Uvalde city, county, state and federal authorities updated this week’s flood response during a Wednesday morning news conference.
During the news conference, Uvalde Mayor Hector Luevano said local low-water areas are in the process of being barricaded.
“With rapidly changing weather conditions, we are asking the public to avoid these low-water crossings, if at all possible,” Luevano said. “The Uvalde Police Department officials are actively working alongside county, state and federal officials in the unified incident command system in protecting our citizens.”
On Tuesday, Uvalde police officers said they conducted 24 water rescues. Residents impacted by Tuesday’s “significant flooding” are now under a mandatory evacuation order, officers said in a social media post.
As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, that number has since risen to 25 rescues countywide. A Uvalde police spokesperson said nine other people were in the process of being rescued Wednesday.
Levels at multiple rivers are becoming a concern for elected officials and first responders. The Frio River is beginning to swell, and the Leona River is “flooding,” the Uvalde police spokesperson said.
In a separate Wednesday social media post, Uvalde police said the river gauge on the Leona River is reporting a 20-foot ”wall of water” that could rise an additional 15 feet.
Officials are advising residents to “prepare in case of evacuation.” People in and around the Leona River are being asked to evacuate “voluntarily.”
“The rain is going to come back tonight, it looks like, with a vengeance again, so I would urge caution,” District 80 state Rep. Don McLaughlin, who represents the Uvalde area. “The rivers and the creeks are going to be coming up, and they’re going to be coming up again with a vengeance.”
Those who were rescued, as well as other residents who needed to relocate to a safe area, have since relocated to a temporary shelter at the William R. Mitchell Uvalde County Fairplex, which is located at 215 Veterans Lane.
Travel between Uvalde and San Antonio along U.S. Highway 90 is being shut down, police said.
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