TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas — People living along Lake Travis are keeping a close eye on the forecast after Tropical Depression Two formed in the Gulf.
It is still too early to know whether Central Texas will see any rain from the system, but after last week’s devastating flooding, even the possibility has homeowners on edge in one of the lake’s most flood-prone neighborhoods.
A view of a full Lake Travis is what Larry Van Den Heuvel dreamed of when he bought his house just 30 days ago.
“Pretty nice. Pretty nice,” said Van Den Heuvel as he looked at the lake from his deck.
But now Van Den Heuvel is watching that same water inch closer to his new home in Graveyard Point.
“The patio is all buried in water,” said Van Den Heuvel.
RELATED | Lake Travis levels rise as waters turn into flood pool
People living along Lake Travis are keeping a close eye on the forecast after Tropical Depression Two formed in the Gulf. It is still too early to know whether Central Texas will see any rain from the system, but after last week’s devastating flooding, even the possibility has homeowners on edge in one of the lake’s most flood-prone neighborhoods. (Photo: Bettie Cross)
The floodwaters have yet to seep into his house, but they are close.
Sunday brought some relief when the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) decided not to open another floodgate at Lake Buchanan, helping keep lake levels from rising even higher.
“If the water comes up any higher, then we are going to have a problem with the house. It will go underneath and we will probably have to do the floors,” said Van Den Heuvel.
The Lake Travis water level now sits at almost 685 feet, which puts it nearly four feet above its full pool mark of 681 feet.
Even the outside chance that Tropical Depression Two could bring rain and more flooding to Central Texas is raising concerns, especially since homes on the Graveyard Point peninsula were built in the Lake Travis designated flood pool.
“The Highland Lakes chain is designed and set up to move water when we have flooding to our flood pool at Lake Travis,” said John Hofmann
In other words, when the lake must hold extra floodwater to protect communities downstream, it is neighborhoods like this that will see the water rise.
That flood pool at Lake Travis is our insurance policy for Austin and downstream,” said Hofmann.
While the flood pool protects Austin, Van Den Heuvel says he just needs a week or two of dry weather so the lake can give his new home a break.
“I will just take it as it comes now. I will just deal with it after it happens,” said Van Den Heuvel.