Flooding rains in Beaumont

[southerngale]

It has been pouring over the same areas for quite a while...heavy rains. I just heard that someone I know had so much, it's coming into her house! I've had a few thunderstorms at my house, but nothing like that.

How is everyone else in SE TX/SW LA faring this evening?

Flash Flood Warning
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
TXC245-240000-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
503 PM CDT SUN JUL 23 2006

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
JEFFERSON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS

* UNTIL 700 PM CDT

* AT 503 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
FLASH FLOODING FROM A THUNDERSTORM OVER BEAUMONT...MOVING SOUTHWEST
AT 5 MPH.

* THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
CENTRAL GARDENS BY 515 PM CDT


HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS AND LOW LYING AREAS RAPIDLY...SO DO NOT DRIVE
YOUR VEHICLE WHERE WATERS OF AN UNKNOWN DEPTH COVERS THE ROAD.

Flood Statement
FLOOD ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
428 PM CDT SUN JUL 23 2006

TXC199-245-361-232330-
428 PM CDT SUN JUL 23 2006

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED AN

* URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY FOR...
SOUTHEASTERN HARDIN COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
NORTHERN JEFFERSON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...NEDERLAND...CENTRAL GARDENS...
BEAUMONT
WESTERN ORANGE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF VIDOR

* UNTIL 630 PM CDT

* AT 428 PM CDT SEVERAL THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON HAVE MERGED
OVER BEAUMONT WITH RADAR INDICATING SOME LOCATIONS RECEIVING THREE
TO FOUR INCHES OF RAINFALL DURING THE PAST HOUR. THIS LOCATION IS
EXPECTED TO RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL TWO TO THREE INCHES WHICH WILL
CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROAD SURFACES ALONG WITH SOME MINOR
FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS. THIS STORM WILL MOVE LITTLE OVER THE
NEXT HOUR.

[PTrackerLA]

I saw the flood warning for Beaumont earlier and was wondering if you'd give us an update . Some big storms fired up just to my south in the past 30 minutes so we're in for a soaking as well. Looks like high rain chances are in order for us the through the end of the week .

[southerngale]

4 Inches Of Rain Fall On Beaumont In 45 Minutes
Reported by Angel San Juan
July 24, 2006 - 12:00AM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Pretty bad!" That's how Dexter Balka described the situation in Beaumont early Sunday evening.
Balka is an equipment coordinator with Beaumont's Streets & Drainage Department.
He told KFDM, "The whole city is pretty much underwater, so we're asking if you can stay in home, please stay home for right now."
Meteorologist Kerry Cooper says that within a 45 minute period about 4 inches of rain fell on the city.
That amount in such a short period of time caused flooding in all parts of Beaumont, specifically hit hard were Beaumont's Westend and the south part of the city.
Drainage crews were stretched thin putting up barriers to protect people from the rising water.
Balka said, "We're really busy right now, we're so busy right now, we're trying to get more people out because it's all over Beaumont right now."
Unfortunately some drivers ignored the barriers and got stranded.
Balka warned, "They should obey those barricades, they're there to save their lives, not for us just to put out there to close the street."
The bad weather also caused problems for Entergy customers.
Entergy officials tell KFDM that at around 6:25 Sunday, lightening struck an insulator causing it to fall onto a powerline and to take down a crossarm.
The incident knocked out power to 1,060 Entergy customers in the Charleton Pollard neighborhood of Beaumont.
Entergy was hoping to have the electricity restored by 10:30 Sunday night.

...and high rain chances the rest of the week

[whereverwx]

Wow, that's some serious rain!

[GalvestonDuck]

So far, its bark has been worse than its bite -- mostly, a nice lightning show and lots of thunder, but very little in the way of rain.

Of course, all that's about to change over the next couple of days.

[southerngale]

I know how much everyone loves to see copy/paste articles LOL but I mainly wanted to share it because of the last line.

Rain Water Recedes in South Beaumont
( Air Date: 7/23/2006 )
The water is receding, especially in south Beaumont one of the areas hardest hit with high water.

Some street flooding was reported near Martin Luther King Parkway and Cardinal Drive, Sunday. Several motorists were forced to tread through the water. While some people could barely exit hwy 69, others were planning to exit their homes if the water got any higher.

Motorist traveling on highway 69 weren`t prepared to tread water while exiting the freeway.

April Benard says, “I thought I was going to be able to get in and get out and head home before all this started.” KBTV’s Ericka English asked, “So what`s your plan now?” “Just wait here,” Benard said.

Several exits were lined with cars near Cardinal Drive. Filled with motorist like April waiting for the rain to recede. However it wasn`t flooded streets that had some people concerned, it was flooded homes.

Seibra West says, “We put the plan into place to pick up things off the floor. We went over the evacuation plan with the children…what to do incase the water comes in the house.”

West says the drainage ditch behind her house, constantly keeps on her on edge. She says she is fearful the ditch will over flow into her yard, and water will creep into her house.

“We`re always in a state of preparedness. We`re always anxious and ready to go and that`s a terrible way to live. This is our home. We should be comfortable, we should be able to relax. We should feel safe and we don`t feel safe,” says West.

West says if it continues to rain, this will be the fourth time she`s been flooded out of her home this year.

http://kbtv4.tv/news/default.asp?mode=shownews&id=12011

Geesh

We went from awful drought conditions before Memorial Day to several flooding rain events since. It's really unreal.

[Diva]

Over here in Orange we escaped the long term heavy stuff. One heavy shower for about 10 minutes and then light shower with thunder for the duration of the evening on Sunday.

This morning, however, it's very dark and rumbles in the distance. Radar looks like we will get more rain here shortly. Our grass will never get mowed now! Hubby has been in St. Louis working claims from last weeks storms there and it's been too hot for me to mow it!! I AM a "Diva" after all...

We're hoping his flights this afternoon into Houston and Beaumont won't be delayed for storms.