Dallas Fire-Rescue says several cars have had to be rescued from high water during recent storms. NBC 5’s Ben Russell has the details.
On Tuesday, May 28, Dallas Fire Rescue responded to two calls of several cars stranded on IH635.
They responded to another one just yesterday, Sunday, June 2.
Pamela Jackson has seen some of the videos, and it worries her.
"It’s kind of scary because it seems like something’s wrong with the drainage system because it can only rain for like 30 minutes and you already got flooding, and it’s pretty scary," Jackson said.
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Jackson travels on IH635 often to get to and from work and is concerned she might end up on a flooded road.
"It just seems like it shouldn’t flood that quickly," she said.
Kenna Mitchell with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) said litter is exacerbating the effects of heavy rainfall.
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"Our crews are having to go into some of these high-water areas and unclogging the drains and they’re pulling out a lot of litter. Some of that is just getting washed down different embankments or perhaps it’s already along the roadways," she said.
Mitchell said over the past week, crews have responded to several dozen instances across the metro where flash flooding has caused dangerous traveling conditions.
"Typically before forecasted rains, we are out doing sweeping, we are checking drains for any issues, but the problem becomes where sometimes once we’ve cleared an area, it’s just a matter of time before the litter bugs hit it again and start dropping more debris in those areas," she said.
She said construction along the highway may factor into the flooding, depending on the intensity of the weather event, how much rain is dropped in a certain area, and the specs of that area.
“Some work zones where there already are narrowed lanes, the water might take a little more time to recede through that area," Mitchell explained.
She said because the litter can pile up quickly, combined with intense rain, drivers should check to assess if they need to go out during a weather event and to check road conditions at DriveTexas.org before heading out.
“You have to be on your guard when you’re in these weather situations," Mitchell said.
