WHARTON, Texas – The City of Wharton issued a mandatory evacuation, effective 9 a.m. Thursday, for residents due to flooding of the rain-swollen Colorado River.
The order is issued for S. Sheppard on the east, N. Hendon on the north, Highway 59 on the west and Camellia on the south, and from S. Sunset from Bell Street to Cloud. About 350 homes are affected.
Mayor Domingo Montalvo Jr. said the water is rising faster than expected. Flood stage is 39 feet.
As of Thursday afternoon, the river was at nearly 48 feet, fed by recent heavy rains and runoff upstream where more than a foot of rain has fallen since Sunday night.
Police Chief Terry Lynch said about 350 homes are in the evacuation zone in low-lying neighborhoods where the river runs through the town of about 8,700. Authorities made nearly three dozen rescues starting Thursday morning.
As sun started to set over Wharton, city crews worked to put up road blocks along several streets.
For many others though and entire neighborhoods, they were already several feet underwater.
Woody Hahn, who lives In Wharton said, "It's just kind of stressful because you worry about your stuff damaged. It's just a tough situation."
Diane Brown, who was watching the water levels closely explained, "Just everywhere. I was surprised to see all the water back there, it shocked me."
Still, there were a few others like Brown who opted to ride it out.
Although not without worry, as the water creeps closer to her home and continues to rise.
"This here water, all over there. It didn't use to get back over here at all, but now we're getting it," said Brown.
But she and her family weren't alone as volunteers made the rounds.
Leonard Morales and others were out delivering food to people across the city.
Leonard Morales, a volunteer said, "The community is coming around together and everyone is there for each other and we're here to help out."
So no matter what night brings by way of more water, people living here are already looking at what tomorrow brings.
"When they say mandatory, we pretty much know it will be really, really bad. Even when they say voluntary, we have to prepare for the worst," resident Laross Barnes said.
"I just took people some water and stuff that couldn't get out and that are going to ride it out. It's a little tough. Walking through there, there's a lot of steep parts," another neighbor said.
Lynch said officers have visited each home, and that most people have complied with the order. Less than a dozen have refused to leave their property. The chief said authorities will not forcibly remove them.
"Hopefully all the water will dry up and it'll turn out good," said Hahn.
[LIST OF HIGH WATER LOCATIONS]
Due to water filtering down through our waterways the Colorado, Brazos and San Bernard Rivers are all on the rise and need to be monitored closely.
The Addicks Reservoir and Barker Reservoir reached record elevations on Monday and Wednesday, respectively, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The water levels are expected to rise to record levels, the highest in the projects' 70-year history.
Residents in the Bear Creek Village neighborhood immediately adjacent to the Addicks Reservoir; and in all subdivisions along Barker Reservoir, are urged to remain alert and take precautionary measures.
CLICK HERE TO CHECK THE WATER LEVELS IN YOUR AREA
According to officials, this week's flooding is the worst in the area since Tropical Storm Allison hit in 2001.
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