'Nowhere for the water to go': Amarillo mayor says playa lakes at capacity

2:30 p.m. Sunday update: The city of Amarillo and the surrounding area is under a flash flood warning until 5 p.m. Sunday and a severe thunderstorm warning until 2:45 p.m. The Amarillo Police Department is advising that due to the continued rain, flooding is continuing in the area of Lawrence Lake. Traffic is being affected from Western Street to Dunivan Circle and over to 27th. At this time, police are asking the public to avoid the area and never drive through standing water.

"Please avoid Georgia Street between 45th Avenue and 42nd Avenue due to flooding," Amarillo police also advised, noting the city is working on getting barricades set up to keep people from attempting to pass through the standing water. "Please do not attempt to drive on flooded roadways. Follow the Amarillo Police Department on Facebook or Twitter for any updates on road closures."

According to the National Weather Service Amarillo, a tornado warning expired at 2:15 p.m., with no confirmed touchdowns in the city of Amarillo. "Storms are becoming stationary or moving in random directions. Additional brief funnels are still possible, but damaging wind gusts, small hail, and especially flash flooding from heavy rains remain the primary concerns," the NWS Amarillo office said. "Much like yesterday, we're getting reports of funnel clouds across the southern Texas Panhandle. These types of funnels don't show up well on radar, appearing and disappearing randomly. While they don't usually make it to the ground, brief touchdowns capable of producing localized damage are still possible. Stay indoors if skies look threatening and you'll be safe."

Earlier Sunday, the city of Canyon announced it had run out of sands and bags to provide to the public to help mitigate flooding. City staff were working on acquiring more supplies, and the city will update everyone when more supplies become available.

Original story:

The city of Amarillo addressed its declaration of a local disaster and the ongoing flooding of playa lakes throughout the region Friday afternoon in a news conference at city hall.

On Friday, the Amarillo area saw hours of rainfall that led to many road closures and already waterlogged playa lakes overflowing into the streets, along with the postponement of events including the Route 66 kickoff celebration planned at Hodgetown.

Thursday afternoon, Amarillo Mayor Cole Stanley issued the declaration due to the severe weather and flooding throughout the city. The reasoning for the declaration was stated as the massive amount of rainfall the city has received in the last week, which has caused widespread flooding and severe property damage.

These floods have created dangerous conditions that could endanger lives and damage property on a large scale, according to the declaration. The state of disaster will be in effect for seven days or until rescinded unless authorized by the city council, similiar to the disaster declarations issued by Randall and Potter counties and the city of Canyon. Any violations of Amarillo's disaster declaration are considered a Class C misdemeanor.

Stanley spoke about the state of the city and the measures being taken to reduce flooding, especially in playa lakes that have well exceeded their capacity.

“In the past couple of weeks, we have seen some unprecedented rains. … At this point, we are at the brim with everything starting to overflow,” Stanley said. “We hope to get a break in the weather to pump some of these playa lakes down and mitigate flooding over the next week.”

Stanley said that the city is making every effort to alleviate flooding with pumps running when and where they can. A temporary pump has been placed at the Greenways to alleviate the playa lake overflow. This water is being pumped to McDonald Lake, which already covers the entire surrounding park area. These temporary pumps cannot run while raining, limiting the time they can be used.

“The major problem is that we are just full everywhere,” Stanley said. “When we have isolated flooding, we are able to transfer water from one playa to the next and move things around, but because we are so saturated in surrounding areas, there is nowhere for the water to go.”

According to Stanley, the capability of the city to manage this type of water will have to be looked at in future city plans to prevent this type of flooding. While there are certain plans already in place, Stanley said that this disaster incident would probably have the council looking at pushing up these mitigation strategies.

Floyd Hartman, Amarillo assistant city manager, explained that the temporary pumps could not be used while it is raining due to the gravity flow pipes that go under Interstate 40 to Medi Park.

“The surface water of a rain is intended to be used by that pipe, so it has to shut off during the rain so that draining can occur,” Hartman said. “Otherwise, we would have much less water drained because of the head pressure of going all the way to Medi Park.”

Currently, the water from Playa Seven can only be pumped into McDonald Lake, which is also at capacity, with many areas unable to receive water from that lake due to so many areas being at capacity. Temporary pumps can only send water to this lake, with future plans to have a permanent pump installed at Medi Park that will be able to receive water from McDonald Lake.

