Homes, Roads Are Flooded as 2 Texas Rivers on Rise

The Brazos and Trinity rivers continued to rise Tuesday, swamping homes and roads and forcing evacuations.

At Liberty, about 50 miles northeast of Houston, the Trinity was at 29.02 feet Tuesday, five feet above flood stage. Emergency officials said there was water in at least 100 homes, and about 50 people were staying at a Red Cross shelter.

Residents along the Trinity were threatened by additional releases from Lake Livingston Dam, about 50 miles to the north.

Trinity River Authority officials said they were releasing 85,000 cubic feet per second and probably would continue that rate for days. A normal release is only 15,000 cubic feet per second.

Residents reported seeing huge snakes in the water and hanging from trees.

The rising waters also sent large clumps of fire ants floating along the swift rivers.

The Brazos, more than a foot above flood stage at 49.45 feet Tuesday, was expected to crest at 50 feet in Richmond, just southwest of Houston. Because earlier crest forecasts have been inaccurate, officials now say they are unsure when the river will crest.

The Trinity River, 35 miles east of Houston, was not expected to peak until later in the week.

The flooding and heavy rain have been blamed for the deaths of at least 15 people across Texas, but none in the past week. The deluge has swamped farmland, drowned livestock and caused millions of dollars in damage.

More than two dozen homes were flooded along the Brazos, and officials said as many as 180 homes could be damaged before the water subsides.

“I’m not really frustrated because I knew it might happen one day,” said Bennie Sbrusch, 60, of Rosenberg, whose house is near the Brazos. “It’s just something that happens.”

The river, normally about 800 feet away, now surrounds his two-story home, which has nearly three feet of water inside.