Flooding in the Southern Plains: Mandatory Evacuations Ordered, Power to Be Shut Off In Some Wichita Falls, Texas Neighborhoods

Sean Breslin
Published: May 21,2015




 

Severe flooding continued to worsen Thursday night as another storm system impacted the Southern Plains, forcing hundreds from their homes in a northern Texas town.
Several neighborhoods and areas of Wichita Falls, Texas, were evacuated Thursday due to rising water, KAUZ-TV. The Red Cross, Antioch Baptist Church and Mount Pleasent Baptist Church established shelters to assist those who had been evacuated.
Power to the lower portion of the Tanglewood neighborhood will be shut off to prevent fires, according to Wichita Falls' Facebook page.
(MORE: Floods To Worsen As Rains Move In Again)

The heavy rainfall was sorely needed to break a years-long extreme drought that has gripped the region, but in many areas, the persistent downpours have proven to be too much to handle. This has kept authorities busy, as constant water rescues have been performed in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
Here are the latest impacts from the states hardest hit by this long-lasting flood event.

Arkansas

Downtown Little Rock experienced flooded streets Wednesday morning as rainfall became too much for some roads to handle. THV11.com reported one driver had to be rescued from a car stranded in floodwaters Wednesday morning, and authorities said accidents were being reported on several highways around Little Rock.
With 11 days to go in the month, the National Weather Service's Tulsa office reported Fort Smith has already achieved its wettest May on record, with nearly 14 inches already recorded. The previous record was 13.67 inches in 1943, NWS added.

Kansas

Flooding was reported yet again in the Wichita area on Wednesday, and some homes had to be evacuated, according to local reports.

Louisiana 

Standing water caused travel issues in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, during the Thursday afternoon commute, WAFB-TV reported. Water inundated portions of the middle and inside lanes of westbound Interstate 12, prompting authorities to urge caution when driving. An accident closed Interstate 110 at Chippewa Street in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Oklahoma

Authorities discovered a vehicle submerged in the Canadian River near the Wanette-Byars Bridge between McClain and Pottawatomie counties Wednesday, Oklahoma's News 9 reported. It is unclear if there was anyone in the car or how it ended up in the waters.
One person died early Wednesday morning near Cole when a car was swept away by floodwaters after the driver went around a barrier. A spokesman with the McClain County Sheriff's Office confirmed to The Weather Channel that three people were inside the car, and two were able to swim to safety before being rescued from a tributary. The third person, an unidentified male, did not make it out of the truck.
As residents continue to dodge floodwaters and hope their homes will be spared by the rising rivers and creeks, one councilman is wondering if the state can do more to lessen the blow from future flooding events.
“We’ve spent a lot of money and haven’t solved the problem. We ought to look if we’re doing it right and maybe the standard we’re building to is not adequate,” said Oklahoma City councilman Pete White, according to KFOR.com.
The report also mentioned that the city's drainage codes are supposed to cover 100-year floods. But in the last five years, there have been three 500-year floods, which is even more severe than the 100-year variety.
Flooding caused more problems on Oklahoma roadways Wednesday morning; NewsOK.com has an updated list of all street closures.
There's another problem that could arise from all this standing water – mosquitoes. Experts told the Times Record that the flooding will be a favorable breeding ground for the pests this spring and early summer.

Texas

Rescue and aid teams were assembled in Wichita Falls, Texas, including those of the Texas Task Force 1 Boat Squad and The Texas Military Forces SAR-G Element, KAUZ said. Two Public Safety Command Posts were opened, as well.
Cars were stalled in Nueces County, Texas, Thursday afternoon, as flood waters inundated North Padre Island Drive, according to local storm reports. Additional vehicles were stalled in San Patricio County after a service road on Highway 35 flooded.
A disaster declaration was issued for Wichita County, Texas, on Wednesday due to extreme flooding and the potential for more rainfall, KAUZ-TV reported.
Rainfall has been relentless in the Lone Star State. As of Wednesday morning, at least one Texas town has reported 4 inches of rain of more in every day since May 5. In more than a dozen places around the state, more than a foot of rain has been reported this month.
Water rescues have been frequent as floodwaters rise. Before dawn Wednesday, a 19-year-old man was swept some 3 miles down the Brazos River before being rescued by Waco authorities, according to the Associated Press. After he was pulled to safety, he was treated for a minor head injury.
West of Fort Worth, about 20 water rescues occurred in Bridgeport, the AP also reported. Some of those rescues had to be performed using humvees.

Torrential rain triggered major flash flooding in San Angelo late Monday night into early Tuesday, trapping cars and forcing a shutdown of the city's airport.
One person was killed in the flooding, a San Angelo Police Department spokesperson confirmed to The Weather Channel. An unidentified male died when a truck hydroplaned and collided with a tree.
In just 45 minutes, 2.99 inches of rain drenched San Angelo Regional Airport, located southwest of the city. This was more than the average rainfall for the entire month of May - 2.82 inches - their wettest month on average.
At least one car was swept away in floodwaters. One woman was rescued from her flooded car in a McDonalds parking lot. Numerous low-water crossings were flooded and water was reported to be 10-12 feet deep at Monroe Street and Avenue H, according to an amateur radio operator.
(MORE: Vehicle Danger in Flooding)

One home in Carlsbad, about 15 miles northwest of San Angelo, was inundated with four feet of water early Tuesday morning, according to local law enforcement.
The North Concho River at Carlsbad crested Tuesday morning just over 8 feet above flood stage, its highest crest since September 20, 1974, according to the National Weather Service. The river rose just over 17 feet in 3.5 hours early Tuesday morning.
Floodwaters crept inside the terminal building at San Angelo Regional Airport, prompting closure of the airport Tuesday. All flights are being diverted to Abilene Regional Airport, roughly 90 miles northeast of San Angelo, according to the City of San Angelo.
(MORE: Dozens Die in Horrific Colombia Mudslide)
Monday was the wettest May day on record in the city, dating to 1908, as 4.01 inches of rain was measured at San Angelo Regional Airport.
Overall, it was the ninth wettest calendar day, and the single wettest day since September 9, 1980, when the remnants of Tropical Storm Danielle wrung out 6.24 inches of rain in the city.
This was the city's heaviest rain event since a Memorial Day weekend deluge of 7.42 inches May 23-26 last year.
Incredibly, last year at this time, San Angelo had chalked up their driest year-to-date on record, with only 0.85 inches of precipitation from January 1 - May 18, 2014.
This year, however, the city has picked up almost 12 inches of precipitation, just over two-thirds of an inch shy of their record wettest year-to-date - 12.67 inches in 2007.
Elsewhere, several cars were swept off the road near Coyanosa due to flooding.