06/06/2026
On 6/5/2026 the Hallettsville area received about 5.5 inches of rainfall in about a 2 hour time span. The Lavaca River rose about 14’ at the Hallettsville bridge during this time. As county crews were out monitoring roads, and crossings, the bridge gauge in Hallettsville stopped transmitting data about 10:15 PM. We believe this was due to an internet or cellular malfunction. Notice the top of the attached graph for missing data points during the “crest”. Rest assured that road crews and our EMC were out monitoring the river in real time. Had there been an imminent threat, a Code Red message would have been broadcast via cellular data. However, our Code Red system and messages are only as good as the reliability of our cellular networks.
With each new storm, we are continually evaluating river gauges and river flow. No two rain events are ever alike, and the river itself is constantly changing and presents many challenges to forecasters each time it rains. What was interesting about this storm and the river flow was that water at the Lavaca River bridge on CR 198 never came over the roadway, yet several low spots on CR 198 were impassable. We usually forecast the Hallettsville bridge water level based on river gauges up stream. There was nothing to gauge upstream, although the Hallettsville gauge quickly rose 14 feet.
Long story short…storm messages relayed from the National Weather Service or from first responders on the ground are NOT the entire story. Always take warnings seriously, be prepared, know your surroundings and take every precaution necessary to protect you and your family. Life will bring us another storm. Make plans now to be ready. -Keith
