Eagle Pass and Maverick County hit hard by severe flooding
By: Jose G. Landa
An Exclusive Eagle Pass Business Journal News Story/Copyright 2013
The National Weather Service from San Antonio-Austin, Texas announced that Eagle Pass and Maverick County, Texas on the United States-Mexico border have received over 15 inches of rain during the past 24 hours on June 14-15, 2013, causing severe flooding of the Elm Creek and Rio Grande River and subdivisions adjacent to Elm Creek and within Maverick County.
The Maverick County Sheriff’s Department together with the City of Eagle Pass Police Department, Eagle Pass Fire Department, U.S. Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Southwest Texas Advisory Council of San Antonio, Texas have been working non-stop in search and rescue missions on boats since yesterday and this morning along subdivisions, homes, ranches, and properties adjacent to Elm Creek, Highway 277 North, Hopedale, Elm Creek Subdivision, South Elm Creek Subdivision, Deer Run Subdivision, Siesta Acres, Seco Mines, and El Indio Highway.
Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber in an exclusive interview with the Eagle Pass Business Journal stated that the joint rescue efforts had already rescued 50 persons alone on the Elm Creek lying subdivisions and area since yesterday. Sheriff Schmerber thanked all the law enforcement agencies for participating in rescuing Maverick Countians from the turbulent and fierce Elm Creek waters. Sheriff Schmerber advised motorists traveling between Eagle Pass and Del Rio, Texas on Highway 277 North that the highway was closed due to the severe and extreme flooding by the Elm Creek, whose waters rose above 15-20 feet its banks onto Highway 277 North and expanding to more than a mile wide in its flood stage.
The Cleo’s Valero Gasoline and Convenience Store on North Veterans Boulevard in Eagle Pass suffered the collapse of its canopy roof of its gasoline island and lost it electricity for an extended period of hours, causing the business to be closed on Saturday, June 15th.
El Indio Highway between the U.S. Border Patrol South Station and South Veterans Boulevard also flooded causing over 15 motorists to become stranded in their automobiles at chest high waters caused from the over 15 inches of rainfall within the past 24 hours period. Automobiles had to be towed out of the flood waters on El Indio Highway.
The U.S. Border Patrol Search and Rescue Helicopter assisted the joint rescue task force flying low near the raging floodwaters of Elm Creek and the Rio Grande River.
One Hopedale resident noted that the Railroad Commission of Texas should come down to Eagle Pass to review the severe and extreme flooding caused by Elm Creek and reconsider its controversial decision to grant Dos Republicas Coal Partnership an extension, renewal, and revision of its Permit 42-B to open and operate the open surface coal mine named Eagle Pass Mine on the banks of Elm Creek just north of Highway 277 North. This resident opined that had the Eagle Pass Mine been opened and operating today, its sedimenation ponds and excavation coal mining pits would have flooded and washed down Elm Creek into the Rio Grande River and downstream into both the City of Eagle Pass and City of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico municipal potable water treatment plants polluting their sole source of potable water with all the carcinogenic chemicals and byproducts of its open surface coal mine. The resident pointed out that this is the second time in three years that the Elm Creek and Rio Grande River have flooded from severe thunderstorms affecting the Eagle Pass and Maverick County area with the previous flood occurring during July 5-7, 2010. The concerned resident stated that this natural flooding will reoccur in the future after the controversial Eagle Pass Mine opens in the near future. The resident noted that over 60% of the permitted Eagle Pass Mine territory lies within the 100 year flood plain/zone. The resident concluded its not a question if the Eagle Pass Mine will cause contamination and pollution of the two twin sister cities of Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico potable water supply, but rather a question of when it is going to happen and how often during its proposed 18 years lifespan.
Sheriff Schmerber stated that damages in Maverick County as a result of the severe and extreme flooding along the Elm Creek, Rio Grande River, El Indio Highway, and other areas will be significant in the millions.
