Anyone Seen Schutze This Morning? (Updated)

By Robert Wilonsky Wed., Sep. 8 2010 at 9:43 AM

Categories: Trinity River Project

On Saturday we took the 7-year-old who lives in our house to the Trinity River Audubon Center, where he quickly became obsessed with the Pete Delkus-narrated flood-maker showing how high's too high. So. This morning, out of nowhere, he asked: "Is the Trinity going to flood?" I told him to leave me alone and call Schutze. Then I called up NOAA's flood-stage gauge -- or, as I like to call it, the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service. I told him not to worry. At which point we lost power for a few minutes, following an enormous transformer boom. Last I saw Jim, he was looking at the radar and puttin' on his rubbers.

Update at 10:55 a.m.: As more than one Friend of Unfair Park has noted in the comments, NOAA has updated its flood-stage numbers by quite a bit -- hence, the new chart at top.

Update at 12:47 p.m.: I'm not going to post every update. Or am I?

Update at 1:14 p.m.: I just posted the latest graph, which has upped the predicted crest from 44.6 feet to 48.6. Per the flood impact standards accompanying the chart, at 48 feet "the area around the old Procter and Gamble plant will flood. Persons along the river and in flood prone areas should expect much higher water than normal."

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Moses, Jesus and Mohammad, could we please have that OC storm suck up that Calatrava Bridge and deposit it in Turtle Creek in Highland Park, Please?
Robert, I too saw Mr. Schutze on the Commerce St Bridge looking for perhaps an outhouse or two floating down the swollen Trinity and under the Puenta Calatrava. Anyway I took some photos but have no idea how to get them to you. If you want some send a link to drop them.
I saw Schutze standing on the levee, wrapped in an American flag with a single tear streaming down his face. Yes, the chicken coop fumes are starting to get to the old boy.
I thought the Trinity never floods? That is what we were told when the vote on the toll road came up. You mean we were lied to?
So, the 6 year old in your house is now the 7 year old in your house. Time flies.
Yo, Geniuses! It ain't all about what the river is doing... It's ALSO about what the Lewisville Lake Dam gates are or aren't doing. If they ever have to open that sucker up during a flood,...? That would be Schutze's floodmagedon.
cool, just like the water taxis.
Thanks Robert for checking it out. I didnt realize the sun hadnt been out since Aug 29th.
Frank replies, regarding the MMH Construction Cam: "The camera operates via a solar panel..."
looks dry to me says: that picture was taken on 8/29/2010.
I've asked Frank Librio at Dallas City Hall why, every time it rains, that sumbitch seems to go back in time to a bright, dry sunny day.
Trust me its flooding upstream, where the Trinity crosses Collins in North Arlington its over flowing.
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was "blub, blub, blup!"
http://www.trinityrivercorridor.com/bridgepics/index.html
Interesting that if you use the NOAA website and check the gauges and forecast both above and below the downtown Dallas one, they are not forecasting flooding why is that?
Bill, I just drove along NWHwy over there, I can't imagine that new causeway flooding. The old NW Westbound had just flooded but was still passable.
ah this brings back memories of my favorite exchange with Schutze. He was screaming about a what-if scenario where a hurricane maintains cat5 strength all the way to Dallas (yes i think he was serious), the levies fail, and the results are "floating bodies in downtown".
Does any one remember that iconic picture of Stevie Ray Vaughn and the Trinity-with lots of water in it-in the background? As I remember that was considered a flood.
Watching the Channel 8 feed of White Rock Creek at Lawther and Northwest Highway, it appears that the new bridge under construction will be just high enough to weather a large flood. Water is within about 5 feet of the base of the roadway. I have never seen water that high based on the fact that water is lapping at the front door of the Duncan's Beer Store on Lawther(not the liquor store, the beer store). That is high. I'm not worried about the Trinity levees. The hot summer has kept them super dry up to this point. They are not saturated. It would be an issue if another TS formed and moved this way. That might really stretch the capacity of the levees. I wish we had a live cam of the Calatrava construction or the Whitewater project. Enjoy the rain. We needed it.
This is an event of a lifetime, 34 ft and rising heading for 44 maybe 50 with all the upstream rain. All we are missing is some pictures of the river under the Calatrava Debacle before it floats away and collapses. Keep up the updated posting, we weather nuts love this stuff
What's stunning (or not) is that the Weather Blog of the DMN has posted NOTHING on the Trinity and very little on White Rock Creek. And when asked, they don't answer or post the question. But they're all over that Alvarado situation.
Here is your noon update from high up in the Bank of America building directly overlooking the river --- The water is now levee to levee.
And, here is an appropriate video for this blog post. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qFLnwiP7jQ
I'm just wondering if the levees will hold.
Will the solar powered water taxis get to use the HOV lanes?
How are the diversion channel and the cofferdam holding up? Might be the next big story of the day.
Will submarines get a discount in the toll lanes?
Pay no attention to the water falling from the sky... you MUST believe in the Great Leppert. He will show us that the levees will hold and that a tollway between them won't displace enough water to cause a safety risk. Now click your heels three times and say �there�s no place like Tom�s imagination�.
I'm betting the update will be further updated later today to even bigger numbers to account for the even heavier rain falling in Denton County Trinity watershed. I think Mayor Barnum should consider passing out the life jackets.
Mayhap the reason council has taken such a long TV break? Clearing out before the levees are tested?
drove over the sylvan bridge this morning about 7:50am. river was damn near out of the banks then. pretty sure sylvan's closed by now. soccer field was well under way to flooding.
Stay dry, Schutze, and hang onto something substantial. You're too valuable to wash up in White Rock Creek with all the plastic bottles and assorted flotsam.
If the River crests where they now forecast it, it will be the 5th highest recorded level of the river since records were kept, and we dont even have a nice live cam from the bridge to show us.
62 The levees near downtown will be topped. 48 The area around the old Procter and Gamble plant will flood. Persons along the river and in flood prone areas should expect much higher water than normal. 47 Industries along the river south of Dallas will be flooded. Evacuation should begin now. 43.5 Major flooding of industrial areas in South Dallas can be expected. OxiChem warehouses in South Dallas begins flooding. 42 The S.L. & S.W. Railroad and Santa Fe Railroad bridges in South Dallas flood. 41 Major flooding is occurring both upstream and downstream from the gage. Dallas City packing 4 miles downstream starts to flood. 40 Major flooding will occur in Dallas along the river. Old Forest Avenue bridge closed. Water reaches the foundation of the OxiChem plant 6 miles south of Commerce St. 38 Moderate flooding will begin along the river both above and below the Commerce Street bridge. 35 Some low water crossings inundated with cattle and grazing and low water areas under water. 33 Sylvan Avenue north of the Commerce St gage starts to flood. 32 Minor flooding of agricultural lands used for cattle grazing will occur. Low water crossings near the river will begin to flood. 30 Minor lowland flooding will begin. The pasture lands near the river will flood.
The flood graph was updated at 10 AM and it is quite different from the one above.
How high the levees, mama?
Of course if we had a toll road in a certain area it would never flood. 'cause our politicos are never wrong! /snide-off
just checked the MHHB Cam to see what the river looked like under the bridge, and lo and behold, its not updated, DAMN!!!!
So Schutze likes to double-wrap?
Robert -- are there any live camera shots of the river, particularly at 'the bridge' construction site? 'Wonder if those cranes are going to get washed away...
As I recall, he lives in OED somewhere along Swiss that floods. Did he take his canoe with him?