Posted: Sat, 24 Oct 2009 08:11 PM - 9,445 Readers

By: Russell Wilde

Lake Travis has risen to 637 feet above mean sea level after overnight rains hit the Hill Country.

The Lower Colorado River Authority predicts Lake Travis could reach near 640 feet later today and 642 to 644 over the next couple of days.

Many people hit by the drought are relieved to receive the rain, but some are still settling through the aftermath.

Tom Snyder knows the damage Mother Nature can do. In 1995 he lost everything when floodwaters washed through his home. Those memories were fresh in his mind as he watched the water rise early Thursday morning.

"It happens so quickly and the water rises so fast it's almost unbelievable," Snyder said.

Before he knew it his back patio was completely submerged, and his docked boat was crashing in the waves.

"They sent the sirens off and they told us to evacuate and I said, 'Just a minute, I'm going to go outside and look at the water,'" Snyder said, "The water was right at the house, but I could see when they opened the gates, I could see when it started to recede."

Just as fast as water levels came up, they quickly began to drop after the flood gates were opened. It left yard furniture, debris and boats scattered everywhere.

Homeowner Beverly Reinert said she called her neighbor to ask if they'd seen her boat.

"Our neighbors next door called and said we started looking for your boat, and he had to wait till daybreak, and he called us and said it's across the way," Reinert said.

Snyder has already begun to piece his backyard together.

"After going through this in the past, you have a mental adjustment that it's just stuff," he said.

Snyder said his weekend will be spent cleaning up the mess, but it'll be a while before his backyard is ready for a barbeque.

Things are a lot better than they could have been he said.

*  Story Contributed by: Russell Wilde