Flash Floods in Shreveport Not Enough to Ease the Drought

Shreveport was deluged with flash floods this morning that made for scary moments for motorists. But even with this morning's downpours, it wasn't enough to alleviate drought conditions here.

: Old Minden Road Flooding /Elaine Etheridge

I drove the KEEL News van all around the city doing live traffic reports from areas where cars were in three or four feet of water. The worst floods were on I-20 eastbound towards downtown Shreveport just before the Commons Street-Line Avenue exit.

Traffic was down to one lane on the far left side of the interstate, which was passable, but still flooded. Police had the rest of the highway shut down as they worked to free a stranded motorist.

Another area that caused problems for motorists most of the morning was Old Minden Road just past the I-20 exit ramp. Several feet of water for a couple blocks made the road look like a lake.

One construction worker had to park across the street from his work site, which was a motel next to the Circle K. There was so much water, he said he was afraid to walk across the street.

"I've been here a long time, and I've never seen it this bad before."

The man was sent away after four feet of water was discovered in the basement of the motel and the electricity had not been shut off.

There were numerous power outages as well as traffic accidents due to heavy downpours. At one time, there were two accidents in different places on I-20 eastbound, one near the City of Greenwood and the other just inside the Shreveport city limits. I took pictures of the Shreveport accident, involving a Fed Ex tractor trailer rig.

We certainly needed the rain, but it doesn't even put a dent in the amount the ArkLaTex needs to come out of the fringes of the worst drought in the country right now. Meterologists say we need up to 14 inches of rain to make up for low levels in the rivers, lakes and reservoirs.