It looked for a while like the Permian Basin had relocated to Niagara Falls as record-breaking rains saturated the area.
Brian Curran, science and operations officer at the National Weather Service in Midland, said the total rainfall at Midland International Air and Space Port has been 3.96 inches. Odessa got 4.29 inches Monday.
The Odessa Police Department on Sept. 2 responded to about 23 Assist Motorist Calls and Odessa Fire Rescue responded to about 26 high water rescue calls.
“OPD would like to remind the public be careful when traveling as roads are expected to remain slick for the next couple of days. Please allow plenty of time to travel to and from your destination,” a news release said.
Reduce your speed and maintain a safe distance to the vehicle in front that will allow enough time to stop your vehicle in case of an emergency. Use extreme caution if traveling at Charles Walker and Yukon, University and Tom Green, along 10th Street (from Jackson to Adams), along Dixie (between 52nd and University), and along the service roads for both I-20 and Business I-20.
The Permian Basin Chapter of the American Red Cross currently has a shelter open at Refuge Ministries, 1211 E. 57th St., Odessa, for anyone who has been displaced by the flooding and needs a safe place to stay.
They also encourage anyone who has been affected to call 1-800-RED-CROSS for assistance.
“We picked up 9/100ths of an inch (Tuesday) morning,” Curran said.
He added that a rain like this typically happens once every 10 years. Monday broke a record that has stood since 1988 — 2.12 inches. This year on the same day, the airport got 3.63 inches.
Curran said there was a pattern set up for very heavy rainfall. This pattern is unusual as the area usually gets hit or miss rain or thunderstorms.
“We had a pattern set up where it was favorable with a cold front coming down, abundant moisture coming up from Gulf and an upper-level low that right now is sitting over near Monahans,” Curran said.
This is what he called a stratiform rain and it’s somewhat unusual for this time of year. Curran said it usually occurs in the October-November time frame.
According to the National Weather Service website, “precipitation, in general, is relatively continuous and uniform in intensity (i.e., steady rain versus rain showers). These occur between the active convective bands of a hurricane outside of the eye wall.”
According to the Hydrologic Engineering Center website, convective rainfall “occurs when warm, moist air rises into the atmosphere and condenses into rain. It’s caused by the sun heating the Earth’s surface, which in turn warms the air above it. As the air rises, it expands and cools, which causes condensation and the formation of clouds.”
At some point, Curran said, rain will redevelop sometime this afternoon. There will be a break in the action this evening and a drying trend after that.
“Right now, there’s a band of precipitation moving into Ector County from the northeast, but it’s pretty light,” Curran said Tuesday morning.
A City of Odessa news release said due to flooding at the golf course, Ratliff Ranch Golf Links is closed. They apologize for any inconvenience. As soon as the weather permits, the golf course will reopen. The golf shop is still open for business.
Chris Lawson, president of the Permian Basin Fair and Expo, said the weather has definitely impacted attendance for the first weekend of the fair.
“Labor Day was definitely affected the most. Labor Day is our Dollar Day promotion, offering the residents of the Permian Basin a cheaper discounted day for entry into the fair and carnival rides. There were some die-hard supporters of the fair that were out on the grounds yesterday afternoon in the rain. (During) the small window without rain yesterday evening, we had an increase in attendance but unfortunately that did not last long as the wind and rain picked back up when the sun was setting cooling things off. We tried to stay open the best we could yesterday for those that were brave enough to venture out to the fair,” Lawson said in an email.
“The forecast is looking better as the week goes on and we are hoping the community will come out and support us as the weather improves. Wednesday is looking promising for our Sensory Night. This night we have sponsors that will provide free admission to the fair, as well as carnival arm bands to families who have members with special needs. Friday we had our discount ticket of $25 that will get you admission to the fair and arm band for the carnival,” Lawson added.
“The rain is definitely what our area needed, the timing just wasn’t what was best for the fair but I have faith that the Permian Basin will come and support us,” he said.
In Midland, there were 41 water rescue calls between Friday and Tuesday afternoon.
The Midland Fire Department reported a total of 28 water rescue calls between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 31.
The rescue calls happened during and after the heavy rain in and around Midland. The National Weather Service reported 1.6 inches of rain between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. at Midland Airpark.
The NWS also reports it is never safe to drive into flood waters.
“Each year, more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other thunderstorm related hazard. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that over half of all flood-related drownings occur when a vehicle is driven into hazardous flood water,” the NWS states in its “Turn Around Don’t Drown” campaign. “People underestimate the force and power of water. Many of the deaths occur in cars swept downstream. Many of these drownings are preventable. Never drive around the barriers blocking a flooded road. The road may have collapsed under that water. A mere 6 inches of fast-moving flood water can knock over an adult. It takes just 12 inches of rushing water to carry away most cars and just 2 feet of rushing water can carry away SUVs and trucks.”
The weather also caused a delayed opening at Odessa College Tuesday. Ector County ISD and University of Texas Permian Basin did not delay their openings Tuesday. ECISD said schools opened on time Tuesday. They advised to avoid driving through flooded areas, reduce speed and maintain distance between vehicles, a Facebook post said.
Buses ran but might have been slower than usual. The district post said they are monitoring road conditions closely and will keep parents updated.
Some parents may have experienced a delayed text this morning that was sent out the night of Sept. 2 saying that school would be open tomorrow. “Please note that we are open today,” meaning Tuesday, the post said.
