Storm hits Central Texas, causes sewage spill in Austin

AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF ^ | Wednesday, April 7, 2004 | By Monica Polanco and Tony Plohetski

[Arrowhead1952]

Three to four inches fall in areas hardest hit

By Monica Polanco and Tony Plohetski

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Wednesday, April 7, 2004

Some parts of Central Texas received as much as 4 inches of rain Tuesday during a storm that was blamed for a raw sewage spill in Austin and that may have caused a fatal wreck in Leander.

An area of stalled low pressure over New Mexico started moving Monday night, causing a large area of rain and thunderstorms over West Texas. The storm then moved east, dumping 3 1/2 inches of rain in Round Rock, more than 2 inches of rain in Georgetown, and 1 3/4 inches at Camp Mabry. Austin Bergstrom International Airport received about three-quarters of an inch, said Bob Rose, a meteorologist with the Lower Colorado River Authority. The path of the heaviest rains, ranging from 3 to 4 inches, stretched from Kerrville to Fredericksburg to Johnson City to Cedar Park.

Police said rain probably caused a fatal wreck in Leander. Delbert White, 43, of Lampasas, was driving north on U.S. 183 when his vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic and was struck by a truck, Leander police said. White was pronounced dead at the scene. The wreck occurred at 5 a.m. The driver of the truck, Douglas Hunter of Killeen, was treated at Georgetown hospital and released. In Pflugerville, a driver became stuck in a low-water crossing on Pfluger Lane just east of FM 685. High water carried the vehicle into a creek. Pflugerville firefighters rescued Chante Davis, who was taken to Round Rock Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

About 30 minutes later, a home on Dansworth Drive in Pflugerville caught fire and became fully engulfed. A neighbor reported seeing lightning strike near the house. No one was injured.

In Austin, rain was the culprit behind a raw sewage spill about 9:20 a.m., according to the Lower Colorado River Authority. More than 100,000 gallons spilled through a manhole into Brushy Creek above County Road 122, possibly affecting Brushy Creek and communities downstream. Officials think the heavy stream flow will dilute the sewage and did not chemically treat the water. The Brazos River Authority said it will test Brushy Creek bacteria.

Lakewood Drive at Bull Creek was closed and was expected to remain closed until sometime this morning due to excessive water. Several traffic lights were out, streams were high and water was standing in some roads.

Austin firefighters were told a person may have been swept into Little Walnut Creek about 8:15 a.m., but they did not find anyone.

Today is expected to be partly cloudy with a high around 82 degrees and a low near 60 degrees tonight.

[Arrowhead1952]

This was one of the strongest, short duration storm systems to hit the central Texas area in quite a while. We had 3/4 inch - golf ball size hail at my home. Some roof damage, trees stripped of leaves, garden is shredded and 3.8 inches of rain.

There is a national weather service station within 1/2 mile of my work. During the height of the storm, that station recorded 1/3 inch of rain in three minutes and 1/2 inch in eight minutes.

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[Arrowhead1952]

Did any of you have storm damage yesterday? txflake, you were in the direct path of the storm by my take of where you live.

[nicko]

high adventure on IH35 southbound from Georgetown yesterday morning around 6:00 AM...was wishing I had a jacked up 4X4 instead of my Buick...

[b4its2late]

$hit happens.

[ValerieUSA]

Wow, that's intense!
I live in an apartment in Cedar Park (2nd floor), and was awaken at 5 am by a gigantic thunder boom. I opened the balcony door slightly, and my bedroom blinds so I could see and hear the storm. The rain was coming down in giant waves - and the lightning was constant. I think we ended up with 4 inches of rain in about 3 hours. No damage here at the complex though.

[Arrowhead1952]

Valerie, there was a ham radio operator who called in yesterday and reported that there was a four inch accumulation of hail at the Leander High School. Is that anywhere close to your apartment?

[ValerieUSA]

No, I'm close to Cedar Park HIgh School and we had no hail accumulation here. I parked the van under cover that night just to be safe, though. I bought milkshakes for the kids and me in the process of moving the van, and took the cat with me (he likes car rides) but forgot to let him out when we parked. I tried to check on the cats when the storm hit, and couldn't find him, and realized where he was.... and had to leave him out there during the storm because no way was I gonna go out there in the driving rain and lightning. He seems to have forgiven me ....

[Arrowhead1952]

$hit happens.

Wonder if the mods will leave this up?

[DrewsDad]

We received almost 3 inches of rain. My front walk and about a third of may garage had water due to backup from a slower drainage point. Other than impacting my meeting because of folks caught in traffic, that was pretty much it.

We got pounded by the wind storm last fall and bought a chain saw to cut up all the large tree limbs, so let me know if anyone needs to borrow it.

[DrewsDad]

A cat that likes car rides? That's the first that I've heard.
Of course after spending the night in a van during a storm may change all that.

[Vision]

a raw sewage spill

What exactly does this mean?

[Arrowhead1952]

a raw sewage spill

What exactly does this mean?

Untreated sewage overflowed from a retention or treatment pond.

[Arrowhead1952]

.....My front walk and about a third of may garage had water due to backup from a slower drainage point.....

I know what you are talking about. Our driveway is downhill toward the garage. Originally, I installed a drain pipe to the golf course (2" PVC) but had to replace it with a 4" PVC. I have a grate over the opening, and with all the leaves beaten off by the hail, it came into the garage.

The biggest problem with that is, I have used carpet in the garage so it's softer on the feet. Big problem now.

[Vision]

So, all the run off from toilets runs under a city street only sealed off from a manhole cover? And it could run into an open pond?

[Arrowhead1952]

So, all the run off from toilets runs under a city street only sealed off from a manhole cover? And it could run into an open pond?

Certain storm sewers are designed to run into the sewage treatment ponds, because of their origination. The storm water is treated along with the sewage from toilets and other household uses, dishwashers, clothes washers, etc.

These storm sewers normally have diverter valves that open to let heavy storm sewer discharges go directly into the treated sewage ponds and used as watering sources for golf courses, etc.

Apparently, the valves did not work properly or were jammed by all the rain water.

[Vision]

If I opened a manhole cover, would I see sewage flowing?

[Arrowhead1952]

If I opened a manhole cover, would I see sewage flowing?

Nope. Sewage is carried thru large PVC (or in older cases, metal or concrete pipes) to the sewage station. The manhole covers allow access to some of the larger tunnels the pipes run thru.

There are instances where the tunnels carry storm sewer water and the sewage pipes using the same tunnels. The sewage pipes are sealed at each joint. It cannot mix with storm water in the tunnels.

[Vision]

If the sewage is running through PVC, why did all the rain cause sewage to come through a manhole cover in Austin?

[Arrowhead1952]

If the sewage is running through PVC, why did all the rain cause sewage to come through a manhole cover in Austin?

According to the radio newscaster today, there was a problem at one of the sewage plants, and the sewage backed up to the manhole cover. Apparently, there was enough back-pressure to life the cover completely off the manhole.