Flooding prompts water rescues, evacuations in Amarillo overnight Wednesday

Brianna Maestas and Michael Cuviello, Amarillo Globe-News
Updated ·5 min read
Parts of Amarillo were flooded even more after Wednesday's storms brought more rainfall. More than 200 residents were evacuated near the area of Lawrence Lake, which has overflowed its banks since last week.
Parts of Amarillo were flooded even more after Wednesday's storms brought more rainfall. More than 200 residents were evacuated near the area of Lawrence Lake, which has overflowed its banks since last week.

Around 205 people and 47 animals had been evacuated as of Thursday afternoon in Amarillo, after heavy rainfall overnight flooded roads and yards, with the Lawrence Lake already over capacity, according to the Amarillo Fire Department. Multiple roads in the area were also blocked off.

Police updated that number to 245 people rescued and 57 pets in a Facebook post at 4 p.m. Thursday.

With heavy rain hitting already flooded areas Wednesday, officers from AFD and the Amarillo Police Department assisted other agencies with evacuations and rescues in the Western Plaza, Lawrence Park and Paramount areas of Amarillo. The nearby Lawrence Lake overflowed its banks days ago, causing several road closures before the evacuations.

At about 3 a.m. Thursday, AFD said the area of 2727 S. Virginia was being evacuated due to the flooding resulting from that night's rain, with local and state resources working together to assist and rescue invididuals impacted by the most recent storm. The public was asked to avoid the area.

First responders and state agencies set up near flood-impacted areas in Amarillo.
First responders and state agencies set up near flood-impacted areas in Amarillo.

AFD said four inviduals were taken to the hospital for non-critical chronic conditions. According to APD, the nearby Market Street grocery store opened early to provide those displaced by the storm with a dry and safe place to go. The Red Cross set up a temporary shelter at Austin Middle School for displaced residents, according to AFD. Multiple apartments and houses in the area were impacted, officials said.

"The overnight rain has continued flooding in some areas and brought new flooding to others," APD said via Twitter. "The area between Georgia Street and Paramount Boulevard and from the Duniven Circle area to Duncan Street area seeing standing water in multiple places. Please avoid the area if you can. As always, the Amarillo Police Department urges everyone to avoid driving through or entering into standing water."

Flood rescues and relief efforts were underway early Thursday after heavy rains caused more flooding overnight in Amarillo.
Flood rescues and relief efforts were underway early Thursday after heavy rains caused more flooding overnight in Amarillo.

Xcel Energy shut down power in the area as a precaution, with between 1,700 and 2,400 customers impacted at one point in the neighborhood area between Western and Georgia and from Mockingbird to I-40 while contractors assessed the situation. The number of customers who remained without power around 1:30 p.m. was in the Lawrence Park area at a total of 1,095. Xcel said the incident commander requested they "deenergize three circuits feeding that area." The utility company was able to restore power to some customers who weren't directly affected by flooding.

The city said a new shelter was being set up at the Amarillo Civic Center, and they are bussing people from the area of Lawrence Lake to get help either to the civic center or the Randall County Fire Station from that region. The Salvation Army of Amarillo said 75 people were currently located at the civic center shelter.

Flooding is seen Thursday on Georgia and 26th streets near Lawrence Lake in Amarillo after heavy rain overnight Wednesday. Emergency personnel were on hand to help those impacted in the area.
Flooding is seen Thursday on Georgia and 26th streets near Lawrence Lake in Amarillo after heavy rain overnight Wednesday. Emergency personnel were on hand to help those impacted in the area.

National Weather Service meteorologists warned of flash flooding being possible with even a half-inch of rain, and the Amarillo area received about .68 inches, according to the National Weather Service Amarillo office. The Palo Duro Canyon floor recieved an additional 1.53 inches of rain, according to NWS Amarillo.

The Amarillo Office of Emergency Management discouraged people from coming to the Market Street location if there were people they were looking for and said to contact the resource centers for more information.

As previously reported, a multi-agency resource center (MARC) was set up at the Randall County Fire Station Event Center, located at 1111 S. Loop 335, with multiple assistance agencies available to Amarillo area residents who were displaced and affected by recent flooding, similar to the one recently held in Hereford. The Amarillo area center was open on Thursday from noon to 7 p.m. and will open Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Resources and agency officials were available to help residents get information and assistance.

Future hours of operation will be determined based on community need, according to the city. As many as 16 agencies, including the Red Cross and the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), will be available to provide information and help the victims of recent flooding in the Amarillo area. “There will be several organizations available at one location to help the residents of our community who are dealing with the impact of the recent rain and flooding,” said OEM Director Max Dunlap. “The MARC will be a convenient and valuable resource for residents.” For more information, contact City of Amarillo Media Relations Manager David Henry at (806) 378-5219 or by email at David.Henry@amarillo.gov.

Flooding is seen Thursday on Mockingbird Lane near Lawrence Lake in Amarillo after heavy rain overnight Wednesday. Emergency personnel were on hand to help those impacted in the area.
Flooding is seen Thursday on Mockingbird Lane near Lawrence Lake in Amarillo after heavy rain overnight Wednesday. Emergency personnel were on hand to help those impacted in the area.

Disaster relief fund established; supplies run low

The Amarillo Area Foundation has created the Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund. This fund will be used to help and aid victims of the recent flooding in the Amarillo area. For more information and to donate, contact the Amarillo Area Foundation at: https://amarilloareafoundation.org/disaster/ .

Gifts by mail may be designated to the Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund, Amarillo Area Foundation, 801 S. Fillmore, Suite 700, Amarillo, Texas, 79101.

In addition, the city said Thursday morning that the supply of sandbags for the city of Amarillo sandbag distribution at the Amarillo Civic Center has been used. There were no more sandbags available; if and when additional supplies arrive, the city will send out notification through its usual communication outlets. "Almost 6,000 sandbags were distributed to the public as of Wednesday. Final numbers are not yet available," the city said.

Amarillo police give update on road closures

As of 3:30 p.m. Thursday, these are the most up-to-date road closures in the Western Plaza-Paramount area, according to APD: "There are blockades or some kind of barrier at these intersections. Please do not drive through or around these. They are there for everyone’s safety. #turnarounddontdrown"

  • 26/Georgia

  • 28/Mockingbird

  • Paramount/Mockingbird

  • Lynette/Mockingbird

  • Lometa/Mockingbird

  • Janet/Mockingbird

  • Hobbs/Mockingbird

  • Fleetwood/Mockingbird

  • Hobbs/Olsen

  • Hobbs/Western Plaza

  • I-40/Western Plaza

  • I-40/Paramount

  • Wolflin/Virginia

  • Duniven/Church

  • Civic/Blackburn

  • Duniven/Blackburn

  • Virginia/Kentucky

  • Curtis/Britain

The following intersections need to be blocked and will be once the equipment is obtained, APD added in a Thursday update. "If you are near these intersections, go around, the water is deep and you could end up being stranded."

  • 27/Georgia

  • Westhaven/Patterson

  • Westhaven/Lenwood

  • I-40/Lakeview

"We cannot stress strongly enough that we need citizens to avoid these areas for your safety," APD said. "Please don’t come into these areas unless it is an emergency and please don’t drive around the barriers or barricades."

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo residents evacuated after storm brings more rain, flooding