, pushing through the hurt and pain the floods have caused.
“We’re Texas strong, and it shook us, but it’s not going to break us,” Gass said.
Areas in Lampasas County, such as Kempner, also issued evacuations. Since July 4, more than 100 homes have been destroyed along the San Saba River. The flooding has caused roughly $10 million in damages.