“The Storm Prediction Center has placed the Interstate 35 corridor and the Hill Country under a slight risk for severe thunderstorms through 7 a.m. Wednesday morning,” he said on LCRA’s weather blog. “The western and northern Hill Country, roughly west of a San Saba to Leakey to Del Rio Line, has been placed under an Enhanced Risk for severe thunderstorms.”
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center, numerous severe storms are expected across the southern Great Plains including parts of Texas late this afternoon and into the evening. Very large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes are possible with the storms, the forecast states.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration one day outlook shows a slight risk of severe weather for the Austin area overnight and into Wednesday.[/caption]Across the Edwards Plateau, isolated storms should become more widespread as the evening progresses and a front of high winds and rain travels east past I-35, the forecast states.
For those along the Highland Lakes and lower Colorado River, LCRA offers a subscription-based flood operations notification service that notifies subscribers of dam operations resulting from flooding along the river, LCRA spokesperson Clara Tuma said in a news release.
“The Highland Lakes sit in the middle of Flash Flood Alley, and flooding along the lakes and lower Colorado River can occur without much advance notice,” John Hofmann, LCRA executive vice president of water, said in the news release. “We’re blessed to have full lakes this spring, and rain in the watershed could prompt us to move to flood operations very quickly. We encourage everyone to be prepared for the possibility of flooding.”
Lake levels are high at a combined 98 percent full, with Lake Travis officially at 100 percent—or 966 acre-feet more than when the lake is deemed full—and Lake Buchanan is at 95 percent.
Tuma said when flood operations begin at dams flows downstream can be higher and swifter, and those nearby should exercise caution to protect people and property.
To subscribe for LCRA flood notifications, visit www.lcra.org/FONS or call 512-578-3246.
