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Texas Flash Flood Strikes Six Flags Park

Fort Worth Zoo Floods Monday

Posted: 12:00 pm PDT June 26, 2004Updated: 1:42 pm PDT June 29, 2004

For the second time in as many days, flash flooding Tuesday struck a popular North Texas attraction.

Workers at Six Flags park in Texas battle flooding.

Heavy afternoon rains in Arlington, Texas, forced Johnson Creek out of its banks, sending a wall of water racing into the Six Flags amusement park.

The flash flood closed portions of the park, but it wasn't immediately clear if the attraction would close completely.

Several rides, including the Texas Giant roller coaster and the Superman Tower Of Power, were shut down because of flooding.

In fact, water rose above one low-lying portion of the roller-coaster track.

A local television station reported that its helicopter videotaped park workers battling rushing water to secure various items throughout the attraction.

Tuesday's park flooding was the second such event in as many days.

On Monday, flooding forced the Fort Worth Zoo to be evacuated of about 250 visitors -- and some rhinoceroses, primates and birds had to be moved into covered areas.

Several cars, including a police cruiser, were partially submerged.

The flooding at the zoo had subsided by about 4 p.m., but some zoo visitors remained with their inoperable vehicles. The cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles waiting to be towed were soiled inside and out with silt and mud.

"I love this car very much. It's my baby. I had it for a long time. I've taken good care of it," zoo visitor David Yarmer said. "Time to get a new one, maybe an SUV."

Nearby, flooding also took its toll on a used car lot at the intersection of Frazier and Cleburne. High water partially engulfed several cars on display for sale.

High water slogged through a car dealership, a pharmacy, a shopping center, as well as some offices and 12 student apartments at Texas Christian University.

A flash flood warning for Tarrant and Johnson counties expired at 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, but much of North Texas remained under a flood watch.

A springlike weather pattern has already made for the fourth soggiest June on record for North Texas.

As much as 6 inches of rain fell on parts of Tarrant County and southern Dallas County Monday, causing widespread flooding but no injuries. Fort Worth fire officials said they received about 55 reports of high water.

About 30 people living in a Fort Worth apartment complex are trying to clean up the mess left from Monday's heavy rain.

Water rose so quickly, many residents in the West Cliff Manor didn't have time to move their belongings. Living rooms were drenched and everything inside ruined.

"Water was just pouring through the door. It just came out from I don't know where ... a flash flood like I've never seen here," apartment resident John Paulson said.

Several businesses also flooded near TCU, including a Walgreens drugstore, where customers said they were taken by surprise by a violent wall of water.

"We were shopping, and all of a sudden, this raging wall of water came in and was halfway up the doors [of the store]," Debra Robertson said. "And we had to close the doors ... and [the water] forced the doors open and all the water came in the store."

The force of the water was so strong at one point, street signs were flattened, cars were toppled, and asphalt was ripped from the ground.

In Mansfield, residents of a mobile home park were evacuated.

Elsewhere, in Arlington, firefighters used a raft to free four trapped workers at a fencing company near Rush Creek. Each victim was reportedly brought to dry land safely.

SBC Communications said about 600 customers were without telephone service after a Fort Worth manhole was flooded, damaging an underground copper cable.

In Dallas, heavy rains pushed the Trinity River past its banks and into a bordering parking lot and park.

The stormy weather in North Texas is expected to continue into July, with temperatures in the upper 80s to 90 degrees.

Detailed Forecast

Mark Tamayo
Mark Tamayo joined the KTVU Channel 2 News team as the Weekend Meteorologist in August 2008.
Meteorologist Profile

No major changes to the short term forecast. We have introduced the chance of showers in the 5 Day Forecast.

High surf advisory in effect until 4 pm pst Sunday.

Tonight: partly cloudy. Patchy fog developing. Lows around 50. Northwest winds 10 to 20 mph.
Sunday: partly cloudy. Patchy fog in the morning. Highs in the lower 60s. Northwest winds 10 to 20 mph.
Sunday Night: partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly clear. Lows in the upper 40s. Northwest winds 5 to 15 mph.
Monday: mostly sunny in the morning then becoming partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 50s to mid 60s. North winds 5 to 10 mph, becoming west in the afternoon.
Monday Night: partly cloudy. A slight chance of rain. Lows in the upper 40s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Tuesday: partly cloudy. A slight chance of showers. Highs in the lower 60s.
Tuesday Night And Veterans Day: partly cloudy. A slight chance of showers. Lows near 50. Highs around 60.
Wednesday Night Through Friday: partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 40s. Highs near 60.
Friday Night And Saturday: partly cloudy. A slight chance of showers. Lows in the mid 40s to lower 50s. Highs in the upper 50s to mid 60s.

3 - Day Forecast
Sat
Clear
63
Sun
Clear
64
Mon
Clear
64
San Francisco
No major changes to the short term forecast. We have introduced the chance of showers in the 5 Day Forecast.

High surf advisory in effect until 4 pm pst Sunday.

Tonight: partly cloudy. Patchy fog developing. Lows around 50. Northwest winds 10 to 20 mph.
Sunday: partly cloudy. Patchy fog in the morning. Highs in the lower 60s. Northwest winds 10 to 20 mph.
Sunday Night: partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly clear. Lows in the upper 40s. Northwest winds 5 to 15 mph.
Monday: mostly sunny in the morning then becoming partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 50s to mid 60s. North winds 5 to 10 mph, becoming west in the afternoon.
Monday Night: partly cloudy. A slight chance of rain. Lows in the upper 40s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Tuesday: partly cloudy. A slight chance of showers. Highs in the lower 60s.
Tuesday Night And Veterans Day: partly cloudy. A slight chance of showers. Lows near 50. Highs around 60.
Wednesday Night Through Friday: partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 40s. Highs near 60.
Friday Night And Saturday: partly cloudy. A slight chance of showers. Lows in the mid 40s to lower 50s. Highs in the upper 50s to mid 60s.