FORT BEND COUNTY, TX – Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management is currently monitoring the rain activity North of Fort Bend and has established a strong possibility of local Brazos River Flooding due to the watershed from the northern areas of the river near Hempstead and San Felipe. These Northern gauges are currently measuring at historic levels.
Weather forecasts for Fort Bend County suggest heavy rainfall late afternoon today and scattered showers throughout the weekend. Current river levels are expected to rise due to the heavy rainfall event near the northern parts of the Brazos River that will flow downstream causing local river levels to rise with peak levels around Sunday or Monday.
The Fort Bend County Emergency Operations Center was activated early this morning. “We are going to get every resource we can to help with this situation,” says Jeff Braun, Emergency Management Coordinator. “We have engaged our jurisdictions, the Red Cross, and county departments to prepare for response activities.”
Residents near the Brazos River are encouraged to stay informed of river levels and have their emergency plans in place. The National Weather Service forecasts suggest higher river levels than the last flooding event, and residents that experienced flooding in the ‘Tax Day’ event last month should be alert to potential flooding this Memorial Day 2016 weekend. Although these forecasts are at this time predictions, it is important for residents to consider these possibilities when establishing plans for the holiday weekend.
Anyone who lives, works, plays, or travels in Fort Bend County should be aware of the dangerous and developing situation on the Brazos River. At the time of this writing, the Brazos River, at the Richmond gauge was at 34 feet and rising. At 48 feet the River enters minor flood stage, at 49 feet it becomes “moderate” and at 50 feet it becomes “Major.”
If County residents need more information on the potential flooding situation, they should visit the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management website at FBCOEM.org.