the flooding in The Rio Grande Valley

Pepe's on the River is under water!Also the Riverside Club. The water just keeps rising. I am sending the Weather Alert that I got today on my computer....

THE NATL WEATHER SVC IN BROWNSVILLE HAS EXTENDED THE

* HYDROLOGIC ADVISORY FOR.
S. HIDALGO COUNTY IN DEEP SO. TX.
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF.LOS EBANOS.HIDALGO.CUEVITAS.
HAVANA.LA JOYA.PENITAS.

THIS ALSO INCLUDES LOW WATER BRIDGES.ROADS.& STRUCTURES
WITHIN THE LWR RIO GRANDE VALLEY FLOODWAY SYSTEM INCLUDING
PORTIONS OF LA VILLA.MERCEDES.PROGRESO.& WESLACO.

* UNTIL 545 PM CDT FRIDAY

* THE SW PORTION OF HIDALGO COUNTY NEAR THE LWR RIO
GRANDE RIVER.AS WELL AS LOCATIONS WITHIN & NEAR THE LWR RIO
GRANDE FLOODWAY SYSTEM.WILL CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE FLOODING DUE
TO VERY HIGH WATER LEVELS IN THE RIVER. THE HIGH WATER LEVELS
WILL LIKELY INCREASE THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS THE RELEASES FROM
FALCON RESERVOIR.LOCATED UP THE VALLEY NEAR THE STARR AND
ZAPATA COUNTY LINE.CONTINUE. A MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDER REMAINS
IN EFFECT FOR THE TOWN OF LOS EBANOS. RESIDENTS ARE BEGINNING TO
EVACUATE CUEVITAS AS WATER IS ENCROACHING THE TOWN. A VOLUNTARY
EVACUATION CONTINUES FOR THE CITY OF PENITAS. THE CHIMNEY PARK RV
RESORT NEAR MADERO.OR ABOUT 3 & ONE HALF MILES SO. OF
MISSION.CONTINUES TO FLOOD & ANY REMAINING RESIDENTS ARE URGED
TO SEEK HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.

FLOOD WATERS CONTINUE TO RISE IN THE LWR RIO GRANDE FLOODWAY
SYSTEM. THIS SYSTEM BEGINS NEAR THE ANZALDUAS DIVERSION DAM JUST WEST
OF THE CITY OF HIDALGO.CURVES EAST & CROSSES NO. SOUTH
HIGHWAY 281 NEAR PHARR.THEN MOVES GENERALLY EAST TOWARD PROGRESO
BEFORE CURVING NO. BETWEEN MERCEDES & WESLACO.CONTINUING
NO. TO INDIAN HILLS & LA VILLA. AS OF WED & THURSDAY.
WATER HAD RISEN TO HALFWAY UP THE LEVEE IN SOME PLACES.INCLUDING
AN ESTIMATED 6 TO 8 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL NEAR THE BRIDGE
ON FARM TO MARKET ROAD 1015.

FIFTEEN TO TWENTY RESIDENCES WITHIN THE MAIN FLOODWAY SO. OF MILITARY
HIGHWAY & I ROAD WERE UNDER VOLUNTARY EVACUATION. ANOTHER FIVE HOMES
WITHIN THE MAIN FLOODWAY WERE IMPACTED SO. OF WESLACO.& MOST
ROADS LEADING TO THE PROGRESO INTERNATL BRIDGE REMED CLOSED.
LEVEE STRUCTURAL REPAIRS WERE UNDERWAY AT THE EDINBURG PUMP STATION
IN PENITAS.& A BERM WAS COMPLETED AT A PUMP NEAR MISSION.

ADDITIONAL FLOWS DOWN RIVER FROM UPSTREAM DAMS WILL CONTINUE TO RAISE
WATER LEVELS. STAY TUNED FOR CONTINUING UPDATES ON WATER LEVELS AND
POTENTIALLY MORE SERIOUS FLOOD ISSUES THROUGH THE WEEKEND.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.

RISING WATERS IN THE FLOODWAY SYSTEM ARE ALSO FLOWING QUICKLY AS WELL.
LOW WATER BRIDGES IN SEVERAL AREAS ARE NOW IMPASSIBLE.& OTHERS WILL
BECOME IMPASSIBLE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. KEEP CHILDREN & PETS
AWAY FROM HIGH WATER! THEY MAY BECOME CAUGHT IN THE TURBULENT FLOW.
AND COULD DROWN.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.
AND ESPECIALLY AROUND BARRICADES. DRIVING AROUND FLOOD BARRICADES IS A
CLASS B MISDEMEANOR IN THE STATE OF TX.SUBJECT TO FINE
OR POSSIBLE IMPRISONMENT.

Story City Potluck

The potluck in Story City Iowa was a great success! 72 attended . They were all glad to see Jerry Elwood , doing well after his stem cell transplant in Houston. They talked about Bob Sexton celebrating his 90 th birthday this year, and about Bud Mauser , now in a care center in Storm Lake, They sent around a card to sign for Martha Millender who couldn't attend this year because of her back problems. Also that Wayne and Hazel Daniels (former residents) are in a care center in Carroll, Ia. now. And that Leonard and Monica Paca weren't there she's recuperating from a car accidenton the way home this Spring, doing ok now. And also Jacque Anderson has sold her home and moved to Missouri, closer to her daughter.
Next year The Hejliks will chair the potluck.

