Severe Thunderstorms flood Eagle Pass and Maverick County streets & homes
By: Jose G. Landa
The City of Eagle Pass, Texas and County of Maverick on the United States-Mexico border suffered severe flooding as a result of five to six inches of rain caused by severe thunderstorms during the early morning hours of Friday, June 14, 2013. Many Eagle Pass and Maverick County residents home and streets were flooded as a result of the strong rainfall which drenched the area during a six hour span.
Elm Creek flooded outside its banks reaching to almost the surface of Highway 277 North causing the Texas Public Safety Department and U.S. Border Patrol monitor the flood from spilling onto Highway 277 North with traffic limited to only one lane. Elm Creek Park is totally flooded and underwater. One Deer Run Subdivision resident who lives adjacent to Elm Creek that had the Dos Republicas Coal Partnership’s Eagle Pass Mine been opened already, its containment and sedimenation ponds would have flooded and spilled onto Elm Creek and down the Rio Grande River where both the City of Eagle Pass and the City of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico have their municipal water treatment plants, polluting the potable water supply of hundreds of thousands of residents from the two sister cities.
Barrera Street in Seco Mines flooded the homes and neighborhood causing law enforcement authorities to close all streets travesing Barrera Street. Seco Mines Creek crested to the top of the bridge.
Memo Robinson Drive in Las Brisas Subdivision and Eagle Heights was closed due to flooding. There were widespread reports of streets and subdivisions flooding in the Colonias within Maverick County including Las Brisas, Eagle Heights, Eidson Road, Seco Mines, Siesta Acres, Deer Run, Elm Creek, Hopedale, South Elm Creek, and many others.
The newly constructed DeBona Park on Flowers Street is flooded as it serves as a detention pond for rain drainage damaging some of the equipment installed by the City of Eagle Pass. The severe rains and flooding at DeBona Park may delay its expected grand opening later this month.
El Indio Highway is closed at its intersection with Memo Robinson Drive precluding Maverick Countians to reach their homes in southern Maverick County and to the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino.
The much needed rain caught the community by surprise and will certainly leave damages in the millions of dollars to homes, streets, highways, and personal property.
