Rain the Issue in La Grange

Storm-related problems Tuesday in La Grange were a result of too much water coming down too fast.

Flooded homes, a washed out railroad track and a pair of water rescues ensued in the city limits.

La Grange City Manager Shawn Raborn said at one point rain was falling at a rate of eight inches per hour in the city.

LCRA Hydromet data backs that up. Just after 7 p.m. Tuesday nearly two inches of rain fell on La Grange in just a 15-minute span.

“Our drainage can handle rain at the rate of five or six inches an hour, but not eight,” Raborn said. “Our drainage system struggled. Eventually it did catch up but it took a while.”

Overall La Grange got just over seven inches of rain between Monday afternoon and Tuesday night.

Raborn said some houses did have water rise into them.

Meanwhile, rushing water took out a portion of the railroad support system between Monroe and Madison Streets in La Grange.

La Grange Police Chief David Gilbreath said a crew from Union Pacific worked from 11 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday to repair the line before trains could again come through town.

Gilbreath also said there were a pair of rescues from vehicles struck in high water in the city Tuesday. Officers rescued a woman when her car stopped in high water at the intersection of Eblin and Jackson. She was taken home and the car was moved when water went down.

The La Grange Fire Department rescued four people stranded in a vehicle in high water at Lower Line and South Main Tuesday night.

Raborn said the high water situations were made worse by people driving around to look at flooded areas.

Driving through areas of standing high water created waves that hit houses, sending more water under doorways, etc.

“We really urge people to just stay at home during conditions like this,” Raborn said.

With lots of rain comes the inevitable next problem.

“The next big issue is going to be mosquitos,” Raborn said.

He urged everyone to empty things that were holding standing water.