State activates more resources to deal with flooding

A partial activation of Texas Task Force 2, a regional search and rescue team led by the Dallas Fire-Rescue Urban Search and Rescue Team, was authorized at noon Thursday. The authorization includes four search teams with boats and one swift water team. Task Force One was activated last week. The governor also has received approval if needed for aviation assets from the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

"We will continue to help local communities respond to emergencies and recover from the heavy storms and rains that have saturated a large part of our state and we will make sure the necessary resources are in place if the situation worsens," said Perry.

At 7 a.m. today, Friday, Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) officials report one of three floodgates previously opened at Buchanan Dam was closed, but warn that more rain could result in changes to floodgate operations with little or no notice. Additional rainfall also could impact Lake Travis, which was at 701.5 feet above mean sea level at 5 p.m. Thursday. Wirtz Dam, which feeds Lake LBJ, had one floodgate open; Starcke Dam that feeds Lake Marble Falls has one floodgate fully open and one partially open; the Mansfield Dam that feeds Lake Travis has four gates open; and the Miller Dam that feeds Lake Austin has three floodgates fully open and one partially open. At the Inks Lake Dam, where there are no floodgates, water is flowing three feet above the spillway.

Lakes LBJ, Marble Falls and Inks will remain closed to recreational boating at least through today due to high water and debris. A boating ban is still in effect today in Austin on Town Lake, Lake Austin and below Longhorn Dam. As seen in the accompanying LCRA photo, four floodgates continue to be open on Mansfield Dam.

State disaster declarations for 44 Texas counties have been issued since mid-June and six federal disaster declarations have been issued. Requests for federal declarations for six more counties are pending.