By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Rising waters caused by Thursday morning’s heavy rains kept the Del Rio Fire Department and the Del Rio Police Department busy.
Leaders in both departments are no strangers to water rescues, as a number of them served with their respective departments during Del Rio’s massive San Felipe Creek flood in August 1998.
In addition to the San Felipe Creek, Del Rio has a number of ephemeral streams, normally dry beds that channel stormwater runoff during heavy rains.
In north Del Rio, the Cienegas Creek drainage receives runoff from the north and northeast parts of the city and snakes along an area behind The Home Depot, Fox Drive and Kings Way before crossing Kings Way just north of its intersection with Mary Lou. The runoff finally drains into Cienegas Creek proper at West Cantu Road.
Areas on the southeast side of the city are drained by Calaveras Creek, which eventually meets the San Felipe Creek near Round Mountain, also known locally as “La Loma de la Cruz.”
Del Rio Fire Department Chief David Harrison told The 830 Times today his firefighter crews responded to seven water rescues and one possible lightning strike by early afternoon.
Harrison, in a text to The 830 Times, wrote, “An engine drove into rising water on Camille Street to remove a family from a home where water was rising and entering the residence. As the water rose, the engine stalled.
“The family was transferred to the police department’s high-profile vehicle (MRAP), which then transported the family to a safe area,” Harrison added.
The fire chief said the fire apparatus “was later removed with assistance from the police department MRAP and city crews.”
Camille Street is a short, one-block road off Virginia Street, about four blocks northwest of Dr. Fermin Calderon Boulevard/U.S. Highway 277. The Calaveras Creek drainage is located just east of Camille Street and is usually dry in this area.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com.
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