The High Water is Here, So Will Hell Come Next For East Dallas?

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E. Lake Highlands Drive was washed over by the Dixon Branch as last night's storm caused flash flooding in areas throughout East Dallas.

E. Lake Highlands Drive was washed over by the Dixon Branch as last night’s storm caused flash flooding in areas throughout East Dallas. (Photo: Jo England)

The water flowed swiftly and steadily down the slope of Lake Terrace to E. Lake Highlands Drive, and on toward Dixon Branch, the nearby creek. The waters began to creep up over the banks, and then over the curb, and then covered much of the street. High water had come, but with more rain in the forecast could hell be next?

This wasn’t an uncommon theme last night, as several East Dallas residents dealt with flooding, especially those near creeks and ditches surrounding White Rock Lake Park. While flash flooding in Houston drove home the real danger of getting caught in rising water while in your car, what about those who had never imagined floodwaters invading their normally dry homes?

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A woman and two children inspect the flooded greenbelt at Lawther and Northwest Highway. (Photo: Jo England)

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Access roads from White Rock Lake to Buckner Boulevard were taped off by police as several inches of water covered them. (Photo: Jo England)

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An access road at Buckner Boulevard and Northwest Highway was still under several inches of water after last night’s storm. (Photo: Jo England)

That’s what had Lori Roberts terrified last night, as she watched the drainage culvert near her Casa View Haven home quickly become the kind of crested rapids that rafters love. But then it topped the concrete banks and crept up the street, and then up her driveway, and then perilously close to her home.

Luckily, the floodwaters never made it inside her home, though they did come up to the wheel wells of her Toyota SUV. Some East Dallas residents weren’t so lucky, with Casa Linda and Casa View neighborhood associations reporting a few flooded homes each. The waters did wash away hefty chunks of gravel and asphalt from streets and alleys, depositing the detritus in yards and driveways up and down streets in the area. So if you thought the potholes were bad before last night’s storms, well, we’re in for a treat now.

Lori Roberts took this photo of the floodwaters that cascaded down the street outside her Casa View Haven home.

Lori Roberts took this photo of the floodwaters that cascaded down the street outside her Casa View Haven home.

We’re still waiting for official numbers on how much water Dallas got last night, but considering that the I-30 underpass at Loop 12 was flooded, causing a major traffic jam, and that roads all over White Rock Lake are still covered in several inches of water, we’ll need a lot of sunshine to dry out.

UPDATE: Reports from NBCDFW (Channel 5) show 4.71 inches since midnight at Love Field.

Other areas taking on water include Goforth near Flag Pole Hill in Lake Highlands, where Realtor Brittney Rhodes captured this image:

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Goforth Dr. and Eagle Trail were under a few feet of water this morning. (Photo: Brittney Rhodes)

My husband reported that this morning, on his way to work in Oak Cliff, it was like a scene from The Walking Dead — several cars had stopped on Garland Road next to the White Rock Lake spillway to take photos and videos of the scene. Here’s a shot from Jason Sellers, featuring Dallas City Councilman-elect Mark Clayton.

Wow. Never seen it like this.

Posted by Jason Sellers on Friday, May 29, 2015

And just in case you’re wondering, the National Weather Service says we’re not in the clear quite yet:

The National Weather Service is predicting that the Trinity River will crest at more than 43 feet after upcoming rains.

The National Weather Service is predicting that the Trinity River will crest at more than 43 feet after upcoming rains.

Joanna England is the Executive Editor at CandysDirt.com and covers the North Texas housing market.

3 Comments

  1. Doobie on May 29, 2015 at 12:56 pm

    Let’s go white water rafting!

    • Joanna England on May 29, 2015 at 1:43 pm

      I’m sure you’d get MRSA, typhoid fever, and several other exotic illnesses should you actually raft into the Dallas floodwaters. So gross.

  2. Jon Anderson on May 29, 2015 at 1:11 pm

    June 20th marks the 40th anniversary of the movie Jaws. With all the rain, I hear Spielberg is scouting Dallas as a location for the re-boot. 🙂

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