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FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX

338 PM CDT TUE SEP 4 2001



...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TONIGHT OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF

SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...



A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING

COUNTIES IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS:



ATASCOSA...BASTROP...BEXAR...CALDWELL...COMAL...DEWITT...

FAYETTE...FRIO...GONZALES...GUADALUPE...HAYS...KARNES...LAVACA...

LEE...MEDINA...TRAVIS...WILLIAMSON AND WILSON.



AT LATE AFTERNOON...NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WHICH HAD

DEVELOPED OVER THE COASTAL PLAINS WERE EDGING INTO THE SOUTHEASTERN

COUNTIES OF THE WATCH AREA.   RAINFALL RATES VARIED FROM ONE QUARTER

UP TO ONE INCH PER HOUR IN STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS.



FURTHER RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT THROUGHOUT THE WATCH

AREA AS AN UPPER LEVEL LOW REMAINS STALLED OVER TEXAS.  RAINFALL

ESTIMATES THROUGH TONIGHT ARE FOR A GENERAL ONE INCH OF ADDITIONAL

RAIN WITH 2 TO 4 INCHES IN SPOTS...MAINLY IN THE SOUTHEAST.  MUCH OF

SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS REMAINS SATURATED FROM PREVIOUS RAINS OF THE PAST

WEEK. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL ONLY RESULT IN RAPID RUNOFF AND

RESULTANT FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN LOW LYING OR FLOOD PRONE AREAS.



A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING COULD OCCUR IN THE

WATCH AREA.  PERSONS IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND HILL COUNTRY SHOULD

CHECK PREPAREDNESS REQUIREMENTS...STAY INFORMED OF THE LATEST WEATHER

AND RIVER FORECAST AND ADVISORIES...AND BE READY TO MOVE TO HIGHER

GROUND AND A PLACE OF SAFETY IF HEAVY RAIN OR FLOODING IS OBSERVED...

OR A WARNING IS ISSUED.



MOTORISTS CAN PROTECT THEIR PROPERTY AND AVOID UNNECESSARY

INJURY...BY AVOIDING FLOODED LOW-WATER CROSSINGS AND UNDERPASSES

THAT ARE UNDER RAPIDLY-FLOWING WATER...AND NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE

AROUND BARRICADES.  THIS IS AGAINST THE LAW...AND COULD BE

LIFE-THREATENING.  CHILDREN SHOULD BE KEPT AWAY FROM CREEK AND RIVER

BANKS THAT COULD GIVE WAY FROM RAINS AND FLOOD WATERS.  DO NOT LET

CHILDREN PLAY IN OR NEAR FLOOD DRAINAGE DITCHES OR CULVERTS. HIKERS

AND CAMPERS NEAR FLOOD-PRONE CREEKS AND RIVERS SHOULD MOVE TO HIGHER

GROUND AND FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM THE FLOOD PLAIN TO PROTECT LIFE AND

PROPERTY.  FARMERS AND RANCHERS SHOULD MAKE SURE LIVESTOCK...POULTRY

AND EQUIPMENT ARE MOVED TO PROTECTED LOCATIONS.  SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS

ALSO SHOULD BE ALERT WHEN APPROACHING OR DRIVING NEAR LOW-WATER

CROSSINGS...CREEKS AND FLOOD-PRONE ROADS.



ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.

STAY TUNED TO LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

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