The calamitous Hill Country floods this month have spurred Waco-area emergency planners to discuss how to further safeguard residents from major flooding.
They say this area is far less vulnerable to catastrophic flooding than Kerr and surrounding counties, where some 134 adults and children died in the July 4 floods along the Guadalupe and other rivers. More than 100 remained missing this week.
Waco-area officials here say flood control dams at Lakes Waco, Aquilla and Whitney protect Waco from river flooding, as they did during heavy rainstorms this week.
They say Waco’s early warning system is also more developed than the systems around Kerrville.
But more localized flood risks remain in Greater Waco. Here is a closer look at those risks, how local officials have prepared for them and what residents can do to prepare.
How are potential floods tracked?
Protecting Waco-area residents from floods involves collaborating with local, regional and federal partners on weather forecasting. It also involves monitoring a host of U.S. Geological Service gauges along the Brazos River and its tributaries.
“The more we know, the better we do,” says Ryan Dirker, coordinator of the Waco-McLennan County Office of Emergency Management.
The automated gauges sense changes in river flow and height. They are the nervous system feeding real-time data to emergency management staff, allowing Dirker’s team to model the likelihood of flooding and pinpoint who to warn.
“These systems are getting better every year,” Dirker said, and more river gauges are likely on the way.
“We are looking to add to that sensor network over the course of the next year, which would give us a better picture of what’s happening along the different parts of the Brazos River at any given time.”
How can I get notified of emergencies?
Greater Waco boasts a “robust” outdoor warning siren network, Dirker said. Waco has 34 sirens, with others in towns such as McGregor, Bellmead, Lacy-Lakeview and Crawford.
Though the sirens are generally activated in extreme weather, there are conversations about tethering the system to flood stages in light of the Hill Country disaster, Dirker said.
“But the most effective thing people can do is sign up for our reverse notification system called Everbridge,” he said.
Everbridge pushes out flood warnings similar to Amber alerts through cell tower networks. Everbridge users can customize notifications for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, active shooters and more.
Residents in flood-prone areas will receive a text alert regarding flash flooding whether or not they sign up.
“Any time there’s a flood warning or a flash flood warning, those alerts will go directly to your phone, so you will instantly be notified the second that the weather service kicks a flash flood warning,” Dirker said.
What areas are at risk of flooding?
Flood-prone areas of Waco include a section of East Waco between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Sherman Street, according to Texas Water Development Board flood simulations of a severe flood event.
Low-lying parts of far south Waco are more likely to see flooding because the Brazos floodplain fans out in those areas. Honey Lane in the Downsville area is known for occasional flooding by the Brazos River, according to past news reports.
Portions of the city along Waco Creek, including Baylor University’s campus and southern portions of downtown and Austin Avenue are also at increased risk of flooding, according to the city’s floodplain viewer tool.
Dirker said Waco Creek is always a concern during heavy, sustained storms, “but it’s a concern we feel like we’ve got a pretty good handle on. We keep a close eye on it and our staff are out there physically monitoring various flood-prone segments.”
Could a catastrophic flood hit Waco?
It’s highly unlikely, Dirker said, for a number of reasons.
Geography is one: Waco is flatter compared to the Hill Country, where water collects more quickly in rivers and rushes down with greater force.
Human engineering is another. Lake Whitney on the Brazos River and Lake Waco on the North and South Bosque rivers serve as hydraulic speed bumps, capturing floodwater and releasing it gradually.
Together with Lake Aquilla, they can impound 650 billion gallons, enough to fill Lake Waco to a normal level more than 10 times.
Since the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers impounded the modern Lake Waco in 1964 to control the North and South Bosque rivers, there have been no major flood events in the city resembling those of the early 20th century, when the river crested above 40 feet and swamped parts of East Waco.
“Our goal is to be able to release that excess water safely downstream in order to make room for the next storm,” said Lake Waco manager Mike Champagne of the Corps of Engineers.
High water on the North and Middle Bosque River caused the lake level to peak early Tuesday just short of 470 feet above sea level, nearly 8 feet above normal. The dam was releasing more than 7,800 cubic feet per second Tuesday, making room in the lake to hold back any future storms.
How can I track flooding?
- Explore real time flood modeling and scenarios with the Texas Water Development Board’s InFRM dashboard.
- Track USGS gauges in real time with this mapping tool.
- Visit the City of Waco’s Floodplain Viewer to see which areas of the city are at risk during a 100- and 500-year flood event.
- See real-time levels and flows at Lake Waco using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water management dashboard.
Editor’s note: This story has been edited to clarify that residents at risk in flood emergency area will be notified by text even without signing up for Everbridge.
