Although the heaviest rain has moved away, flash flooding is expected to continue for several more hours as broader flood watches cover more than 13 million people from Northeast Texas to in northern Louisiana and southernmost Arkansas from the same system that unleashed heavy rain and flash flooding. this weekend in parts of the Southwest.
Rapidly rising water trapped vehicles around 3 a.m. CT (4 a.m. ET) on Interstate 30 in Dallas, said Cassondra Anna Mae Stewart, who recorded video of the dark, watery scene.
“I was able to back up on an on-ramp to get off the freeway,” he said. “I took an alternate route home…even though most of the streets are flooded down there too.”
Around that time, “trained weather observers reported extensive flash flooding underway in Dallas with numerous roads and cars submerged, including Interstate 30 to Interstate 45 near downtown Dallas,” according to a statement flash flood warning issued at 3:21 am CT (4:21:00 ET).
Dallas County remains under a flash flood warning, with a significant threat of flooding Monday through 8:00 a.m. CT (9:00 a.m. ET). Two more flash flood warnings blanketed Ellis County south of Dallas this morning after an estimated 5 inches of rain fell.
An estimated 8 inches of rain has soaked downtown Dallas since Sunday evening, according to rainfall estimates, with more than 6.5 inches at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and more than 6 inches at the Dallas Love Field.
Cities in the flood watch area for Monday include Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin, Texas, and Shreveport, Louisiana. The region is under a moderate risk (level 3 of 4) of excessive rainfall. Rain rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour have been seen as storms slowly move through the area, creating the possibility of up to 3 to 5 inches of rainfall.
Rain persisted Sunday in parts of Arizona and New Mexico after previous days’ flooding in parts of the Southwest.
In Utah, hikers on Friday were “discovered” in Zion National Park by flash flooding. Search and rescue team members were working to find a missing hiker near the Virgin River, the park said Saturday.
In New Mexico, about 160 people had to take shelter for several hours in Carlsbad Caverns National Park on Saturday due to flash flooding, the City of Carlsbad said in a Facebook post.
The park was closed Sunday, the National Park Service said. “Maintenance crews will begin assessing and clearing debris from the roadway,” the National Park Service added.