HUGE FLOODING ON NUECES RIVER IN TEXAS

NWS

[newsperson999]

Weeks on rain over SE TX along with very heavy rain the past few days will cause flooding of hundreds of homes alongthe NUECES RIVER

\ FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX 604 AM CDT TUE JUL 16 2002

...RIVER FLOOD STATEMENT...

THIS STATEMENT INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING RIVERS: ARANSAS RIVER...ATASCOSA RIVER... FRIO RIVER...NUECES RIVER...SAN FERNANDO CREEK...SAN MIGUEL CREEK.

FOR THE NUECES RIVER AT COTULLA...THE 4 AM TUESDAY STAGE WAS 21.5 FEET. FLOOD STAGE IS 15 FEET AND BANKFULL STAGE IS 9 FEET. THE RIVER IS CRESTING NOW...WILL SLIGHTLY FALL...WITH ANOTHER SECONDARY CREST NEAR 21 FEET WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY. AT 18.0 FEET...MAJOR WIDESPREAD LOWLAND FLOODING OCCURS...AND MANY CATTLE HAVE TO BE EVACUATED.

FOR THE NUECES RIVER 11 S TILDEN...THE 5 AM TUESDAY STAGE WAS 22.5 FEET. FLOOD STAGE IS 14 FEET AND BANKFULL STAGE IS 11 FEET. MAJOR FLOODING IS EXPECTED...WITH THE RIVER FORECAST TO CREST BETWEEN 23 AND 24 FEET ON THURSDAY. AT 20 FEET...MAJOR FLOODING BELOW COTULLA TO BELOW TILDEN OCCURS...AND CUTS OFF EXTENSIVE PORTIONS OF THE FLOOD PLAIN...REQUIRING WHOLESALE EVACUATION OF LIVESTOCK FROM THE AREA. ROADS AND BRIDGES NEAR THE RIVER FLOOD SEVERELY. HUNTING CABINS...PUMP JACKS...TANK BATTERIES...IRRIGATION PUMPS AND ANY EQUIPMENT IN LOW AREAS NEAR THE RIVER FLOOD.

FOR THE NUECES RIVER NEAR THREE RIVERS...THE 4 AM TUESDAY STAGE WAS 41.7 FEET. FLOOD STAGE IS 25 FEET AND BANKFULL STAGE IS 20 FEET. MAJOR FLOODING IS EXPECTED...WITH THE RIVER FORECAST TO CREST AROUND 44 FEET AT THURSDAY MORNING. AT 42 FEET...THIS WAS THE SAME STAGE WHICH OCCURRED DURING THE 1932 FLOOD. THERE IS SEVERAL FEET OF WATER IN THE RIVER CREEK ACRES SUBDIVISION...FIVE MILES SOUTHEAST OF GEORGE WEST...FLOODING NUMEROUS HOMES. THE LOWEST RESIDENCES AND BUILDINGS NEAR THE SOUTH EDGE OF THREE RIVERS COULD BE AFFECTED WITH FLOODING.

FOR THE NUECES RIVER AT MATHIS...THE 5 AM TUESDAY STAGE WAS 35 FEET. FLOOD STAGE IS 25 FEET AND BANKFULL STAGE IS 16 FEET. THE RIVER WILL CREST BETWEEN 35 AND 36 FEET LATER TODAY...THEN HOLD. AT 29.3 FEET...THIS WAS THE STAGE WHICH OCCURRED ON JUN 23 1987...WHEN A STATIONARY LONG WAVE TROUGH OVER NORTHERN MEXICO SENT SHORT WAVES OVER SOUTH TEXAS FOR 13 DAYS. RESIDENTS ON THE WEST BANK NEAR BLUNTZER CAME AND WENT BY BOAT FOR SIX WEEKS.

FOR THE NUECES RIVER NEAR BLUNTZER...THE 4 AM TUESDAY STAGE WAS 30.8 FEET. FLOOD STAGE IS 18 FEET AND BANKFULL STAGE IS 11 FEET. THE RIVER WILL RISE TO BETWEEN 31.5 AND 32 FEET LATE TUESDAY OR EARLY WEDNESDAY AND THEN REMAIN STEADY. AT 31 FEET...MAJOR LOWLAND FLOODING OCCURS ABOVE BLUNTZER TO CALALLEN...AND PRODUCES WIDESPREAD RESIDENTIAL FLOODING FOR DAYS OR WEEKS. LIVESTOCK IN THE FLOOD PLAIN ARE CUT OFF AND COULD DROWN. MANY SECONDARY AND PRIMARY ROADS AND LOW BRIDGES ARE FLOODED.

FOR THE NUECES RIVER AT CALALLEN...THE 5 AM TUESDAY STAGE WAS 10 FEET. FLOOD STAGE IS 7 FEET AND BANKFULL STAGE IS 6 FEET. MAJOR FLOODING IS EXPECTED... WITH THE RIVER FORECAST TO CREST AROUND 12.5 FEET AT EARLY SATURDAY. AT 12 FEET...WIDESPREAD LONGLIVED RESIDENTIAL FLOODING OF HUNDREDS OF HOMES ABOVE CALALLEN OCCURS. THIS REQUIRES RESIDENTS TO BE EVACUATED...OR TO TRAVEL IN AND OUT BY BOAT. ROADS INTO THE FLOOD PRONE AREAS FLOOD FOR MILES...CUTTING OFF LARGE RESIDENTIAL AREAS FOR WEEKS.

