Posted: Sun, 29 May 2011 07:45 AM - 15,649 Readers
By: Austin-American Statesman
The deluge came on Memorial Day weekend 1981, when several hours of torrential rain quickly overwhelmed Austin's creeks and storm drains.
Shoal Creek, which has a typical flow of 90 gallons per minute, saw 6 million gallons of water per minute roar down it toward what was then called Town Lake and is now known as Lady Bird Lake. Other creeks saw similar torrents. The May 24, 1981, flood drowned 13 people; an untold number were saved by police officers, firefighters and other public servants and bystanders-turned-rescuers.
"What it did was basically wake up Austin to the dangers of flooding," said Lynne Lightsey, public information manager at the city's Watershed Protection Department.
The following year, the city launched its emergency operations center. It also focused on helping first responders prepare for future floods.
In 1981, "We had no life jackets, no dry or wet suits, no rescue boats or throw lines to toss to people in the water to rescue them. We had no swift water training," said Jim Allday, who was working as a city paramedic the night of the flood and is now clinical coordinator with Travis County's STAR Flight.
Allday said the county now has three helicopters and first responders have night-vision goggles to help them spot people in the dark. They also now have proper gear — water helmets with lights, dry and wet suits, personal flotation devices designed for rescue, inflatable rafts and rescue boats.
The city also teamed with the U.S. Geological Survey to start a flood early-warning system that monitors 120 stream flow and rain gauges throughout the city.
Since 1981, the city has spent $200 million to buy and raze 450 flood-prone homes along creeks, build flood walls and retention ponds, expand creeks like Shoal Creek for more water-carrying capacity and improve storm drains in older neighborhoods.
But even with the improvements, Austin is always going to be prone to flooding and flash flooding because of its rocky soil, steep terrain and its location in the path of storms from the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific, Lightsey said.
Many American-Statesman readers remember the flood of '81 and shared their stories.
— Dave Harmon and Ricardo Gándara
I was 15 years old at the time, working at the County Line on the Lake as a busboy.
As the rain continued, water started coming in off the parking lot straight in through the front door. We tried to stop the water by placing linen bags like sand bags around the front porch but to no avail. Before we knew it, there was 3 to 4 inches of water in the restaurant. At that time, the manager comped all the patron's meals, asked them to leave and closed the restaurant.
Bull Creek was now a raging river and was swelling so high it was up over the outdoor decks and very close to coming in the restaurant. I remember seeing all kinds of debris floating down the river, including a 1,000-gallon propane tank.
Soon after, we heard what were probably the most bloodcurdling, desperate screams I have ever heard in my life. It was a man clinging to a tree on the other side of the river. We were absolutely helpless to do anything for him but shout encouragement. Someone had a powerful spotlight, and we watched as he finally pulled himself up high enough in the tree to avoid being swept downriver.
I later learned that he was in a car with, I believe, four other people who tried to cross the creek at the low-water crossing on RM 2222 and were swept off. Tragically, he was the only survivor; the rest were found in Lake Austin several days later.
— Russell Eppright, Austin
I was working at a private mental health facility in far South Austin. It was a locked unit, I was on crutches, and the only other staff working that night was brand new. The night staff was stuck and couldn't make it in, and by that, time neither of us could have made it out anyway due to the water on the roads. We ended up working a double and sat there talking all night. It was a start of a wonderful relationship that I still cherish today!
My wife and I got engaged about six months later, and here we are. Next March will be our 30th anniversary.
— Martin Cohn, Austin
