Michael Murney,
Houston Chronicle
(TNS)
Aug. 22—The Dallas-Fort Worth area is facing major flooding Monday following a storm that dumped nearly 10 inches of rain on the DFW metro area Sunday night. Rainfall continued on Monday morning and flooding has seen local authorities attempting to undertake make emergency water rescues of drivers and residents in flooded apartment complexes.
Videos sent to Dallas Texas TV show cars floating down highway on-ramps, almost entirely submerged in feet of water:
Others show cars completely underwater and semi trucks stalled at flooded intersections. Instagram user @allenemilio_'s video, shot at the intersection of Scyene Road and I-635 in South Dallas, captured flooding so severe that only the hoods of several cars at the intersection are visible.
As of 10:19 a.m. CT, nearly 14 inches of rain had fallen on Dallas in less than 12 hours, according to Harris County meteorologist Jeff Lindner. Authorities have conducted dozens of flooding-related investigations and emergency rescues since the downpour began. The Forth Worth Fire Department alone was responding to at least two dozen such emergency calls as of 10:23 a.m. CT Monday morning:
The National Weather Service in Fort Worth warned Monday morning that "DANGEROUS/LIFE THREATENING flash flooding is expected thru 1pm," and urged DFW residents not to drive through flooded roads. Shortly after, NWS's Fort Worth Office announced that it is experiencing "a major comms outage affecting dissemination of radar data," but that NWS meteorologists are still able to communicate essential information through their "back up offices."
