Floodwaters following Texas storms inundate airport garage, submerge vehicles
The storm system that resulted in dozens of wind and hail damage reports across western and northern Texas on Tuesday also dumped flooding rain upon the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex into the overnight hours, with over 1.50 inches drenching Fort Worth in just an hour.
Late Tuesday night, the Fort Worth Fire Department tweeted that they had responded to more than 20 high-water rescues since the first round of storms began, and also encouraged drivers to remain off the roads.
Early Wednesday morning, a freight train carrying ethanol derailed in a Fort Worth neighborhood and ignited, triggering nearby evacuations and a hazardous materials response, according to KXAS-TV.
It's not yet clear what caused the trains to leave the tracks, but heavy storms were moving through the area during that time. The cause is currently being investigated.
Unfortunately for air travelers who have parked their cars at Dallas Love Field Airport, at least a dozen vehicles were submerged in floodwaters that inundated the airport's parking garage.
Some videos and photos show cars only visible above the floodwaters by the very top portion of their roofs. The airport received more than 3 inches of rainfall overnight.
Dangerous situation at @DallasLoveField Airport. 50+ cars are completely submerged in water. All lower levels are flooding. Crews not able to pump water out. #IamUp@News8Daybreak@wfaa@NBCDFW@CBSDFW@NBCDFWWeather@TxStormChasers@dallasnewspic.twitter.com/0QcHiS0ZDh
— Omair Siddiqi (@omair_siddiqi) April 24, 2019
The airport announced via Twitter that lower-level traffic at the airport is closed due to the rising water. An off-site drainage issue is what caused the flooding, according to Dallas Love Field spokesperson Chris Perry.
"We implore customers, if you have had water damage, please file a claim with your insurance company and also file an incident report with the City of Dallas Office of Risk Management," he said.
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The perils of parking on the lower level: A much better look at cars completely submerged in Lot A at Love Field. We have seen a pump truck driving into the parking lot but it's too late for these vehicles. #IAmUp#dfwwx#WFAAWeatherpic.twitter.com/Xw4Sm6oD8l
— Chris Sadeghi (@chrissadeghi) April 24, 2019
The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex can expect the threat of another round of storms capable of producing flooding and gusty winds later on Wednesday afternoon and evening, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rathbun.
AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rossio said that Dallas has likely seen most of its rainfall accumulation. "So far around the city, between 3.25-3.75 inches have been recorded so far," Rossio said. "I can see them seeing another half to three quarters-of-an-inch of rainfall, putting them near to just above 4 inches [as a storm total]."
The area remains under a flash flood watch through Wednesday night.
