Posted on 11/21/2004 3:04:25 PM PST by Ptarmigan
(11/21/04 - EL CAMPO, TX) — Stubborn storms are wreaking havoc in Wharton County.
At least 14 inches of rain has fallen Sunday morning, creating heavy flooding, primarily through the community of El Campo. The trouble began around 1:30am.
El Campo Police Chief Jim Elliott says the entire city is flooded. At one point, the city’s 911 system went down, but Chief Elliott says service has been restored.
The El Campo Fire Department had received 20 to 30 calls for rescue as of 8am Sunday. Fire crews in two boats and some four wheel drive vehicles are steadily working to rescue flooded out residents.
The evacuees are being located to higher ground. A makeshift shelter has been set up at the fire department. Other shelters are being organized. Red Cross officials are quickly headed to the area.
No injuries have been reported.
Mustang Creek near the nearby town of Louise has overflowed its banks. Highway 59 is shut down in the vicinity of Louise.
ABC13 Meteorologist David Tillman says a heavy band of rain is staying put right over the area, and unfortunately, it could continue to soak residents for some time to come.
Stay with ABC13 Eyewitness News for the latest on this dangerous situation.
I was in San Antonio in October 1998 - when 26 inches fell in one day just north of town. A tropical storm was stuck of the west coast of Mexico, and a front pumped all that moisture up to New Branufels and surrounding towns. Some kind of flooding.
I remember that storm. Those storms also affected Houston. Up to 16 inches fell. The moisture were fed from two Pacific Hurricanes, Lester, and Madeline. In October 1994, we had a really bad rainstorm, where some areas got over 20 inches in one day. It was caused by remnant of Hurricane Rosa and slow moving cold front. In 2001, Tropical Storm Allison dumped 28 inches in 12 hours. 40 inches fell in five days.
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