Dangerous river flooding to continue this week in Texas, Louisiana

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist

March 13,2016; 7:59PM,EST

 

 

Runoff from the up to 2 feet of rain in Louisiana and neighboring parts of Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas, will continue to produce dangerous record flooding on some area rivers and bayous this week.
The excessive rainfall of last week is seeping into the ground and has begun working its way into progressively larger rivers.
Rising water has already hit some communities hard and closed roads and interstates across Texas to Louisiana. Some roads have crumbled due to the excessive floodwaters.

Unprotected communities and roads along the waterways will be at risk for taking on water.
Major flooding will continue along portions of the Neches, Sabine, San Jacinto and Trinity rivers in Texas. The water levels will challenge records in some communities over the next several days.
In Louisiana, Bayou Dorcheat at Lake Bistineau set a new record high water level last Thursday. The Sabine River at Burkeville, Texas, set a record high water level of 53.82 feet last Friday, well above the previous record of 48.05 feet from Feb. 1, 1999.
The record high water levels on the Sabine River are expected to drain downstream to Deweyville, Texas, by the middle of this week.
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"Since excessive rain did not target the Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri and upper Mississippi rivers, major flooding is not likely along the lower Mississippi River during this event," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski.
"However, water levels will rise on portions of the lower Mississippi river as high volume from the Arkansas, Red and other rivers feed in over the next several weeks," Pydynowski said.
Last spring, a significant part of the region was hit with rounds of excessive rainfall and flooding. The area from Dallas to Houston and Shreveport, Louisiana, received two to four times their normal rainfall during May of 2015, which resulted in major flooding that left communities under water. Flooding also occurred in some of the same areas during the spring of 2012.
While water levels will begin to recede on streams and then the smaller rivers from late this weekend into the middle of next week, additional rounds of rain starting later next week can bring rounds of renewed flooding during much of March.
People are encouraged to monitor stream and river level forecasts closely, and never to attempt to drive through flooded roadways. The water may be much deeper than it appears. Only a foot or two of gently moving water can carry away a vehicle. Under some conditions, the road surface may have been compromised beneath shallow water.