Remnants of Tropical Storm Charley Bring Flooding


Tropical Storm Charley moved into South Texas Saturday morning August 22. As the tropical storm moved inland north of Alice it was downgraded to a tropical depression at 10 am.

Widespread rains affected South Central Texas late Saturday morning and afternoon, as the tropical deprssion moved south of San Antonio and westward to near Cotulla late in the day. Rainfall across the area was moderate to heavy and flooding resulted. In the San Antonio area flooding occurred on low water crossings...low lying areas and flood prone streets. San Antonio International Airport picked up 2.96 inches. Other reports over the city varied from 2.00 inches to 4.75 inches. Occasional rain also affected the Austin area, where Austin Mueller Airport showed 0.55 inches. Rainfall over Austin varied from 0.33 inches to 0.85 inches. Rain began to affect the Del Rio area late Saturday. Del Rio International Airport picked up 0.01 inches Saturday and Laughlin AFB picked up 0.52 inches.

During the night the remnants of Tropical Storm Charley moved northwest to near Del Rio by early Sunday morning. Very heavy rain developed Saturday night and Sunday morning to the southwest, west and northwest of San Antonio. Rainfall amounts varied from near 1.50 inches to near 8 inches. Flooding along rivers and streams in the Texas Hill Country, especially western parts of the hill country and western parts of South Central Texas became widespread.

On Sunday, the remnants of Tropical Storm Charley stalled near Del Rio. Extremely heavy rains and disastrous flooding resulted. The Del Rio area picked up rain amounts near 17 inches. Five to Ten inch amounts were not uncommon in the Del Rio Area. Laughlin AFB east of the city had 7.42 inches. Heavy rain fell in the early morning, followed by rain in the day and ending with extremely heavy rain in the evening and late night hours. Rainfall for Del Rio on Sunday, August 23, 1998 came in with a record breaking amount of 17.03 inches. This set a new daily, monthly and August rain records for Del Rio. See Record Rainfall Data for Del Rio

Further east of Del Rio, scattered afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms showed up from near San Antonio east to Schulenburg and north to Llano, Burnet, Austin, and Giddings. Some of the showers and thunderstorms caused locally heavy rain. At the San Antonio Internatioanl Airport 1.95 inches of rain fell, while Austin picked up 0.26 inches.

The remnants of Tropical Storm Charely continued near Del Rio Monday. More heavy rains continued in the Del Rio area and other areas over the western parts of South Central Texas and the Texas Hill Country. Several inches of rain followed, only to aggravate the flooding problems.


Back to the Top

Back to Weather Highlights of the Past 100 Years