Years back, I was in Austin driving down Barton Springs Dr when a thunderstorm let loose......Water coming down the gullies/washes from above was damn near washing cars off the road. Heavy rains and hills can be really bad news.
As a matter of fact I have, while driving into Flagstaff from the east. It went rolling through a neighborhood. We barely made it through before it was to deep across highway. There was a gas station slightly elevated that was an island in the middle of the muck and debris. Sadly, we saw on news later it killed a young girl.
Lol, that's like saying you won't drive anymore because accidents happen.
Without paranoia, using ones common sense is about all you can do to combat what mother nature dishes out.
You don't need to be by a river. I was camped in Glamis with my friends. Flash Flood came and took out my tent. I was the only one in the camp that got wet. lol.
In the Christmas floods of 91 the river hit 200000 cfs. I was living up the road in Dripping Spgs and went to see the Falls, you could feel the ground shaking from 1/4 of a mile away in the parking lot. For those who are familiar with the area, Lake Travis filled up to 710ft, 30 ft above normal, and backed up past the low water crossing on Hamilton Pool rd.
