Floodwater shuts down Index Bridge
Lake Texoma not quite at cresting point yet
The Red River continues to rise, and significant flooding reached U.S. Highway 71 early Friday, forcing traffic to be rerouted from the Index bridge that crosses the river at the Little River County-Miller County line.
Flooding is expected to continue through the weekend, especially at Index and Pecan Point near DeKalb, Texas. The Red River at Index is expected to crest by Sunday or Monday.
The Index Bridge closed Friday morning because water was on both sides of the road.
Traffic between Ashdown, Ark., and Texarkana is now being detoured via Arkansas Highway 32 West to Arkansas Highway 355 and on to U.S. Highway 67 and Interstate 30.
Late Friday, the Red River at the Index Bridge was at 27.94 feet. Flood stage there is 25 feet, and major flood stage is 28 feet.
Pecan Point was at 34.94 feet Friday. It is expected to reach 36 feet by Monday.
The Red River remains under a flood warning, and several other roadways are already closed, with motorists are advised to find alternate routes: Arkansas Highway 41/Texas Highway 8 between Foreman, Ark., and New Boston, Texas, remains closed, along with U.S. Highway 259 north of DeKalb and Idabel, Okla.
Lake Texoma reached an elevation of 645.29 feet late Friday. It is expected to reach 645.9 by Sunday according to the Army Corp of Engineer’s office.
“We are still rising, but have not crested,” said Brande Serner, with the corps office in Denison, Texas.
The release from Lake Texoma, including the generators, flood conduits and spillway, is about 115,000 cubic feet per second.
The schedule of releases through hydropower generators and flood conduits is subject to downstream river stage conditions and the conditions of other reservoirs in the lower
Red River basin.
Serner said hydrologists with the Corps of Engineers are aware of how the water released from Denison Dam affects areas on the Red River such Pecan Point and Index.
“They absolutely look at everything in the complete watershed system. We have hydrologists that look way out west in the Red River basin and all the way down. It’s like a symphony. It has to all be done together,” Serner said. “They continue to watch the rainfall and conditions downstream.”
Serner said the release of water over the weekend cannot be predicted yet.
“They can’t predict until the rain falls and is calculated. Then they can come up with a prediction. The numbers we have now are based on rain that has already fallen,” she said.
Millwood Dam is set at minimum release and has been since Wednesday afternoon, according to the public affairs office.
“We’ve been set at minimum ahead of the crest of the Red River and will be restricted to minimal release until the Red River recedes below 100,000 cfs. We have the ability to hold, and that’s what we are going to do,” said Laurie Driver, spokeswoman for corps’ Little Rock District.
More rain continues to threaten the area. Friday afternoon brought more showers, and there is a 50 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms forecast for today. Rain chances should decrease on Sunday and Monday, with some sunshine finally predicted for Tuesday.