From Bone Dry to Soaking Wet – A Commentary on Recent Flooding Throughout Texas
Robert Font, CPG-3953
Over the past several years, large portions of my home state of Texas have experienced severe drought conditions. For quite a while it seemed that we could not even buy a drop of rain. Some predicted the arid conditions to last for many, many years. Those predictors were proven wrong this spring season of 2015. In the past few months we have had our share of dangerous weather, including tornadoes, hail and lighting storms and, yes, heavy rains and related floods. The pendulum has swung all the way back in the other direction and now we can’t stop the downpours.
The “National Weather Service” has stated that over thirty-five trillion gal- lons of rain water have fallen in Texas during May 2015, enough to cover the entire state with 8 inches of water. Areas experiencing flood devastation include the cities of Wichita Falls, Cleburne, Dallas, San Marcos, Wimberley, Houston and many others (“Cleburne Times Review,” “Dallas Morning News,” “Houston Chronicle,” “USA Today,” etc.). In the Greater Dallas Area, May 2015 has seen a record of over 16 inches of rain, breaking the previous one set in 1982 by nearly 3 inches. Over 8 inches of rain have soaked the Dallas region in the last week of May alone. Throughout the state, rivers and streams already at flood stages (and still cresting) were receiving millions of gallons of water that were being released from over-filled reservoirs and flood-control lakes.
As reported by Rick Jervis (“USA Today,” May 27, 2015), Calily Bien (KXAN) and many other news organi- zations, on May 24 the Blanco River at Wimberley rose at a rate of 223 cubic feet per second to an amazing 44 feet (12 to 14 feet per half-hour) destroying homes and other man-made structures. According to the National Weather Service, a “flood stage” is achieved locally at 13 feet, with a “major flood” occurring at 26 feet. The author observed the Blanco River at San Marcos on May 27 (Figures 1-2), witness-
with 25 deaths in Texas alone. The “Dallas Morning News” stated that on May 28, a squall line stalled over Dallas dumping more than 5 inches of rain in just a few hours giving rise to various road closures and home flooding (e.g., Duck Creek in Garland rose more than 30 feet). Various news media stated that “Dallas Fire Rescue” crews have responded to more than 270 calls over those recent days.
Figure 1. Debris from the flood waters of the Blanco River near San Marcos, Texas; May 27, 2015. Photo by Hilma Font.
Many North Texas reservoirs were at full capacity and beyond, necessitat- ing the release of excess water. Lavon Lake is a 33 square mile fresh-water impoundment located on the East Fork of the Trinity River and near the author’s home in Collin County near the city of Wylie. According to “waterdatafortexas. org,” prior to February 2015, Lavon Lake was approximately 50% full and 12 feet below the conservation pool with a water level of around 480 feet. As of May 29, 2015, the reservoir was 100% full and about 11.5 feet above the conservation pool with a water level of more than 503 feet. On May 29, the author witnessed the release of water from behind the dam (Figure 3) with all 12 gates open.
Figure 2. The author surveys debris and sedi- ment moved by the Blanco River near San Marcos; May 27, 2015. Photo by Hilma Font.
ing some of the debris that the flowing waters had transported. At San Marcos on May 24, the Blanco River rose 5 feet in 15 minutes causing Interstate Highway 35 to temporarily close.
The “Associated Press” reported on May 30 that 29 people have died as a result of storms that started on Memorial Day weekend in Texas and Oklahoma,
Figure 3. All twelve gates at Lavon Lake Dam were open and releasing excess water into the East Fork of the Trinity River; May 29, 2015. Photo by Robert Font.
Flooded areas were visible and per- vasive throughout many areas of Texas (Fgures 4-5). Wildlife, as well as humans, have been affected by the wet-weather
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