By Mayor Tom Hayden
As I’m sure you’re aware, Flower Mound experienced historic flooding in May and June, forcing the closure of FM 2499 and Fairway Drive (Dam Road).
On June 17, I signed a Declaration of Disaster Proclamation and Mandatory Evacuation Order. This order allowed emergency responders to evacuate residents as public safety and welfare dictated and flood waters rose.
Although Grapevine Lake received a substantial amount of precipitation throughout the month of May, the rainfall from Tropical Depression Bill inundated the already saturated watershed, which spans for hundreds of square-miles northwest of Flower Mound, with anywhere from 4- to 10-inches of rain in less than 48-hours. Fortunately, Flower Mound emergency personnel did not have to conduct any mandatory evacuations.
Just like any natural disaster, it is impossible to completely prepare for the unforeseen circumstances. However, our dedicated staff was more than willing to go above and beyond to help mitigate the situation. Whether it was posting updates about the roadways or creating detour maps for our residents, the Flower Mound Emergency Operations Center was fully activated following Tropical Depression Bill.
Our police officers assisted drivers by directing traffic during peak hours and worked alongside the fire department to prevent people from going around the blockades into unsafe or flooded areas. Behind the scenes, they met with TxDOT, Northgate Constructors, and the City of Grapevine to continually assess the situation and visited residents who reside in homes below the floodplain several times a day to evaluate conditions.
Our public works staff has also been supporting the City of Grapevine Public Works Department on a 24-hour-a-day basis by transferring waste water into our town’s treatment system from a threatened Grapevine lift station. I am grateful for all their assistance; it truly takes an area-wide response to coordinate the immense amount of work that needs to be accomplished in these emergency situations. As the water receded, TxDOT crews worked quickly to remove the debris and silt from the roadways and inspect the infrastructure. Within hours of the water receding from the roads, TxDOT crews were able to reopen FM 2499.
I encourage everyone to stay connected with the latest information through the town’s website and social media outlets including Facebook and Twitter. The town has also posted drone footage of the flooding on the Flower Mound YouTube channel.
