Public safety officials are warning drivers to exercise caution on North Texas roadways as early morning storms have brought flash flooding, downed trees and power outages Tuesday.
Drivers in Dallas and Carrollton are contending with downed power lines and trees, traffic light outages and flash floods after a storm system moved through Dallas-Fort Worth just after 5 a.m.
Drivers can expect delays due to accidents, downed utility lines, debris and areas of high water after the storms this morning, said a Dallas Fire Department spokesperson.
In Denton, downed tree limbs and flooding have caused power outages and hazardous road conditions. While the area has not seen as much storm damage as some other parts of North Texas according to Denton Fire Department battalion chief David Boots, public safety officials are still asking drivers to exercise caution.
“Many trees down in the roadways, lots of limb debris, trash cans overturned, and high water in many areas,” the department said in a post on X just before 8 a.m. Tuesday. “City crews are out working to restore and clear the roadways. Lots more rain on the way.”
Arlington officials had to temporarily block off lanes this morning for some downed power lines in a handful of areas, but none affected any major thoroughfares in the city, Arlington Police Department spokesperson Tim Ciesco said. The department has responded to six major accidents since about 6 a.m., most along area highways.
Despite some localized flash flooding, Dallas-Fort Worth area highways remain open with no major hazards reported as of 9 a.m., Texas Department of Transportation spokesperson Kenna Mitchell said. Crews are out clearing drains and will remain responsive as rain continues.
The department is asking drivers to remain alert.
“Anytime there is severe weather you have to treat every area cautiously because things can unexpectedly pop up, so just be careful if you are going to be out traveling while we are in these weather situations,” Mitchell said.
Fallen tree limbs across tracks and power outages are affecting Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s rail systems, a DART spokesperson said. Passengers will experience delays Tuesday morning due to issues related to the inclement weather.
As more rain is expected throughout the morning, roads could see additional flooding, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. Collin, Dallas, Denton, Tarrant and parts of nearby counties are under a flash flood warning until 11 a.m.
Dallas residents should remain off the roads if they don’t need to be on them, said a Dallas Fire Department spokesperson.
Motorists are encouraged to ‘turn around, don’t drown,’ as most people don’t know when water levels are too high to drive through until it’s too late, the spokesperson said.
Only a little water is needed to hydroplane, so Dallas Fire recommends increasing following distance and slowing down.
This story is developing and will be updated as conditions change.
