Severe storms cause flooding in Texas
Pastor Dale Morgan
Severe storms cause flooding in Texas*
LUBBOCK, Texas — Severe Storms battered Texas on Friday, bringing heavy
rain and 40 mph winds to San Angelo and flooding southeast of Dallas.
Snow fell in Friona in the western portion of the southern Panhandle
early Friday, National Weather Service meteorologist Felecia Bowser in
Lubbock said.
The San Angelo area got as much as 3.5 inches of rain, weather officials
said. Meanwhile, up to 4 inches fell southeast of Abilene in Runnels County.
As much as 8 inches of rain fell overnight in Ellis County, southeast of
Dallas, leading to several flood-related rescues, and more rain was
expected Friday. Conditions prompted the Texas Department of Public
Safety to reiterate warnings to motorists about crossing.
A dispatcher with the Ellis County Sheriff's Department said that there
were several reports of homes flooding from Waxahachie into the southern
part of the county.
High winds downed trees and power lines in some areas as the storms
moved eastward, said Joe Harris, a meteorologist with the National
Weather Service.
A shelter was set up Friday in Waxahachie, and volunteers set up for
pre-staging at the Red Oak Police Department.
"Our main interest and concern is the safety and well-being of our
people," said Ellis County Judge Chad Adams. "We are thankful that no
one has been injured at this point."
Many smaller roads were still closed early Friday, but most major
interstates were open. Interstate 35 northbound near Abbott closed for a
time Thursday evening but reopened by early Friday morning, a dispatcher
in Hill County said.
Hill County Sheriff's Lt. Jeff Lyon said that before shutting down I-35,
the Abbott volunteer fire department made four high-water rescues there.
Also in Hill County, the westbound lane of State Highway 22 in Mertens
was washed out, Lyon said. In the city of Whitney, 11 people were
evacuated from a flooded apartment building near a creek.