Some celebrated....others watched in fear as it rained... and rained

  • You don’t usually see anyone walking on this bridge on Highway 16 at the San Saba River. But last Friday, July 4th, folks were closely watching the waters rise underneath the bridge. Courtesy of Kayti Lackey
    You don’t usually see anyone walking on this bridge on Highway 16 at the San Saba River. But last Friday, July 4th, folks were closely watching the waters rise underneath the bridge. Courtesy of Kayti Lackey
  • This was on East Wallace Street in front of the under water Mill Pond Park entrance on the morning of July 5th. The water level was even higher than this before it started to recede. Courtesy County Judge Jody Fauley
    This was on East Wallace Street in front of the under water Mill Pond Park entrance on the morning of July 5th. The water level was even higher than this before it started to recede. Courtesy County Judge Jody Fauley
  • Cherokee Fireworks photo courtesy of Valerie Valdez
    Cherokee Fireworks photo courtesy of Valerie Valdez

    While part of county celebrated Independence Day, the other side watched the San Saba river rise and rise and rise.

    Even though the San Saba Fireworks at Mill Pond Park were cancelled due to weather, the Cherokee fireworks were able to go on as scheduled.

    The San Saba Sheriff’s Office, County Judge Jody Fauley, Marsha Hardy and Wyatt Deans from Emergency Management, and many others kept everyone updated on the status of the San Saba River and the Colorado River, road closures, emergency shelter situation at Civic Center for those displaced by the flood, park closures, and more muchneeded information.

    The information is changing almost hourly. The following information came from the Sheriff’s Office at 9:16 Tuesday morning: Rising Flood Waters Alert 

    Floodwaters are continuing to rise across San Saba County, fueled not only by local rainfall but also by runoff from storms upstream. Even if skies are clear here, water from already-saturated areas is still making its way downstream.

    • The ground remains saturated and creek banks are swollen from previous storms, meaning it won’t take much to cause dangerous conditions.

    • Turn Around, Don’t Drown! Even a few inches of water can sweep a vehicle off the road.

    • Do NOT cross or remove barricades.

    They are placed for your safety and the safety of others.

    • Avoid flooded areas — it’s not worth the photo or video. No picture is worth risking your life or the lives of first responders.

    • Stay clear of low-water crossings and flood-prone areas.

    • Report dangerous conditions to local authorities.

    Please stay alert, stay back, and stay safe.

    The San Saba News & Star will do our best to keep you informed. As of press time on Tuesday, the San Saba river had started to rise... again.....

    Inside this week’s edition, you will find more updates from our officials, updates on several business, ways you can help, and much more.

    If you have information about flood recovery, business updates due to the flood, or information that needs to get out, please let us know. Deadline for next week’s edition is Monday 5 p.m.

    Please follow updates and warnings given by our officials.