AUSTIN, Texas — This month is the 100-year anniversary of the September Floods of 1921 that claimed 215 lives across the Lone Star State, and later helped pave the way for the construction of the Olmos Dam in San Antonio.
The historic flooding was caused by a remnant tropical system that brought torrential rain to Central Texas on Sept. 9 and Sept. 10, 1921. Austin received 19 inches of rain over this two-day period, including a whopping 15 inches on Sept. 9, 1921, alone. To this day, 15 inches is the highest single-day rainfall total on record for the Austin area.
This event took place 100 years ago, so there is not abundant rain gauge data. However, the estimates suggest that 40 inches of rain fell over Thrall, Texas, in Williamson County.
Other estimates are upwards of 20 inches of rain for places like Taylor and Thorndale. San Antonio also picked up an estimated 15 inches of rain.
These numbers are put in perspective by a more modern comparison: Hurricane Harvey. Harvey dropped 29.09 inches of rainfall in La Grange, Texas, in Fayette County, and over 10 inches of rain at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
The flood waters from September 1921 caused an estimated $296 million in damage according to modern inflation, including significant flooding in the downtown areas of both San Antonio and Austin. Reports from the time estimate that parts of Downtown San Antonio were under 12 feet of water.
The record rainfall also resulted in catastrophic river flooding north of Austin on the Little River and the San Gabriel River. At peak flow, it is estimated that the Little River rose by 50 feet. A total of 159 people died from flooding on the two rivers combined.
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