Texas, 2001Flash Flooding in Texas, December 16, 2001
December 16, 2001 · NWS FWD · 21 events in 13 counties and zones
A slow moving storm system dropped heavy rain across North Central Texas Saturday night, December15th and during the day Sunday December 16th. Unofficial reports of four to ten inches of rain fell in 48 hours along and east of Interstate 35.
Every event with a place to put it; 21 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
Open the live radar over this ground
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 21
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
A slow moving storm system dropped heavy rain across North Central Texas Saturday night, December15th and during the day Sunday December 16th. Unofficial reports of four to ten inches of rain fell in 48 hours along and east of Interstate 35. Numerous county and farm to market roads were closed a prolonged period of time, due to sections of roadways and bridges being washed out. Many rural schools were closed Monday December 17th, as school buses were not able to pick up school children due to closed or flooded roads, and washed out bridges.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Fort Worth, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 15, 9:00 PM CST, 3 hours 34 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 15, 9:00 PM CST, 3 hours 34 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
900 PM CST SAT DEC 15 2001
CURRENT RADAR IMAGERY SHOWS AN AREA OF RAINFALL OVER THE EASTERN
PORTION OF THE CWA WITH A FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS TO THE WEST.
WESTERN EDGE OF MAIN RAINFALL AREA EXTENDED FROM BONHAM...TO
DALLAS...TO MERIDIAN...TO LAMPASAS. WITH ABUNDANT MOISTURE OVER
THE REGION (ESPECIALLY EASTERN HALF)...AND ISENTROPIC LIFT...EXPECT
RAINFALL TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT. UPPER SYSTEM AND
ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH DURING THE DAY TOMORROW...
BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF RAINFALL...BEFORE THINGS BEGIN TO
IMPROVE. CURRENT PACKAGE HANDLES THE SITUATION WELL...AND NO
UPDATES ANTICIPATED. WILL LEAVE FFA AS IS FOR NOW. 81
AVIATION DISCUSSION...
STRONG ISENTROPIC LIFT AND COPIOUS MOISTURE WILL RESULT IN IFR/LIFR
CIGS/VSBYS THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. COLD FRONT PUNCHING INTO
THE REGION 16Z-22Z WILL AID FOCUS ALONG THE BOUNDARY AND BETTER
CHANCE FOR SCATTERED CONVECTIVE STORMS. HEAVIER RAINFALL AMOUNTS
WITH EMBEDDED CONVECTION WILL REMAIN OVER EASTERN ROUTES IN THE
VICINITY OF BEST LOW LEVEL WARM ADVECTION/JET AXIS. ..48...
PUBLIC FORECAST...
FCSTID = 26
DFW 53 62 39 56 / 80 80 20 0
ACT 58 67 39 57 / 100 80 20 0
.FWD...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT FOR THE EASTERN TWO THIRDS.
Flash Flood, Ellis
- When
- December 16, 12:34 AM CST to 1:34 PM CST
- Where
- Ellis County, Ennis
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 32.348, -96.794 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
County roads began to flood just after midnight. County roads crews were out until 0500 am putting up barricades where roads were flooded. Roads crews had to go out again and put up more barricades through early afternoon. 17 roads remain closed in the county through 134 pm. Substantial damage occurred to four bridges.
Flash Flood, Ellis
- When
- December 16, 1:05 AM CST
- Where
- Ellis County, Palmer
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 32.348, -96.794 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Widespread street flooding was reported in Palmer, and numerous county roads flooded in surrounding areas.
Flash Flood, Kaufman
- When
- December 16, 4:30 AM CST to 6:00 AM CST
- Where
- Kaufman County, Terrell
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 32.599, -96.288 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Highway 80 between Terrell and Forney was flooded. A storm spotter in the area reported 6.6 inches ofrain. Also, FM 148 between Highway 80 and Interstate 20 was flooded and closed.
Flash Flood, Lamar
- When
- December 16, 5:30 AM CST
- Where
- Lamar County, Pattonville
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 33.667, -95.571 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
FM 2715 at Pattonville creek closed due to flooding. Surrounding county roads were also closed due to flooding.
Flash Flood, Rains
- When
- December 16, 9:10 AM CST
- Where
- Rains County, Emory
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 32.870, -95.793 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
FM 275 north of Emory was closed due to high water.
Flash Flood, Leon
- When
- December 16, 9:10 AM CST
- Where
- Leon County, Jewett
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 31.297, -95.996 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Highway 9 at Jewett was covered with high water.
Flash Flood, Hopkins
- When
- December 16, 9:13 AM CST
- Where
- Hopkins County, Weaver
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 33.150, -95.564 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Water was over several farm to market roads in the eastern part of the county.
