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Medina Lake continued its rapid rise Thursday, nearly doubling in storage again after days of heavy rainfall across Bandera County and the Texas Hill Country.
According to the Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District, the lake stood at 1,010.26 feet above mean sea level Thursday, holding 50,746 acre-feet of water, or 19.9% of its conservation capacity.
Just one day earlier, the reservoir held 32,759 acre-feet, or 12.9% of conservation capacity, at an elevation of 998.99 feet.
One month ago, on June 16, Medina Lake stood at 981.48 feet, holding 13,521 acre-feet, or 5.3% of conservation capacity.
The latest figures show the lake has gained more than 37,000 acre-feet of water over the past month while rising nearly 29 feet in elevation. The lake's surface area has also expanded from 843 acres one month ago to 1,860 acres Thursday.
The dramatic increase follows several days of widespread rainfall that inundated Bandera County. According to the National Weather Service, rainfall totals ranged from 3 to 10 inches, depending on location, producing widespread flash flooding and rapidly rising rivers.
The storms prompted the National Weather Service to forecast the Medina River at Bandera to crest above major flood stage, forcing evacuations at Pioneer RV Park, closing dozens of county roads and leading Silver Sage to open as Bandera County's emergency shelter for displaced residents.
Gov. Greg Abbott has included Bandera County in a state disaster declaration as emergency crews continue responding to flooding across Central Texas.
Despite the dramatic improvement, Medina Lake remains less than 20% full and well below its conservation capacity of 254,823 acre-feet after years of prolonged drought.
Officials continue to urge residents to avoid flooded roadways, obey all barricades and monitor forecasts as runoff continues moving through the Medina River watershed.
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