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10-09-2018, 12:56 PM
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#1
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Winnie-Wise
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: *
Posts: 337
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RV Park Wiped Out in Junction, TX
news/2018/10/09/aftermath-llano-river-flooding-junction-texas-oct-8-2018/1570705002/
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10-09-2018, 05:07 PM
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#2
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Site Team
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Spring Branch, TX
Posts: 7,783
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We’ve stayed there back in January. The RV Park was built right next to the river bottom and they didn’t have much room so about 2-years ago they expanded into the dry part of the river flood zone. It was obvious that it was built expecting some flooding occasionally.
But yesterday’s flood was 30+ feet above flood stage. It took out the newer overflow camping area and much of the original RV park too.
We go to Junction 4 or 5 times a year but we stay at the State Park 7-mi south of town. In fact we’ll be there on the 18th and 19th this month. The road into the State Park floods so the park is closed today but they expect it to open by Friday this week.
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2017 Winnebago Adventurer 37F
2016 Lincoln MKX Toad
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10-22-2018, 09:53 AM
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#3
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Sarnialabad, Peoples Republik of Canuckistan
Posts: 1,251
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We passed through there on the 7th, and stopped for coffee at the PFJ just after noon. Very unfortunate that lives were lost.
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11-05-2018, 04:04 PM
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#4
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Apache Junction, AZ
Posts: 1,244
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Quote:
Originally Posted by creativepart
We’ve stayed there back in January. The RV Park was built right next to the river bottom and they didn’t have much room so about 2-years ago they expanded into the dry part of the river flood zone. It was obvious that it was built expecting some flooding occasionally.
But yesterday’s flood was 30+ feet above flood stage. It took out the newer overflow camping area and much of the original RV park too.
We go to Junction 4 or 5 times a year but we stay at the State Park 7-mi south of town. In fact we’ll be there on the 18th and 19th this month. The road into the State Park floods so the park is closed today but they expect it to open by Friday this week.
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Is that North Llano River RV Park? We used to stay there every time we drove through that park of Texas until we found South Llano River State Park.
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11-05-2018, 09:20 PM
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#5
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Site Team
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Spring Branch, TX
Posts: 7,783
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AJMike
Is that North Llano River RV Park? We used to stay there every time we drove through that park of Texas until we found South Llano River State Park.
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No, it was the South Llano River RV Park, east of town, just below the big metal framework bridge. We've been by there twice since the flood. There are still a few 5th wheels on their side and lodge up against trees. It's sad.
I spent this past weekend at the State Park. It was closed for 2-weeks prior due to the flooding. It was massive amounts of water and it was a sudden thing. People at the State Park were trapped for 3-days and couldn't leave due to the swollen river. Even after 2-weeks of work to clear everything there has a huge amount of debris everywhere still.
The water was over 15' high where it runs through the small canyon between the park and the highway.
There was a newer concrete bridge across the river down by the Texas Tech Campus/Campground. It was washed out and the road into the camp from for highway is going to be closed a long time. Luckily there is a back way into that facility.
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2017 Winnebago Adventurer 37F
2016 Lincoln MKX Toad
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11-06-2018, 08:19 AM
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#6
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Apache Junction, AZ
Posts: 1,244
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Quote:
Originally Posted by creativepart
No, it was the South Llano River RV Park, east of town, just below the big metal framework bridge. We've been by there twice since the flood. There are still a few 5th wheels on their side and lodge up against trees. It's sad.
I spent this past weekend at the State Park. It was closed for 2-weeks prior due to the flooding. It was massive amounts of water and it was a sudden thing. People at the State Park were trapped for 3-days and couldn't leave due to the swollen river. Even after 2-weeks of work to clear everything there has a huge amount of debris everywhere still.
The water was over 15' high where it runs through the small canyon between the park and the highway.
There was a newer concrete bridge across the river down by the Texas Tech Campus/Campground. It was washed out and the road into the camp from for highway is going to be closed a long time. Luckily there is a back way into that facility.
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That is just terrible.
We tend to stay in or around Junction on our way to and from San Antonio and I have always thought it was a nice little town. We used to stay at the North RV park next to the river and near the Interstate but when we found South Llano River State Park we started staying there instead. It is a really nice park, full of wildlife and a great place for photography, and we have enjoyed all of our stays. I hope people were not hurt during the flood.