Free picture slideshow made with Smilebox

News

We took these pictures this morning, July 14th on bus. 83 crossing the bridge at Mercedes, I have never seen water in the flood control like this! The one picture is looking to the North , you can see the cars on Expressway 83, the other picture is to the South, water as far as you can see.

I have had a few emails and calls from people wanting to know about the flooding that's been going on since the Hurricane. The Rio Grande has been on the rise ever since the hurricane and many dikes and resaccas are overflowing, they're shoring up many of them. Lots of roads closed because of water over them, some of them are 1015 North of Pregresso,TX, 493 South of Donna , several roads in Cameron county closed and Los Ebanos, TX the people were just evacuated from there yesterday, I think, 300 people. , Santa Anna National Wild Life Refuge is closed Ridge Rd, parts of it closed South of Pharr. Also some familys in LaGrulla, were evacuated. There's lots more roads closed.
Hopefully with the dryer weather the water will start receding now. Lots of wind yesterday and today again, helps dry things up.
There's a couple cards up to sign...one to Linda Miller , loss of her Mother, and Dick Gibson will be having skin cancers removed, also Arlene Lange had some surgery, to do with her heart.
Later

Friday July 9th

Hi
We had our get-to-gether this morning , Judy Anselmin and Lou Guier provided the donuts.
We are still having a few showers today, I hope it stops pretty soon.
Joann Sanstra is not well, she had to go on Dialisis, last year, kidneys quit working. She was real dizzy yesterday while walking her dog, the ambulance came a while later,and she stayed at the hospital, I think she will be home today. Her Son & wife are here from Kansas.
The mosquitos are the worst I have ever seen. So much standing water around.

news bit

Sharon Sprague emailed me to remind you all of the R.V.E. potluck in Story City, Iowa on July 14th at noon.
Dave Johnson is having or has had 5 bi-pass surgery, They live in #93
We are expecting a lot more rain here starting this afternoon and Tomarrow and Friday. We sure don't need this. I understand the midwest is getting lots too!

Donna

Coffee and Conversation

We had our coffee and donuts, Dorothy Ritter provided them, she's going on a big cruise this Summer.
We are going to have Church's Chicken for the 4th. We have close to 40 coming.
Bobby Thomas will pick it up for us.
We have a card up for Ann Thorpe, she's having her spleen removed. I just heard from Mary Lou Benson, Son Kurt was injured while doing a construction job, he fell 12feet to the cement floor and has a broken ankle and 2 bones broken in his heel.
I was wrong on the amount of rain we got I heard the weather man say parts of Weslaco got 10 inches and one of our lawn mower people said their gage said 8 1/2 inches. There's places outside of town where there's 2 feet of water down the streets in front of their homes and if a car goes thru it very fast, water sloshes into their homes. Lots of overflowing resacas.
Dori Rosendahl is here now. She will be full time!
Dick & Kay Gibson's Anniversary is this month along with Al & Dolores Mason, Glenn & Marilynn Babbitt, and Jim & Aileen Quaale, Only one birthday I know of is Grant Harter.
That's about it for now, can't think of anything else right now!

Hurricane Alex

Bobby and I just got home from going to the Best Western. Barnharts, Farleys, and The Bergstedts (former R.V.E.ers) were there too.Many people left for a motel and a few stayed. Of course we watched the weather channel, for anything bad coming our way...fortunately no problems here. We did see lots of ponding and small branches down, but nothing bad. When we left for the Motel Wed. around noon, we had around 3 inches already and now I think it's been close to 6inches. We have more rain to come today but right now calm and quiet.I didnt get how high the wind speed got, but at the Motel looking out it was quite breezy but nothing like was predicted.Hundreds of people went to shelters in the area.
In the Monitor this morning it read:The State ordered 2500 guardsmen, 8 helicopters, 3 C-130 airplanes, on Monday 750 of the Texas State Guard arrived at Pan Am University to run shelters, and Texas Forest Service sent 50 emergency responders from all over the State. Two Texas task force teams were positioned in Weslaco and Kingsville for search and rescue services, and Texas parks and wild life Dept. had 50 game wardens, 17 airboats and 33 shallow draft boats in Mercedes. 50 Buses arrived in McAllen in case of evacuation and 50 more on standby. the Salvation Army had 35 feeding units on stand byaccross the Valley, and there were many other agencies that were ready to deploy supplies etc.
Tuesday I went to the store and there was no water on the shelves! the lines at the gas stations were 3 to 6 cars backed up. People bought plywood, batteries, generators etc. getting ready for this one!.There wer all kinds of sandbagging going on and handing those out.
We are supposed to get heavy rain and thunderstorms tonight.
I will write more if anything develops. We are all safe and no damage to our park!