Victoria Flood Information Rumors Dispelled

You know the old exercise, you whisper something to a friend, they whisper it to someone else, who in turn whispers it to someone else until finally, the last person says it out loud and, lo and behold, what was originally said is often quite different from the original information. That was an exercise we did in 7th grade english and, it just goes to show how facts get distorted from person to person.

Which leads me to rumors heard around the crossroads about the flood situation. According to Victoria City Manager O.C. Garza, the following rumors are listed and accordingly dispelled here.

1. People are saying that Canyon Lake is full and the GBRA will soon open all the flood gates, which will flood all downstream communities on the Guadalupe. FALSE! Yes, Canyon Lake is full again (cheers all around!!) but it is a flood control lake. GBRA is very much aware of the high water moving downstream and they have no plans to release water from the lake until the downstream river conditions are safe to do so.
2. People are saying that the bridge across Loop 463 and the Guadalupe River will collapse because of the large log jam that has built up. FALSE! Log jams build up around that bridge from time to time. Both TXDOT and GBRA are aware of the log jam and it will not damage the bridge.
3. People are saying the dam has failed in Cuero. FALSE! There is no dam in Cuero J
4. People are saying the Moody Bridge will close today. FALSE. There are no plans to close the Moody Bridge and we do not expect the bridge to go underwater during this flood.
5. People are saying that Victoria will be hit by a river level near 33 or 34 feet. FALSE. The National Weather Service forecast has not changed more than an inch either way of a 29.8 foot crest. Remember do not confuse the river levels at Gonzales and Cuero which are much “tighter” (narrower) flood plains. In Victoria, we can pass the same amount of water as Gonzales and Cuero at a shallower level because our floodplain is wider. The forecast is for a 29.8 foot crest to hit Victoria on Friday afternoon.

You can keep up to date on the latest information on our radio station, on our Facebook page and, on the City of Victoria Facebook page.