CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Robert Perkins, a former Coastal Bend high school football coach widely known in the community as "Coach Perk," has been posting around-the-clock updates to his Facebook page throughout the Frio River flooding event — tracking rising water levels, road closures, and first responder activity to keep neighbors and visitors informed in real time. Perkins, who now coaches in Junction, Texas, lives near Leakey.
Perkins said Tuesday morning was calm near Leakey, with heavy rain initially hitting areas like Hondo and Sainaw harder. The significant rainfall that caused the Frio River to swell near the Concan and Leakey area came on Tuesday evening and into Tuesday night.
_______________________________________________
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH COACH ROBERT PERKINS
_______________________________________________
"That's when we really started getting the rainfall that really accumulated up here in the Frio between Concan and Leakey," Perkins said.
Perkins described the area where the West Fork and East Fork of the Frio River meet, saying the water level had dropped significantly by the time he was speaking.
"It's gone down probably 6 to 8 feet from where it was. It's gone down about 6 to 8 feet within the past, I would say, 4 or 5 hours. And it's dropping pretty consistently right now. So that's a good thing," Perkins said.
He said the river still had roughly 15 more feet to drop before returning to its normal level, and that debris lines on the ground and in nearby trees marked how high the water had risen.
Perkins said he expects the river to be largely back within its banks within 72 hours.
"Probably within the next 48 hours this water's probably gonna be down to a little bit of normalcy, and then 72 hours, it'll be back well in its banks," Perkins said.
He cautioned that even as the water recedes, people should wait until the river clears before getting in, noting that debris and changes to the riverbed from a flood of this size can create hazards.
"There's gonna be debris. There's gonna be areas of the rapids that may have sticks and stuff that you don't want to be a part of," Perkins said. "You want to wait till that water's clear, so you're able to see and navigate."
Perkins said he anticipates the river will be clear and ready to enjoy by next weekend.
Despite the scale of the flooding, Perkins said most properties in the Frio Canyon area between Concan and Leakey are built at higher elevations and are not typically affected by floods like this one.
"There's not a resident that doesn't enjoy this type of flooding. It's a blessing. We always face a lot of droughts here, especially here in Texas. So when we get flooding like this, it's just a blessing to our river," Perkins said.
He also expressed hope that the floodwaters would benefit reservoirs to the south, including Choke Canyon and Lake Corpus Christi, which have not seen significant water level increases from recent rains.
"I would have to put money that I think it's gonna fill Lake Corpus Christi up to the top," Perkins said, referencing a similar flood event he recalled from around 2002 that filled Lake Corpus Christi to 100%.
Perkins credited local first responders, outfitters, and businesses in the area for keeping residents and visitors informed and safe throughout the event.
"They do a great job of notifying people and letting them know that if they're in low-lying areas, they get them out of there well in advance," Perkins said.
He specifically recognized Garner State Park and Brent Remus for posting around-the-clock updates, and noted that agencies including DPS, TxDOT, Concan Fire, Leakey Fire, and the Real County Sheriff's Office all communicate through a shared platform during emergencies.
Perkins said his own motivation for posting real-time updates on social media stems from years of community service, including time on a volunteer fire department, EMS work, response during Hurricane Harvey in Rockport and Houston, and search and rescue work during the 2015 Wimberley floods.
"I think if people all over the state were just more informed during and understood what these rivers do and how they respond, it can make them more safe," Perkins said.
He said water levels rising near Leakey are a direct indicator of what communities downstream in Concan can expect.
"The water that's up here in Leakey is gonna end up down there in Concan. So sometimes I can help make sure they're informed," Perkins said. "I think that's the whole point of it — communication and just making sure everybody's well aware of what's going on."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
