Katie NickasCorpus Christi Caller Times
High winds and intermittent rain pelted the Texas Gulf Coast most of Wednesday and overnight into Thursday, leading to road closures as Corpus Christi residents and tourists looked forward to the weekend.
On Wednesday, the Corpus Christi Police Department and the City of Corpus Christi posted notices about roads that were closed due to high water and flooding throughout the city. Most of the streets were located in low-lying areas of downtown, such as North Beach, though North Padre Islanders were also impacted by closures of ramps and turnarounds at the JFK Memorial Causeway bridge.
The National Weather Service Corpus Christi issued flash flood warnings for the city, as well as neighboring cities of Robstown and Odem, telling people to move to higher ground and avoid walking or driving through flood waters.
Yesterday, the Texas Department of Transportation Corpus Christi office sent out a news release that also announced road closures for major thoroughfares in and around Corpus Christi.
The current list of street closures includes:
- Turnaround on North Beach under the Nueces Bay Causeway closed north of Beach Street
- Both turnarounds under the JFK bridge
- U.S. Highway 181 southbound exit to North Beach closed to allow West Causeway Boulevard (frontage road) to be temporarily converted to a two-way road.
- State Highway 358 turnaround at Oso Bay. This is the turnaround on the Flour Bluff side of the bay.
- Numerous roads on North Beach are shut down due to high water
- All streets south of Elm Street
- All streets east of Surfside Boulevard between Coastal Place and Gulfspray Avenue
- All streets east of Gulfbreeze Boulevard, from Gulfspray Avenue to Sandbar Avenue
- Gulfbreeze Boulevard north of Sandbar Avenue
Texas DOT crews are actively monitoring and assessing roads in the district. Signs are in place to warn drivers of water on the road, and Texas DOT vehicles with emergency lights activated are alerting drivers to water on the road.
Drivers will see orange barricades posted on flooded roadways and signs in place warning them of water on the road.
As of noon, all but two roadways in the transportation department’s 10-county Corpus Christi District were passable, the Texas DOT release stated, although there is water over the road in some locations.
These roads include:
- Farm to Market Road 2986 (Wildcat Drive) in Portland
- Highway 181 northbound frontage road in Portland
- Farm to Market Road 136 south of Bayside
- Farm to Market Road 666 between Banquete and Bluntzer in Nueces County
- State route 234 between Odem and Interstate Highway 37
Motorists can find the latest information about travel conditions across the state by visiting http://DriveTexas.org or calling 1-800-452-9292.
In prioritizing the safety and well-being of residents, the City of Corpus Christi announced on Thursday afternoon in a press release that City Damage Assessment Teams are investigating and assessing flooding and damage and offering emergency services.
While no mandatory evacuations are in place, the Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority, in coordination with the Corpus Christi Fire Department and the American Red Cross, is offering voluntary evacuations for residents.
CCFD began going door to door to Thursday morning to check on residents of North Beach and Laguna Shores to offer them voluntary evacuation services, said Brianna Sandoval, public information officer with the City of Corpus Christi.
If they choose to leave their homes, residents will be evacuated and transported by public bus to the Corpus Christi Natatorium at 3202 Cabaniss Road.
A collection point has also been set up at the Whataburger restaurant in North Beach, she said.
If needed, CCFD will offer residents a boat ride to dry land, where they can access a vehicle, said Jace Johnson, the emergency management coordinator with the City's Office of Emergency Management.
People who want to evacuate immediately should call 311, the city's non-emergency number, to request assistance, Sandoval said.
As of Thursday afternoon, between 10 and 12 residents had voluntarily evacuated the area and would be staying at the natatorium, she said.
The length of their stay will depend on the determinations made by the Damage Assessment Teams. City officials stated in the press release that they anticipated another high tide at 4 p.m. Thursday due to stormwater runoff, but that subsequent tides were forecasted to be lower.
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