What was the source of all of the rain? Some hurricane moving across Texas? And is the road to Junction from the East, across that metal framework bridge, still open?
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11-06-2018, 08:33 AM
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#7
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Kingsland, Texas
Posts: 192
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AJMIKE - source of rain was a combination of things over many days and hundreds of square miles. The flooding and devestation extended from Junction and surrounding areas to Austin and beyond. Yes, the metal bridge is open and unharmed.
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11-06-2018, 11:39 AM
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#8
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Site Team
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Spring Branch, TX
Posts: 7,783
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I think it was the remnant of a Hurricane that hit the pacific coast of Mexico and traveled northeast. At least that's what we were told. Inks lake got hit pretty bad too.
No one was in danger at the State Park, but water did get into the northern half of the campground and some people had to move. The entrance where you cross over the viaduct to enter the park was under 4+ feelt of water and when you drive into the park you can see evidence of flooding for about 600 feet in width.
All the day use picnic grounds were washed away and will be closed till next year or so.
The flooding got halfway up to the bottom of the metal bridge. If you can imagine that. It must be 25 feet to the river from that bridge. But no damage to the bridge is what they say.
Here's what you still see when you drive by the scene:
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2017 Winnebago Adventurer 37F
2016 Lincoln MKX Toad
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12-10-2018, 02:13 PM
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#9
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Apache Junction, AZ
Posts: 1,244
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We passed through Junction on our way from South Llano River State Park around Dec 1 and there were still 3 wrecks of RVs at the park. It was a sad thing to see, and a bit surprising that they were still there so long after the flood.
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12-10-2018, 04:17 PM
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#10
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Pflugerville/Austin, Tx
Posts: 7,368
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This is something that we all need to become more aware of as things change. This was an extreme event and caught a lot of folks not ready. One of the bigger items which likely did not catch much national attention is one that tells how extreme it was. The city of Austin was in danger for some time due to all the local flood control lakes being full and it was thought that more flood gates would have to be opened even though the flooding along the lake through Austin was going to be a political disaster! The Colorado River Authority walked a very fine line and flooded several towns along the river to only moderate levels but the city of Austin really got egged as the water treatment plant wasn't able to handle the large amount of mud at the water intake and as a result the Whole Austin water system had to go on a boil order far several days to a week. Over a million customers and no water to drink?
The beer brewers came through in the crisis and were offering filtered water for free! Kind of hard to bath the kids with a one liter bottle, though.
Texas A&M has done a study of how folks moving out of the coast areas will change Texas population and one of the predictions is that 800,000 will be moved to the Austin area. That is giving the city planners quite a bit of heartburn when they think of how close the area came to running out of water during the last drought!
Radical weather changes are expected to come around more often as we move into the future.
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12-11-2018, 07:11 AM
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#12
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Apache Junction, AZ
Posts: 1,244
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Crows
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This was a terrible tragedy, made even more so by the loss of life. When I drove over the bridge coming into Junction I was surprised to see the broken RVs in the park near the river, and still do not really understand where all of the water came from. @IOS3 said that it was heavy rain throughout the area and I am sure that is right, but it is hard to understand how heavy rain could cause such a rise in the level of the river. I don't dispute it, it just seems hard to understand.
My wife loves to camp near lakes and rivers, and tragedies like this one should serve to remind us that nature can be very dangerous and we should always be careful in her presence. RVs stand no chance against flood waters or other natural disasters.
The story of the woman who was rescued 20 miles down the river is amazing and at least one good outcome from this flood. Thanks for sharing it.
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12-11-2018, 07:43 AM
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#13
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Apache Junction, AZ
Posts: 1,244
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One more thing to mention. It seems like a small thing compared to the loss of life, but it does say something about how terrible this was.
When we travel through Texas we typically stay at South Llano River State Park. It is a wonderful place, close to Junction but not too close, with campsites so far removed from the travel routes that you can not hear any highway sounds. It has bird blinds for photographers and had wonderful walking paths, but the storm did so much damage to the trees and shrubs that the small lake that we used to walk around is now almost barren of shade trees. The park people, in trying to clean up the mess left by the storm, have had to cut down or severely prune all of the beautiful trees.
A simple look at the difference between before and after the storm is enough to tell one how terrible the floods must have been.
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