The 1981 Memorial Day Flood That Turned Austin's Shoal Creek Into a River

Most days, Shoal Creek is a quiet ribbon of water you could step across.

Over Memorial Day weekend in 1981, it overflowed, and the creek and stretches of Austin streets turned into rivers, KUT reported.

Thirteen people died. Nearly 20 families lost their homes, and the city put the damage at about $36 million.

It changed how Austin watches the rain.

Rain That Would Not Stop

The flooding hit on May 24 and 25, 1981, along Shoal, Walnut and Little Walnut creeks, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

KXAN has reported that more than a foot of rain fell in less than three hours.

For perspective, the City of Austin says just over 7 inches in three hours already counts as a 100-year rainfall.

Why Shoal Creek Rose So Fast

About 8,000 acres of the city drain into Shoal Creek, making it one of Austin's larger creeks and one of its most flood-prone, according to the Shoal Creek Conservancy, citing the city's Watershed Protection Department.

Long stretches of Lamar Boulevard and other roads near the creek can become dangerous and impassable with enough rain.

The Grocery Store That Almost Did Not Make It

One of the businesses caught in the water was a young natural foods store that had opened on September 20, 1980.

It was Whole Foods Market, and it had a staff of just 19, according to the company's own history.

The flood wiped out its inventory and damaged most of its equipment. The losses came to about $400,000, and the store had no insurance.

Customers and neighbors showed up to help clean and repair it, and the store reopened only 28 days after the flood, the company says.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Across the city, neighbors helped repair damaged properties and returned belongings the water had carried downstream, KUT reported.

What Austin Built Afterward

After 1981, the city created its Flood Early Warning System, according to KXAN.

The City of Austin says the system now monitors rainfall, water levels and low water crossings 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

KUT notes the city has also installed flood gauges and barriers at low water crossings.

The city is blunt that the risk is not gone. In its own words, quoted by KUT, its projects have lowered the risk of flooding but "cannot eliminate it completely."

How to Stay Safe in a Flash Flood

Austin sits in the heart of what the city calls Flash Flood Alley, and about 10% of the city's land is in the floodplain.

These steps come straight from the City of Austin and the Shoal Creek Conservancy.

The 100-year storm has a 1% chance of happening in any year, the city says, which works out to a 26% chance over a 30-year mortgage.

So if you live near a creek, check your floodplain status and ask about flood insurance.

Do you remember the 1981 flood, or have you been caught in an Austin flash flood? Share your story in the comments.