Wednesday, October 14, 2009
 COURTNEY CASE/News Messenger |
| Leroy Jones, a dock hand at Johnson's Ranch, pauses as he figures out where to tie a boat down to the walkway. Storms over the past 72 hours have caused Caddo Lake to reach their flood banks |
 COURTNEY CASE/News Messenger |
| A late model Ford Explorer drives through a large rain puddle caused by a heavy rain storm, which left parts of Harrison County roads closed Tuesday.
|
 COURTNEY CASE/News Messenger |
| Paddle boats tied to a tree on shore at Johnson's Ranch start to fill with rain water Tuesday. Storms have caused Caddo Lake to reach their flood banks. |
With a 60 percent chance for showers continuing today and the potential for moderate flooding at Caddo Lake, officials are keeping a close eye on the rain and river gauges.
"We're about six inches from flood stage," said Uncertain Mayor Sam Canup Tuesday, on the possibility of Caddo Lake flooding the town. "We're starting to get water over the roads and people in the low areas need to start moving to high ground."
Of a real concern to Canup and the residents is the upstream watershed. Already, Canup said, Lake O' the Pines, Little Cypress and Black Cypress are nearing flood levels.
"There's been a lot of thunderstorms in the watershed and that will be flowing down to us," he said.
Canup said an evacuation is being considered but "hopefully it will not get to that stage," he said.
However, "people need to start planning what they are going to do if we get more of a rise on the lake."
The Uncertain Chamber of Commerce has placed "No Wake" signs along the lake to help prevent peoples' homes from being flooded.
"At this level, it is on the verge of being in people's homes and a boat wave can push the water into the houses," he said. "This is a critical time."
Canup noted the prediction is the lake will not rise much above the 172 foot flood level, however, he said that prediction is changing every day.
Big Cypress Bayou in Caddo Lake is expected to reach flood stage today, according to the National Weather Service.
As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, lake levels were at 171.8 feet and flood stage is 172 feet.
Jefferson has not had to close streets due to flash flooding from the recent rains, said Jefferson Mayor Bob Avery.
"We have not had the problem we had four weeks ago when we got five inches of rain in an hour," said Avery. "Our drainage flows into the Big Cypress Bayou, and it's as full as I've ever seen it."
While runoff from the city is still making its way into the bayou, additional rain may hinder that.
"The discharge pipes for the storm drains are under water," said Mayor Avery. "The Big Cypress is so high, we can't discharge much more, but if the rain holds off, I think we'll be OK."
With the weather system soaking the areas up stream even before rain reaches the local bodies of water, the potential for flooding increases as they also need to release water into lower streams.
"Some areas have received between 1 and 3 inches of rain and all that water has to work its way into the river systems," said Christian Stapleton, a forecaster at the National Weather Service in Shreveport.
The Caddo Lake flood stage is 172 and they are expected to be up to 174.5 by Thursday, with moderate flooding.
"There will be water problems on the secondary roads around the lake," said Stapleton.
The Little Cypress Bayou was at 13.7 feet at 8 p.m. Tuesday with a flood stage at 13 feet, already in a minor flood stage.
The Big Cypress near Jefferson was at 18.2 feet by 8 p.m. Tuesday, and it was on its way up to its flood stage at 20 feet. The Big Cypress Bayou is expected to crest at a minor flood stage after Thursday's storms.
At Lake O' The Pines the water level was 235.4 feet Tuesday evening and it was still rising. Lake O' the Pines normally releases about 3,000 CFS and has not increased this amount despite the rains.
"It should be down closer to 230 or 232, so it's up. They have to hold on to a lot more water by law to keep flooding from occurring down stream," said Stapleton.
They are also releasing water at Lake Fork into the Sabine River near Quitman in Wood County.
"All that water is going down the Sabine River and will affect Gladewater and Longview into the area," said Stapleton. "Lake Fork has cranked theirs (dam release) up to 19,000 cubic feet per second."
Lake Fork normally releases about 3,000 CFS, he said.
The Sabine River is going to rise to 18.7 feet for Thursday afternoon, which puts it at moderate flooding.
In Gladewater, it will be 29.5 feet Thursday with a flood stage beginning at 26, "just a minor flooding problem." The next gauge on the Sabine River is at Beckville.
"We're looking for 26.8 feet, which is just over its 26-foot flood stage, only minor flooding," said Stapleton.
"Even though we've had a deluge of rain Tuesday, it will taper off, even with some more rain today," said Stapleton. "But there is a cold front coming for Thursday and you will have showers and thunderstorms along that frontal boundary."
After that passes through, conditions will be drier with more fall-like temperatures, which will have many reaching for their jackets before heading out.
Morning temperatures for the weekend are expected in middle 40s for Saturday and lower 40s for Sunday with daytime highs in the mid to upper 60s.
Today will have cloudy skies with a high near 80 and a 60 percent chance for showers and thunderstorms likely. North winds will be about 5 mph. Tonight will be cloudy with a low near 70 and a 60 percent chance for showers and thunderstorms; some storms could be severe. Winds will be south at about 5 mph, according to the NWS in Shreveport.
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