Flash Flood, Delta
- When
- December 16, 9:20 AM CST
- Where
- Delta County, Cooper
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 33.386, -95.672 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
County roads 1529 and 71 were closed due to high water.
Flash Flood, Dallas
- When
- December 16, 9:30 AM CST
- Where
- Dallas County, Dallas
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 32.767, -96.778 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Numerous streets in the city of Dallas were closed and barricaded due to high water.
Flash Flood, Hunt
- When
- December 16, 9:36 AM CST
- Where
- Hunt County, Quinlan
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 33.124, -96.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Highway 75 at Quinlan was closed due to high water.
Flash Flood, Hunt
- When
- December 16, 10:30 AM CST
- Where
- Hunt County, Caddo Mills
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 33.124, -96.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Secondary roads around Caddo Mills that cross Brushy Creek were closed due to high water. Also,FM 36, FM1565, Highway 380, and Highway 276 had sections closed due to flooding.
Flash Flood, Navarro
- When
- December 16, 10:30 AM CST
- Where
- Navarro County, Blooming Grove
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 32.047, -96.472 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Several county road bridges were destroyed by high water.
Flash Flood, McLennan
- When
- December 16, 10:30 AM CST
- Where
- McLennan County, Crawford
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 31.552, -97.202 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A nine year old boy drowned as he was attempting to abandon a vehicle at a low water crossing.
Flash Flood, Navarro
- When
- December 16, 12:45 PM CST
- Where
- Navarro County, Corsicana
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 32.047, -96.472 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The Interstate 45 service road north of Corsicana was flooded, numerous secondary roads were flooded, and FM 1839 was flooded.
Flash Flood, Kaufman
- When
- December 16, 12:50 PM CST
- Where
- Kaufman County, Kaufman
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 32.599, -96.288 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
County roads 2578, 1390, 306, and 149 were flooded. Several people had to be rescued from vehicles on county road 149.
Flash Flood, Rockwall
- When
- December 16, 2:19 PM CST
- Where
- Rockwall County, Royse City
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 32.898, -96.408 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The service road on the north side of Interstate 30 was closed due to high water.
Flash Flood, Lamar
- When
- December 16, 2:40 PM CST
- Where
- Lamar County, Paris
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 33.667, -95.571 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Numerous roads were closed in and around Paris, Pattonville, and across the county. The beaver creek addition north of Paris was flooded.
Flash Flood, Hunt
- When
- December 16, 2:45 PM CST
- Where
- Hunt County, Greenville
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 33.124, -96.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Farm to market roads 276, 354, and 1565 remained closed due to flooding. Highway 380 west of Greenville remains closed due to flooding.
Flash Flood, Delta
- When
- December 16, 2:45 PM CST
- Where
- Delta County, Cooper
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 33.386, -95.672 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
FM 224 remains closed from Cooper to the Hunt County line.
Flash Flood, Henderson
- When
- December 16, 2:52 PM CST
- Where
- Henderson County, Tool
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 32.212, -95.854 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Seven county roads on the west side of Cedar Creek Lake are flooded.
Flash Flood, Kaufman
- When
- December 16, 3:47 PM CST
- Where
- Kaufman County, Terrell
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 32.599, -96.288 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Interstate 20 east and west bound, was closed between mile markers 497 and 501 just east of Terrell.
- Flash Flood
- Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Tornado in Texas, December 16, 20012 injured · $2.5 million · F2 · 1 event
- Flooding in Missouri, December 16 to 18, 2001$180,000 · 10 events
- Storm Surge in Washington, December 16, 2001$250,000 · 1 event
- Flooding in Washington, December 16 to 19, 2001$150,000 · 7 events
- Flash Flooding in Arkansas, December 16, 2001$100,000 · 5 events
- Flooding in Kentucky, December 16 to 18, 20012 injured · $5,000 · 14 events
- Tornado in Texas, December 16, 2001$30,000 · F0 · 1 event
- High Wind in Washington, December 16, 2001$25,000 · 1 event
- High Wind in Washington, December 16, 2001$25,000 · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in Texas, December 16, 2001$25,000 · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in Texas, December 16, 2001$20,000 · 1 event
- Flash Flooding in Arkansas, December 16 to 17, 200113 events
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5274860, 5274762, 5274848, 5274763, 5274849, 5274850, 5274851, 5274852, 5274853, 5274854, 5274855, 5274856, 5274857, 5274858, 5274859, 5274861, 5274862, 5274863, 5274947, 5274948, 5274949.