What to Know
- By some estimates, nearly 15 inches of rain have fallen in the East Dallas area. There were several road closures due to high water. Drivers are encouraged to use extreme caution on roadways.
- A Flood Watch in Dallas County expired after storms moved out of the area Monday evening.
- A River Flood Warning is in effect in Dallas County. At 11:30 a.m. Monday the stage for the West Fork Trinity River at Grand Prairie was 25.1 feet. Flood stage is 27 feet. The river will rise above the flood stage to 28.5 feet this afternoon. It will then fall below flood stage this evening and remain below flood stage.
Heavy rain led to flash flooding in Dallas early Monday morning leaving some drivers stranded and others fleeing their cars as high water swept them off the road.
Drone footage obtained by NBC 5 showed more than a dozen cars underwater along Interstate 30 as firefighters waded in neck-high water to rescue stranded drivers.
Preliminary estimates indicate nearly 15 inches of rain fell in East Dallas from Sunday afternoon through Monday morning. The 24-hour rainfall is the second-highest on record for any day in North Texas and pushed this August to the second wettest on record.
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Dallas police worked to rescue stranded drivers after several vehicles were partially submerged at Cesar Chavez and Interstate 45 in Dallas.
One man was seen sitting on the roof of his car until first responders could get him to safety. Another driver of a pickup truck that was almost completely submerged was also rescued, the water was up to their shoulders as they walked to safety.
Drivers were also rescued off Lemmon Avenue near Inwood where water floated several cars down the street.
Another hard-hit area was near Baylor Scott & White's emergency room near Hall and Worth Streets. Several drivers had to abandon their cars when fast-moving flood waters carried them.
NORTH TEXAS FLOODING
"How scared was I? Baby, I almost drowned in this car. I had to kick this door open to get out of this car," one woman told NBC 5's Larry Collins.
Another woman and her kids had to get out of their car when water started filling her car and she said it was as high as her driver's side window.
NBC 5 meteorologist Grant Johnston said many areas of Dallas received more than eight inches of rain in the past 24 hours and more torrential rain is expected to add to those rain totals.
On Twitter, the Dallas Police Department urged drivers to stay off the road if possible.
