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Update: Torrential rain causes flooding, street closures across North Texas

Pedestrian walks across bridge as heavy rains fall after a long dry spell.
Ed Timms
/
KERA News
Pedestrian walks across bridge as heavy rains fall after a long dry spell.

After weeks without significant rain in North Texas, slow-moving thunderstorms dumped around 8-9 inches in Dallas Sunday night and Monday morning.

The National Weather Service and trained weather spotters reported major flash flooding across Dallas Monday, including a stretch of the I-30 corridor near downtown. Authorities had to perform water rescues; videosposted online showed people swimming to safety.

The Fort Worth Police Department said they responded to more than 50 water-related emergency calls between 8 p.m. Sunday night and 5 a.m. Monday morning.

Dallas Fire-Rescue told KERA they responded to 141 water-related emergencies as of approximately 8 a.m. — 96 high-water incidents, 40 water rescues without a boat and five water rescues with a boat.

Dallas County:

2:19pm update

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins was out surveying conditions and told KERA early Monday afternoon the trip from downtown Dallas to Balch Springs was still a bit dicey.

“People are doing a really good job of not driving on this. Which we appreciate,” Jenkins said. “The first responders need time to work.”

He said he hasn’t yet asked the state or federal government for any emergency aid … yet.

He noted that some people in eastern parts of the county were displaced.

Residents in Mesquite who need shelter should go to the Balch Springs Civic Center. Balch Springs residents should go to the Balch Springs Recreation Center.

Oncor's reporting more than 17,000 power outages this hour.

Juan Reyes, a spokesperson for Oncor, said crews have been out since before the storms rolled in Sunday night to help restore power.

"We did have crews pre-positioned ahead of the storm ready to make the necessary repairs so they're going to work as quickly and safely as possible," he said.

He also noted that crews have so far been able to traverse the flooded roadways without issue.

“Our crews are trained to maneuver through various types of weather,” he said.

Customers can text OUT to 662-67 to check on outages in their area.

Weather conditions have also delayed more than 450 flights in and out of DFW International Airport. 120 have been cancelled. At least 60 cancelled at Dallas Love Field.

Tarrant County

The Fort Worth Fire Department responded to 133 high water calls between 10 p.m. Sunday and 11:30 a.m. Monday.

Many of the calls stemmed from cars that stalled out or were swept away in the deluge, says department spokesperson Craig Trojacek.

"We haven't hit too big of a critical point, but it is all hands on deck at this point in time," Trojacek says.

The city's Office of Emergency Management noticed several calls came from in Fort Worth's Hulen area in the early hours of the storm, but have since come from all parts of town.

"Fort Worth has a lot of low-lying areas throughout the city limits, with the topography and all that kind of stuff. It's not like it's centralized in one specific place," Trojacek says. "Our people out in operations, they're kind of getting the full gamut all over the city right now."

Some 3 inches of rain has fallen in Fort Worth, with the possibility of up to 4 more inches, according to the department.

Arlington city government closed the following intersections due to high water:

  • Silo Road at Diamond Oaks Circle
  • Silo Road and Betsy Ross Drive
  • Lynn Creek Drive
  • Webb Ferrell Road at Hanrahan Avenue
  • Forest Edge Drive at Division Street
  • Davis Drive at Tucker Boulevard
  • Lovers Lane and Canary Street
  • Border and Collins streets
  • Arkansas Lane and Matlock Road
  • New York Avenue and Chandler Lane
  • Calendar and Katy roads
  • New York Avenue and Arbrook Boulevard
  • Southeast Green Oaks Boulevard and Collins Street

Arlington's Public Works Department has also canceled trash and recycling pickup Monday.
Neither public works nor Arlington police received reports of flooded major roadways Monday morning.