More Extreme Rain Falling in Flooded S. Plains
Pastor Dale Morgan
More Extreme Rain Falling in Flooded S. Plains*
Friday June 29, 2007 10:46 PM
By ANGELA K. BROWN
Associated Press Writer
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Flood-weary residents of Texas and Oklahoma had
no reprieve Friday as more rain fell in a region where two weeks of
storms have swollen rivers and lakes beyond their limits.
Thousands of people have been forced from their homes, though some
residents were holding out, saying conditions are no worse than floods
they've weathered before.
A state of emergency was in place for all of Oklahoma on Friday, and
flood watches and warnings were posted for river communities. A flood
watch was in effect for large portions of Texas, where the storms have
been blamed for at least 11 deaths.
The rains had tapered off and become more isolated, but National Weather
Service meteorologist Greg Patrick said storms could cluster and create
a more widespread threat of flooding by the weekend.
``The storms are very efficient rain producers, and if you happen to be
under one of them you can pick up 1 or 2 inches an hour,'' said another
meteorologist, Jesse Moore. ``Right now with the ground being saturated,
it's all run-off and that causes the flash flooding we've been seeing.''
Evacuation orders were issued Thursday for about 2,000 residents near
the flood-swollen Brazos River in Parker County. The river was more than
2 feet above its flood stage late Thursday but had gone down nearly a
foot by Friday morning. Officials said it could rise again if they open
a flood gate to relieve pressure on the Possum Kingdom Lake dam.
In the area about 20 miles south of Weatherford, rescuers used a boat to
get four children out of a house, although their grandparents chose to
stay, said Janice Stroud, Parker County's assistant emergency management
coordinator.
``If people don't want to leave, we can't force them to,'' she said.
About 90 miles west of Fort Worth, evacuations were ordered for about
150 homes near Eastland this week, and the record-high Lake Leon has
already flooded dozens of homes. Still, about 25 people refused to
leave, said Lt. Sam Williams of the Eastland Fire Department.
``They're in the most dangerous areas,'' he said Friday. ``We certainly
are (worried). They've been contacted two or three times to leave.''
Cleanup has begun in Marble Falls near Austin, which received 19 inches
of rain in six hours earlier this week, and Gov. Rick Perry is scheduled
to fly over the area to survey damage Friday.
Employees worked through the light rainfall to clean up the at Ingram
Readymix Inc. plant, which was wrecked by 6 feet of rushing water.
Aluminum walls flared from the side of the building, and rubble was
piled outside the main office.
``It's not a total loss, but it's pretty much devastating,'' plant
manager Craig Seward said.
The flooding damaged as many as 150 homes and businesses in Marble Falls
and the town's water treatment plant, authorities said. State
environmental officials were assessing the damage, and bottled water was
delivered for residents.
It's the wettest year on record in Austin, with more than 30 inches of
rain since January, and Dallas-Fort Worth, Waco and Wichita Falls have
received near-record amounts. The rainfall has more than compensated for
a drought that gripped much of Texas in 2005-06, the National Weather
Service said.
There were no evacuations ordered in Oklahoma, but many people were
leaving their homes voluntarily in search of shelter, said Michelann
Ooten, spokeswoman for the state Department of Emergency Management.
Numerous people were rescued from high waters on Thursday. In Tulsa, a
10-year-old girl was swept away in a rushing creek, but her mother and
another adult pulled her out safely.
``A tragedy was averted,'' fire Capt. Larry Bowles said. ``The message
here is to stay away from any kind of floodwater and creeks when they
are high. The edges can be slick.''
Rain fell in Oklahoma City for the 17th straight day Friday, three days
longer than the previous record, set in 1937. The rain could continue to
the middle of next week.
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Associated Press writers April Castro in Marble Falls, Rich Matthews in
Weatherford, Elizabeth White in New Braunfels and Murray Evans in
Oklahoma City contributed to this report.