Memorial Day Flood Threat and Lewis Creek Dam Update

Flood Threat Update
Significant flood threat remains for this weekend.  4-7″ average rainfall totals are expected across the region in the next 72 hours with isolated rainfall mounts of up to 8-10 inches.  All on grounds which area already saturated.

Quantitative Precipitation Forecast
7AM Sunday – 7AM Wednesday
NOAA Weather Prediction Center

The National Weather Service Houston/Galveston report a Flash Flood Watch will go into effect at midnight tonight and will continue through Monday evening.

Graphicast National Weather Service Houston/Galveston

The first bands of rain are approaching from the West and should approach our area by 0300hrs Sunday morning.  These bands have dropped 2-5in of rainfall over Central Texas in the past few hours. Do not drive through water when you cant see the road. Turn Around Don’t Drown®.

Dam Situation
Currently, Entergy and Montgomery County Emergency Officials are working to strengthen the Lewis Creek Reservoir Dam near Willis on which weaknesses were found a few days ago posing the potential risk of dam breach.   Latest reports from Montgomery County OEM state “the dam remains intact, there are no breaches and failure of the dam is NOT imminent. Workers made good progress yesterday and last night to mitigate the soil slides along the levee. Efforts continue in advance of expected heavy rains.”

Voluntary evacuations have been called for residents who fall within the area of concern (as circled in the image below in yellow). A Red Cross shelter open at the Lone Star Community Center in Montgomery at 8:00pm tonight. Address for this facility is 2500 Lone Star Parkway Montgomery, TX 77356.

Lake Lewis Dam: Public Information Map (click here for live map)

5/23/2015 Dam Soil Slide Mitigation Progress
Source: Entergy

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