Levee Breaks On Lake In Edgewood

EDGEWOOD—Several county roads and part of Farm-to-Market Road 859 were flooded Thursday afternoon when a levee broke on a privately owned lake south of Highway 80.

The break occurred about 12:45 p.m., Edgewood Volunteer Fire Department Lt. Mark Hunter said. The lake is the old Edgewood City Lake.

Water quickly swept through parts of the southern end of Edgewood. Crooked Creek Road, near the bridge, was completely under water and closed to traffic for the remainder of the day.

Hunter said a section of FM 859, about one mile south of Highway 80, was closed for about one hour. It was reopened after firefighters and Texas Department of Transportation officials saw the waters had receded to a safe level, Hunter said.

Edgewood Police Chief Henry Askew said the emergency management effort went very well.

"I was rather impressed with the Edgewood Volunteer Fire Department. They were very professional the whole way and it all went smooth as glass," Askew said. "I thought the fire department did an amazing job."

He added that there were no initial reports of anyone being carried away by floodwaters or any homes in immediate danger.

Several county roads in the area were barricaded for safety. "All roads affected were blocked until it could be determined they were safe," Askew said.

The flooding happened very quickly, Askew said.

"Initially, we got a call from a lady who said she thought there might be water leaking from somewhere. A member of the sheriff’s posse called saying he saw water running from near the lake and then a homeowner on Austin Street called saying it sounded like water rushing," he said.

Hunter said no official determination had been made as to why the levee failed, but added that there were signs of damage from beavers.

Marty McCullough, a resident in that area, described the rapid onset of the floodwaters.

"I saw some water coming up in my yard, next thing I realized, it was like, ‘Holy Mackerel,’" he said.

The sudden flooding also forced police and fire personnel to coordinate a change in school bus routes for some Edgewood ISD students.

"The Edgewood Police Department visited with David (Tidwell, EISD maintenance and transportation director) and he told the bus drivers about the situation and got routes changed as needed," Edgewood ISD Superintendent Jack Shellnut said.

He added that some students might encounter a 30 to 40-minute delay in getting home that afternoon. Although Shellnut said he expected only two or three bus routes to be affected, he said he planned to stay late to field any phone calls from concerned parents.

Shellnut added that he was glad the incident occurred before dismissal of classes that afternoon.

"It could be serious and I hope no one was there (by the lake) or on Crooked Creek because that much water can carry you off in a heartbeat," he said.

Reached by telephone, Edgewood Mayor Charlie Prater said he was being kept up to date on developments.

"From what I understand and from all reports, we’ve gotten everything working well between the police, fire department and our public works department in combination," he said.

Prater also said he would be in touch with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality but did not believe there were any immediate health issues at risk.

Askew said public works director Matt Smith had "already started precautions and the sewer system should not be affected."

"The city boys did a great job helping barricade roads," Askew added.

Hunter said Thursday’s flooding was bigger than any he had seen in 12 years with the fire department.

"We’ve worked a few dam breaks on small tanks before, but nothing this size," he said.