Rapidly rising water temporarily trapped both evacuated residents and first responders outside of Half Price Books and Pizza Hut on the morning of May 24. Daily Record file photos
Above, water fills the roadway on State Highway 80 after massive flooding between May 23 and May 24.
A rescue team prepares to enter the floodwaters.
Recalling the 2015 Memorial Day weekend flood
As Memorial Day weekend arrives, so does the 5 year anniversary of the devastating 2015 floods that claimed the lives of 11 Hays County residents.
According to the National Weather Service, after weeks of abnormal rain fall across Central Texas, approximately 6-8 inches, and even as high as 10- 13 inches in certain areas, of rain fell in the Hill Country on the afternoon of May 23 and morning of May 24, leading to the Blanco River flooding.
The NWS reported that the Blanco River rose 5 feet every 15 minutes between 10:45 p.m. - 11:45 p.m on May 23 and eventually crested at just slightly over 43 feet. Numerous high-water rescues took place throughout the night on the Blanco and San Marcos Rivers.
Thousands of homes were inundated with water or washed from their plots and thousands of people within the region found themselves living in unlivable homes and without recourse to rebuild.
Out of the flood, the Blanco River Regional Recovery Team (BR3T) was established and the city received more than $30 million in disaster relief funding.