FOR THE FRIO RIVER AT TILDEN...THE 5 AM TUESDAY STAGE WAS 22.6 FEET. FLOOD STAGE IS 22 FEET AND BANKFULL STAGE IS 12 FEET. MAJOR FLOODING IS EXPECTED. THE RIVER CRESTED YESTERDAY...BUT A SECONDARY CREST IS EXPECTED...WITH THE RIVER FORECAST TO CREST BETWEEN 28 AND 28.5 FEET THURSDAY NIGHT. AT 29.2 FEET...THIS IS SIMILAR TO THE FLOOD ON JUNE 9 1937. THE RESTAURANT HAD 3 FEET OF WATER INSIDE. NUMEROUS HOMES WERE FLOODED.

[newsperson999]

**WIDESPREAD LONGLIVED RESIDENTIAL FLOODING OF HUNDREDS OF HOMES ABOVE CALALLEN OCCURS. THIS REQUIRES RESIDENTS TO BE EVACUATED...OR TO TRAVEL IN AND OUT BY BOAT. ROADS INTO THE FLOOD PRONE AREAS FLOOD FOR MILES...CUTTING OFF LARGE RESIDENTIAL AREAS FOR WEEKS. ***!!!!
More heavy rain is falling on the area too..the river runs basically from west of the San Antonio area to CORPUS CHRISTI

[It'salmosttolate]

"CORPUS CHRISTI" --corps of Christ?

[al_c]

Actually, a closer translation would be "Body of Christ"

[ladtx]

In 1519, on the Roman Catholic Feast Day of Corpus Christi, Spanish explorer Alonzo Alvarez de Pineda discovered a lush semi-tropical bay on what is now the southern coast of Texas. The bay, and the city that later sprung up there, took the name of the feast day celebrating the "Body of Christ."

[Clara Lou]

My condolences to any affected. I live several hours to the northeast, and it's been nothing but rain, rain, rain over the last few days. The ground is a quagmire, but we're not flooding. Hey, this is the coolest, greenest July in my memory.

[rustbucket]

Here are some USGS real-time data on river flow rates and river height:

Nueces River at Cotulla: Nueces at Cotulla

Nueces at Three Rivers: Nueces at Three Rivers

Nueces at Bluntzer: Nueces at Bluntzer

Frio River at Tilden: Frio at Tilden

[buffyt]

We have a home in Lake Jackson south of Houston. My two older kids are there while I am in LA for a year. They have had heavy rain for about a month there but no flooding. Last week the water was pretty deep in the street and on the driveway, but the house was not threatened by rising water. Our driveway is torn up because there was a major break in the city's water main right before all the rains started falling. I can only imagine how bad my front yard looks. In 1976 we had a flood in south Texas and in 1979 we had two floods. Then in about 1990 we had another bad one. My house never flooded, but that was always a fear and a possibility. what a mess!!!! God bless all the Texans!

[buffyt]

Just what I was thinking, cool and wet. NOT globull warming!!!!!

[Gaston]

Related stories....

http://caller.com/ccct/local_news/article/0,1641,CCCT_811_1268400,00.html
http://caller.com/ccct/local_news/article/0,1641,CCCT_811_1268399,00.html

[Deguello]

"greenest July in my memory."

We have not had a summer like this since '76 barring huricane flooding.

South Texas is being hit very hard and the incoming rain is expected to continue for several more days. The Edwards Plateau and the Stockton Plateau to the Pecos region has missed their much needed rain. It would be very benificial for this low pressure system to move to the state of Sonora and fill the Rio Grande Valley and lake system.

[Clara Lou]

his low pressure system to move to the state of Sonora and fill the Rio Grande Valley and lake system.
That would be nice, wouldn't it? I don't think this system is going that way, though. I wonder if this El Niño is going to help out in that region this fall?

[Thinkin' Gal]

nuez nf, pl nueces 1 : nut 2 : walnut 3 Mex : pecan

[Aggie Mama]

When we bought our house, the insurance people said we didn't need flood insurance since we are high up, but this past Saturday, some of the major streets around us were underwater and several cars were totaled in the flash flooding. I'm going to call in just a few minutes to find out how much the insurance is.

[Deguello]

We hope that this could be the case.

This weather system is unusual in that the low pressure came out of the east. This unheard of unless is was a tropical low.

[Jeremiah Jr]

Well it's floodin down in Texas...

[Erasmus]

Actually, a closer translation would be "Body of Christ"

A few years ago the Navy decided not to name a nuke sub after the city; some people found the idea faintly sacrelegious.

[Ditter]

Hi buffyt, I didn't know you were from LJ. We lived for 16 years in Bailey's Prairie & still have property there but now we live in Houston. I know the Brazoria Co. floods well. ;9}

[Myrddin]

Hey, this is the coolest, greenest July in my memory.

We have just had 1 1/2 weeks of temperatures near 100 every day in Pocatello, ID. It just dropped into the mid-80's today. A little cool weather would be welcome.