Latest Red River News

16 years ago

The Red River crested at 30' on Friday afternoon near Thackerville, OK/Gainesville, TX, and began falling slowly. This morning it was at 28.7' and has now begun to rise again. It will continue rising until it crests near 30' again on Monday afternoon or evening. The Red River should stay above flood stage through Wednesday and then begin falling again.

In addition, the Red River is still rising west of us near Terral, OK, where it currently is at 22.8' and will rise to 23.6' before it begins to fall again. It will remain in flood stage there through Tuesday afternoon.

The rising of the river is mostly because of water flowing downstream from western Oklahoma. Partly it is occurring because of runoff from the 6" of rain we received in parts of Love County between 3:30 p.m. Friday and 6:00 p.m. Saturday. It rained a little more overnight, but I have not been out to look at the rain gauges yet.

Last night several roads were being closed down due to flashflooding and also due to the rising of the river. In addition, the spillway road at Lake Murray has been closed.

Hoping for sunshine today!

Dawn

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Comments (8)

merryheart
16 years ago
Dawn
We went to Gainesville yesterday and the Red is higher than I have ever seen it. The inland flooding is something.

At least we managed the trip with no rain and some sunshine! And it was wonderful.

On the way home we came through an area around Thackerville that had just gotten rain but it had moved on by the time we got there. We had a huge double rainbow in sight about half of the way home off to the east.

We are trying hard to figure out how and when to go to Cleburne to pick up our trailer....still....lol. It will be two weeks tomorrow since we bought it! With the rain we can't bring it home when we get back with it...wanted to take it to the lake but the lake is full (at least our campground is)due to the 4th of July....what a mess. And trying to schedule our pick up day around doc appointments as well.
Life is sure not boring. lol

There are some interesting weather pictures posted on KXII.com.....some of the cloud formations that people got on camera were awesome. The flood pics are sad.

It is another dreary day...guess I am starting to get used to it....hummm......no probably not....haha.
At least it is not hot.....so humid but not hot.

Some of my flowers and plants seem to really like all this rain. I need to put on my waders and take the camera out.
I am tired of getting muddy just from walking across the yard when the water splashes up the backs of my legs...haha.

This entire year has been a really strange one as far as weather. It is just plain weird!

G.M.
Okiedawn OK Zone 7
Original Author
16 years ago
G.M.,

I was wondering if you had been across the river lately. The inland flooding is amazing, especially on the west side of I-35...and you should see how it looks from McGeehee's!

Some long-time residents of Love County are telling me that they are seeing water flooding roadways that they have never seen flood before, but I think those roadways were flooded by rain runoff from Friday and Saturday, and not by the river.

We went across the river again this morning, and it is running and rising more quickly (or so it seems to me) right now than it was last Thursday and Friday. I suspect it is from all the flooding in the counties west of us.

I was on my front porch Saturday looking east at the same double rainbow yesterday afternoon during one of the little showers. It was pretty, but I prefer SUNSHINE.

Right now with all the weather craziness, Cleburne seems awfully far away, doesn't it? As the water continues to rise, it seems like fewer and fewer campsites are available around areas lakes. I saw on KXII the other night that they were moving out ten trailers at the Big Mineral area. These were actual trailer houses, not RVs, but they knew they had to move 'em, or lose 'em. I bet moving them cost a lot too.

I have been watching the media websites....KXII, KTEN, WFAA, the Dallas Morning News, the Oklahoman and the Fort Worth Star Telegram.....reading the weather blogs and news stories, and viewing the photos and slide shows. Amazing photos. Amazing destruction. Well, I watch the Ardmoreite website too, but it is slow compared to the others.

Steve LaNore made a comment the other night that he had no clue what the low pressure system was going to do to us over the weekend because all the weather models were giving conflicting data. How is that for thoroughly REFRESHING honesty!

A hour ago we had bright, clear sunny skies with lovely white puffy clouds and how we have lost the sunshine, and the clouds are dark gray and rumbling with thunder. I guess we know what that means.