“Flooding in city playa lakes represents a significant public safety concern for the community for various reasons,” Stanley said. “It is highly recommended that residents avoid all activities on playa lakes and avoid all contact with floodwater at any location.”

According to the Amarillo Police Department, Friday's road closures caused by the storms' impact included Amarillo Boulevard East at Evergreen, Fritch Highway and Heather; Georgia/Wolflin; SE 10/Grant and the underpass; SW 45th/Western and Western Plaza Drive; SW 45/Georgia; SW 46/Hardin; Bell at Loop 335 and toward Pinnacle; SW 3rd/Adams; SW 45/Coulter; NE 24/Eastern to the Fritch Highway; Hillstone/Bell; SW 45/Austin; Linda/Olsen; SW 42/Georgia; SW 26th/Patterson; and I-40/Western and Paramount and Western.

Health, water safety to keep in mind with floodwater dangers

Residents in flooded areas are advised to avoid all contact with floodwater due to contamination from flooded septic systems. This floodwater can also contaminate well water with livestock waste, human waste, chemicals and other contaminates that can lead to illness when used for drinking, bathing and other hygiene activities.

According to the city of Amarillo, the city water system is considered safe for usage. The city issued flood response information for residents with septic and well water as follows:

• Water well: Avoid the well pump while flooded to avoid electrical shock. Do not use the water until you have verified the water is not contaminated. Conduct a water sample test. If water is contaminated, disinfect the water well before use. If you suspect damage to your water well, contact a licensed professional.

• Septic system (before flooding): Do not pump the septic tank- ensure your septic tank is at least half full to prevent it from collapsing or floating. Seal all possible points of excess flow to the system. Ensure all lids, cleanouts or inspection ports are sealed completely to keep excess water out of the tank.

• If your septic system requires electricity, turn off the pump at the circuit box before the area floods. Waterproof all electrical connections to avoid electrical shock or damage to wiring, pumps and the electrical system.

• During rainfall: Homeowners are advised to eliminate all non-essential water use and flush toilets as little as possible. If the drain field becomes covered with water, do not use the system at all and avoid contact with any standing water due to the potential for contamination.

• Following rainfall: Do not have the septic tank pumped. Pumping it out could cause the tank to float out of the ground and damage the system. Avoid using the system if at all possible and allow time for the water to recede and the soil around the drain field to dry. Reduce all nonessential water use. For example, dishwashing, washing clothes and showering. Flush toilets as little as possible.

The city advises that residents contact the city if they have flooding issues or questions on water and states that all emergency services will be available.

“We are working closely with every entity to try to take care of the public,” Stanley said. “We need to use caution with safety on the roadways; do not go anywhere you should not when you see water on the roadway. The city is doing everything we can to help; we are listening to you with the problems and responding as quickly as possible.”

Randall County Sheriff's Office issues Saturday updates

According to the Randall County Sheriff's Office, Randall County and city of Canyon Officials, along with the Villages of Tanglewood, Timbercreek, and Palisades, are reminding citizens of potentially dangerous conditions that continue to exist due to recent flooding, with many roads closed due to water over the roads, and alternate routes needing to be utilized. Do not remove or drive around barricades, or drive into high or swift-running water. Many dirt roads may be impassable and have large washouts that will be difficult to see when driving in the dark.

Lakes remain closed for recreational use while debris removal continues in some areas; continue to check with local governing authorities as to when these areas will re-open to the public.

The City of Canyon has a sandbag filling area at the public library. Citizens are encouraged to bring a shovel and fill any bags needed to protect houses threatened by floodwaters. Citizens are also encouraged to report any damage of personal property to the Texas Department of Emergency Management.

The Randall County Sheriff's Office is also warning residents about scammers who are attempting to take advantage of people who have been impacted by the recent flooding.

The scammers may be calling residents and claiming to be from the state government. The scammers may say that they need the resident's personal information, such as their Social Security number and bank account information, to process a flood relief payment. Beware of phone callers, text messages or other communications contacting residents to request personal information. If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from any government agency and asking for personal information, hang up the phone.

If you have been scammed, you should report it to the Randall County Sheriff's Office at 806-468-5800. You should also report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at https://www.ftc.gov/complaint.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Storms cause Amarillo playa lakes to flood, city disaster issued