Flooding from Brazos River expected to be under control Tuesday evening; shelter open
Heavy rain in Parker County pushed authorities to open floodgates on the Brazos River on Monday, but after a dry Tuesday, emergency management for the county said one of those gates has been closed.
The Brazos River Authority opened a third floodgate Monday at Possum Kingdom Lake’s Morris Sheppard Dam, releasing flood waters from the area and adding a flooding threat to some communities along the river.
But that gate was closed around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and conditions were expected to begin improving by Tuesday evening, Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Coordinator Sean Hughes said.
He said some residents in the Horseshoe Bend area participated in a voluntary evacuation, but Parker County Emergency Management had not been notified of any damage done to homes.
The Highway 16 bridge over the Brazos, which was closed to all traffic because of flooding, will be reopened when flood waters recede, the Brazos River Authority said on Facebook.
The authority said the current release of water is 17,200 cubic feet per second and recreation on the river was still discouraged during the gate release.
The American Red Cross in North Texas set up an emergency shelter in Weatherford for anybody who did evacuate due to the flooding.
The shelter, located at Spring Creek Baptist Church of Weatherford, is prepared to offer temporary shelter and assistance to anybody who evacuates or whose home suffers damage, spokeswoman Lisa Morgan said Tuesday.
Video from a WFAA-TV helicopter over Horseshoe Bend showed people wading through water and homes that were surrounded by water.
Many homes in the area are raised above the ground on stilts. But rescue crews responded to the area to bring some people to higher ground, including a family with seven pets, WFAA reported.
The Red Cross around 11 a.m. Tuesday did not yet know how many people may have arrived at the shelter for assistance.
Hughes said that people in the area should be aware of their surroundings.
If there is a chance a road could be flooded, he said, turn around and find an alternative route. Don’t risk getting stuck in water and drowning.
The Red Cross said their shelter in Weatherford will remain open until it is certain the shelter is no longer needed. The shelter can be found at 100 Spring Creek Road.
For more information on shelters and dangerous weather, the Red Cross has an app everybody should have, Morgan said. The app will have alerts and information on relief resources.
This story was originally published June 8, 2021 at 12:30 PM.