Dawn
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merryheart
16 years ago
Yep more Rain! I knew it was going to because the pressure got so bad you could hardly breath...I was sure feeling my slight asthma and used some meds. Then sure enough next time I looked out it was raining.

My DH was out trying to mow.....he may still be mowing in the rain....lol. He might as well...it is cooler and it is too wet anyway...at least the rain will cool him off...lol.

Cleburne is a good trip for us. It is around 135 miles one way. And with the construction and Ft Worth traffic it really slows you down. Takes us at least 3 hours to drive it. After we finally get our deal over and bring the trailer home any future service we need we will try to find closer to home. There is a place in Denton and one in Oklahoma City too.

I don't know if any of the campgrounds at Lake Murray have been effected by all the rains. Not many I am sure. Now it will mess things for those adverous ones who like to tent camp off in the boonies....but that is NOT my kind at all! lol. Guess I am spoiled.

I know a lot of places on Texoma are flooded. It is a shame the people with mobile homes had to move them out...it is expensive to move one for sure. At least it used to be when my niece bought one many years ago and had it moved. Probably really expensive now to move one. What a shame.

I know one thing, I don't want a home too near a lake or river or the ocean or on a steep hillside...hahaha.

I am taking a short break before getting with it some more. Been going like crazy all day trying to catch up with things around after all week at hospital and now getting ready to be down there overnight. Still lots to do so better get back to work.

Ya'll stay safe and dry too if possible. (yeah right....lol).

G.M.
Okiedawn OK Zone 7
Original Author
16 years ago
The Red River is now at 29.2' and expected to crest over 30' on Tuesday afternoon. I think it will go higher.

We have experienced heavy rainfall in the last hour and many local roadways and some local residences are experiencing flash flooding at this time. Some of these homes are on fairly high ground, so their flooding is from the heavy rains, not from the river.

We are fine at our house. Hope all is well for all of you.

Dawn
okwriter
16 years ago
I'm seeing on the news, too, how bad SE Kansas is getting hit. Tonight they showed pictures on the news of Coffeyville. I lived there for eight years, and it's so sad... I told my folks tonight that we are all fortunate to live on "high ground." It makes all of this rain more tolerable, but it is hard to watch the flood victims without choking up. My folks lost everything to a tornado in the late 70s, and it's hard to start over.
Okiedawn OK Zone 7
Original Author
16 years ago
I missed the news 'cause we were at the fire station.
From what I saw online, it looks like SE Kansas and NE Oklahoma are going to have a really rough time these next few days.

I feel for everyone. I know how panicked I would feel if water was getting anywhere close to our house. Starting over is very, very hard.

Our firefighters are still out pumping water out of people's homes and also pumping floodwater out of the Thackerville water well. (Oops! Looks like that half of town will have to boil their water for a few days.) I think it will be a long night, but these are small inconveniences compared to what residents of SE KS and NE OK are facing.

I am happy we live on high ground too. Everyone says that we are so high that flood water has 'never' come up as high as our place, but 'never' in most people's minds--even the old-timers--only goes back 60 to 80 years. Who really knows?
Okiedawn OK Zone 7
Original Author
16 years ago
The Red River is currently at 29.7' as of 3 a.m. Mon. and expected to crest at about 30.2' on Tuesday.

We continue to experience rain and flash flooding. I'm heading out with the Fire Dept. shortly to pump water out of people's houses, something they did last night until sometime around 1 a.m. this morning.

The Thackerville Water District #2 well and pump were breached by floodwaters last night, so folks in Thackerville east of I-35 are under a boil water notice.

Things here are going from bad to worse and I consider our area to actually be in GREAT shape compared to many others where floodwaters are higher, more homes are affected, and roadways and dams are in trouble. Here the only evacuations are voluntary ones....most people that have water in their home have just a few inches, but today's rains could worsen that.

Oops....the rain is starting and the firetrucks are gonna roll! Gotta go. Talk with y'all later. Everyone stay safe. And, stay dry if you can.

Dawn
Okiedawn OK Zone 7
Original Author
16 years ago
The Red River crested at 30.8' early Tuesday a.m. It is expected to fall below flood stage (25.0') within the next 36 to 48 hours.

Dawn

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