KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — Storms Friday night and Saturday morning brought heavy rain to North Texas, which has caused flooding in parts of Kaufman County, and county officials have confirmed two people died in the flooding.
Steve Howie, Emergency Management Coordinator for Kaufman County, said authorities believe the two victims drove into high water near the intersection of FM 148 and FM 1390.
“Two people apparently drove off into deep water. The water was moving quickly and washed them off the road,” said Howie.
About 26 people have been assisted today, Howie said, as well as 10 dogs.
“We brought those folks to our city hall,” said Mike Holder, Kaufman City Manager. “We’ve seen an unusual amount of rain in a short period of time, a heavy deluge. That’s not typical for our area."
The county has put in a request for four boat crews and Texas Task Force 1 to have on hand incase the next round of rain causes more flooding.
A Flash Flood Warning extended into Saturday morning for parts of Dallas, Ellis, Kaufman, and Rockwall counties, WFAA Meteorologist Kyle Roberts reported. According to the Kaufman County Emergency Management, the City of Kaufman reported to have 10 inches of rain since the start of the storm Friday night.
“I heard a bunch of thundering and lightning,” said Ashley Cavazos, a Kaufman County resident.
Cavazos is 12 years old. She and her family woke up to their home flooded. “The water was almost to the windows,” said Cavazos. “My dad called my mom and told us to pack like two pairs or three pairs of clothes because we were going to go somewhere, but I was not sure where.”
Howie wants to remind people of the dangers of driving during flash flood situations.
“The slogan is out there all the time. Turn around, don’t drown. It’s there for a reason," Howie said. "Don’t drive off into water over roads. That’s where it can push your car off. Try to stay clear of any flood waters to protect your life and your property."
Howie told WFAA they were evacuating the following areas:
- County Road 283 and 282 (Terrell and Kaufman)
- College Mound (FM 2728 and Abner Road)
The following roads in the area were closed Saturday morning due to flooding:
- CR 4079
- CR 4083
- DR 4090
- 175 Service Road W of Houston St
- West Bound 175 under 1388
- 8300 Block of S FM 148
- 34, 175 and 1836
- FM 1390 @ CR 4096
- 1300 Block Curtis Ln
- Love St.
The Red Cross is at Kaufman City Hall, located at 209 S. Washington Street, to help people who were evacuated from their homes, Howie told WFAA.
In Forney, three police officers were hospitalized after doing a water rescue Friday night. Forney police at about 10:04 p.m. Friday, first responders were dispatched to the north service road Highway 80 at Summerhaven regarding a water rescue. During the rescue, three officers became submerged for a short time while saving the individual from her vehicle.
The rescued individual did not receive any injuries requiring transport, police said. However, all three officers were transported to a local hospital for evaluation and observation and were in stable condition. Those officers were evaluated and released from the hospital.
Photos on social media showed flooding in those southeastern areas of DFW, including Seagoville.
WFAA Photojournalist Gary Ultee was in Terrell Saturday morning at Abner Road and FM 2728, where he saw a creek had flooded over and ponded near a home. The family of that home had to evacuate, Ultee said.
For the latest weather forecast, click here.
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