NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas – Ten years ago on Friday, flooding rains began to fall and didn't stop for several days until some parts of South Texas had received more than a year's worth of rain.
The city of New Braunfels is in the heart of what is known as "Flash Flood Alley."
The 2002 flood wreaked havoc on this community. Millions of dollars worth of damage occurred in and around the city.
Over the past ten years the city has taken steps to avoid the problems the 2002 flood created.
Numerous drainage and home buyout projects have occurred.
"Multi-million dollar projects that have taken in each case over 100 homes out of the flood plain, " said New Braunfels Mayor Gale Pospisil.
One of the most important safeguards that has been added is a flood siren system designed to let people know when its time to head for high ground.
Several towers with high powered sirens and speakers are installed in and around New Braunfels.
"We don't have the man power obviously to get out and knock on every door, and we try to let everybody know so that siren has been a good system to make sure that no matter what time of day it is that we can get that information out to people," Pospisil said.
Two memories stand out most for Pospisil: floodwaters raging over the Canyon lake Spillway, carving out the Canyon Gorge, and the Common Street home that was lifted from its moorings in its entirety and carried down the Guadalupe River.
"To go up there and see the power of the water and to see what it could do... those are the things I remember most, " Pospisil said.