At Least 13 Dead, 15 missing in flooding disaster

[Tia]

 

Just watching CNN breaking news! http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/26/us/texas-oklahoma-louisiana-flooding-severe-weather-blog/ Running updates: Storms slam Houston, kill 25 in Texas, Oklahoma, Mexico

By Eliott C. McLaughlin and Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN

Updated 6:25 PM ET, Tue May 26, 2015

Source: CNN

 

(CNN)Texas and Oklahoma are praying for a respite following four days of epic rainfall that has killed 12 people. Another 13 people died in Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, when a ferocious tornado ripped through the border town of 180,000.

And after what must have been a hellish Memorial Day weekend for some Texans and Oklahomans, forecasters say the nasty weather -- which left streets in Houston flooded, bayous cresting and tens of thousands of residents without power -- is en route to Louisiana. There, it could dump as much as a half-foot of rain on the southern and central portions of the state.

"This continues to be an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation," the National Weather Service said.

Follow today's live blog for all the latest updates on this storm system.

Edited May 27, 2015 by CyreJay

[AH173]

I sure hope that this dam doesn't break because of the rain /flooding. Sad news.

[shali]

The people in Oklahoma and parts of Texas just can't get a break from those storms! I feel so bad for them. I heard on the news today that every county in the state of Oklahoma was declared an emergency status.

[AH173]

Whoa, it's looking bad for the moment.

[Allabord4Jah]

Epic weather!  I watched the news on the family who's campsite house floated off when a wall of water came raging down the river.  Tears just swelled up in my eyes, such a beautiful looking family too.  Not just them but so many others and possibly one or two of our brothers/sister's.  Hope its not the case, but friends have homes near streams and or rivers.  The National Guard is walking down along the river searching for anyone that was swept away on Monday.  So sad, so so sad. 

[ava]

My yard is saturated!!!!  Water got into the lower bedroom, carpet ruined.  Thankfully that is the only damage to my house right now.  Currently have fans blowing on the floor to dry it up from last nights rain.  Of course as soon as it dries, more rain comes and gets in the house. 

 

Here is the lake few minutes from my house.  It has been closed as the lake overflowed into the parking lot:

 

Edited May 27, 2015 by ava

[ava]

Here is a pic of Six Flags, 15 minutes away:

 

[ava]

Here is a dam nearby ready to breach.

 

[ava]

Since we have had non stop rain, mowing is a problem.  My grass in the back is about a foot high and just so much water back there.

 

Snakes and spiders are a real problem right now.  Snakes are looking for higher ground.  We woke up to one in our house last week, still have no idea how that thing got in the house. 

 

Was down by the river last week, and plenty of water moccasins were around.

 

Only good thing is most of Texas is officially out of the drought we have been in since 2011.  And my blackberry bush has grown so ridiculously big, going to have so many blackberries to eat.

 

Other parts of Texas are in worse shape.  Hoping all the brothers and sisters are doing ok.

 

Problem we have in our area is the rivers, creeks, lakes are at their capacity.  So when it rains, the water floods the roads.  

 

Our area is expecting more rain every day for the next 5 days.

[ava]

I sure hope that this dam doesn't break because of the rain /flooding. Sad news.

 

 

That looks like the one not too far from me.

[AH173]

I'm so sorry for that. How many do you think will be affected? Thousands or tens of thousands?

[ava]

I'm so sorry for that. How many do you think will be affected? Thousands or tens of thousands?

 

Not that many.  That dam doesn't have alot of people living too close. They did give voluntary evacuations this morning to the people who would be most affected by it.   I was suppose to drive down US 287 where the dam is located today to visit a client for work, but I took the long route to avoid that area.

 

A warning was issued this morning about  a possible breech.  Just heard little while ago they have had engineers out today and they think it may hold.  Let's hope so.

 

 

http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/local/2015/05/27/midlothian-dam-expected-to-break-at-any-moment/28000473/

 

near U.S. Highway 287 and Kimble.

At the time, the Department of Agriculture and county emergency management officials said the dam was in "imminent danger" of a breach. Even the National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Warning in advance of the anticipated wave of water coming through the dam -- an estimated 15 to 20 feet. 

Preparations were made to shut down U.S. 287. People living in 25 homes in Grand Prairie were warned about possible flooding and given the option to evacuate their houses and move livestock to higher ground.

The earthen dam has been under construction for a year and what's in place now is a cofferdam set up to keep the area dry while crews work.

Edited May 27, 2015 by ava

[ava]

Here is the Trinity River in Dallas:

 

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2015/05/24/trinity-river-near-downtown-dallas-near-major-flood-stage/

 

If that river overflows, Dallas is in some trouble.

 

This is what the Trinity normally looks like

 

 

 

 

This is what it looks like now:

 

 

[trottigy]

WOW!

 

Thanks for the updates.

 

All are in my prayers    

[ava]

WOW!

 

Thanks for the updates.

 

All are in my prayers  

 

 

WOW is right.

 

It looks like the Mississippi.  As you can see in the first pic, the river is pretty minor, but now with all the rain, WOW, is the only way to describe it.

[trottigy]

Meanwhile on our side of the US -

 

 

 

The lake’s elevation was 1,081.77 feet—147.23 feet below capacity and 133.99 feet below its last peak in 1998. 

https://climate.gov/news-features/featured-images/western-drought-brings-lake-mead-lowest-level-it-was-built

 

 

It doesn't seem like a lot until you realize that is the SMALL portion of the lake (see where the dam is shown?)

 

 

Can you float some of that water our way???

Edited May 27, 2015 by trottigy

[ava]

I feel for all of you out in the West.

 

Texas has been in a drought since 2011, our lakes/rivers were super low.  Now we are getting slammed.  It's either feast or famine.  Crazy.

 

Yes, I wish I could send you some water.  Just came from outside as storms are coming in, my yard is just mud and water.  Soil down here has alot of clay in it, so water doesn't absorb to great, just kinda of sits on top of it, as it is so super saturated right now.

[trottigy]

Hey, will this fill up the reserves and help with your drought?

[Tortuga]

I feel for all of you out in the West.

 

Texas has been in a drought since 2011, our lakes/rivers were super low.  Now we are getting slammed.  It's either feast or famine.  Crazy.

 

Yes, I wish I could send you some water.  Just came from outside as storms are coming in, my yard is just mud and water.  Soil down here has alot of clay in it, so water doesn't absorb to great, just kinda of sits on top of it, as it is so super saturated right now.

 

Please ask the oil companies to use their pipelines to transfer some water to California...

[Tia]

Ava,

It is so good to hear from you though - prayers to you and all!

Thoughts and prayers to Bro. Dilip and family who reside in India as well.  There is so many

things going on across the globe it is difficult to keep up!

Praying for all!

Please keep posting!

[ava]

Hey, will this fill up the reserves and help with your drought?

 

My county and the majority of counties in Texas are either now out of the drought, or close to being out of the drought.  There are still some counties that are in drought stages.

[ava]

Ava,

It is so good to hear from you though - prayers to you and all!

Thoughts and prayers to Bro. Dilip and family who reside in India as well.  There is so many

things going on across the globe it is difficult to keep up!

Praying for all!

Please keep posting!

 

 

Isn't it crazy?  Here in Texas we are getting flooded and in India they are experiencing one of the worse heat waves.

 

While I am not sure I believe everything they say about Climate Change, I do believe that man has messed up the earth and there has to be some effect on the weather.