Llano River crashes into the Highland Lakes, shuttering schools, collapsing a bridge, prompting evacuations

From Staff Reports •

The rising Llano River has prompted evacuations, toppled a Kingsland bridge and shut down school districts throughout the Highland Lakes due to floodwater and high water dangers.
Rainfall from a thunderstorms since Monday, Oct. 15 has dumped several inches of rain into the Llano area.
As of 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16, rainfall reports are:
• 6 inches in San Saba
• 10 in., Llano
• 10 in., Lampasas
• 6 in., Mason
• 6 in., Burnet
• 5.7 in., Marble Falls
That runoff has made its way downstream through Kingsland, Lake LBJ and Lake Marble Falls.
The Lower Colorado River Authority has opened all floodgates on Wirtz Dam on Lake LBJ and Max Starcke Dam on Lake Marble Falls to pass through to the Lake Travis reservoir downstream.
In Kingsland, fast-moving currents and debris took their toll on the so-called 2900 Bridge.
Debris mixed in with rushing currents have included a storage trailer, a barge, watercraft and pieces of lakeside structures.
Business along RR 1431 have temporarily closed due to flooding. The Llanorado RV Park in Kingsland on Lake LBJ has evacuated RV residents as water rose onto the property.
A number of lakeside homes including those on Lake Marble Falls have reported high-water creeping onto property, flooding docks and yards.
First responders have assisted Meadowlakes and Pecan Valley residents in voluntary evacuations adjacent to the city of Marble Falls.
Area school districts including Marble Falls, Burnet and Llano have closed for the day to avoid flooded roadways as well as low-water crossing dangers.
Several evacuation shelters have been set up for evacuees. They include the Kingsland Community Center, Kingsland First Baptist Church, Meadowlakes City Hall and Marble Falls Middle School.