Some low-lying neighborhoods along the Trinity River in Liberty County are already experiencing flooding on roads leading into subdivisions, and the river still has a few more feet to rise before cresting this weekend.
The good news is the discharge rate and lake levels at the Lake Livingston dam were steady Wednesday, according to Crista Beasley-Adams, coordinator of the Liberty County Office of Emergency Management.
“The release rate at the Livingston Dam remains at 84,700 cubic feet per second. The lake appears to be stabilizing at this time. The discharge rate will remain at that level [until] the lake level shows some decrease. There is still water from the north coming and will continue,” Beasley-Adams wrote in an email sent Wednesday afternoon.
[SEE UPDATE BELOW]
Since Tuesday, the LCOEM slightly adjusted the levels at which the river is expected on Saturday and Sunday. The Romayor gauge is currently at 36.39 feet with a projected crest of 40.5 feet. In Liberty, the river is currently at 27.34 feet and will crest at 30.1 feet. To the south, Moss Bluff’s river gauge is currently at 11.48 feet and is projected to crest at 15.3 feet.
“With the levels listed above, I anticipate that we will be seeing water making roads impassable in the upcoming days for the subdivisions prone to flooding along the Trinity River. These levels are not comparable to the Hurricane Harvey flooding,” Beasley-Adams said.
Residents living in the low-lying subdivisions along the river, who plan to stay in their homes, should have enough food, water, pet food and supplies to last until the water recedes.
“…We will monitor conditions and update as warranted, but expect flooding in the riverfront subdivisions. I encourage the folks that live in the subdivisions that are located along the river [and] prone to water on the roads to continue to monitor as well,” Beasley-Adams said. “So if you plan to stay, please make sure you have your food, water and supplies on hand, and remember, emergency responders will not be able to access you if the roads are not passable.”
Travel in and out of the riverfront subdivisions should only be during daylight hours, she advised.
To keep up with the National Weather Service’s Advanced Hydrologic Predictions, go online to water.weather.gov. Zoom in on the map and find your location for more details on flooding in your area.
Editor’s note: The release rate was raised late Wednesday night to 86,900 cubic feet per second, up from the 84,700 cfs reported in this story earlier in the evening.