By Sunday evening, Fred Napp, deputy fire chief in Haltom City, knew the city could expect heavy rains. The Haltom City fire department prepared its swiftwater rescue boats and waited for the “Old Testament” rain to land, Napp said.
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The National Weather Service issued flood watches across Tarrant County Sunday night. Napp saw the heavy rain forecast for Monday and prepared his team.
“Myself and the fire marshal went out at 9:30 a.m. on Monday,” Napp said. “We drove around and looked at some of our known spots that tend to flood. They weren’t close to coming over the banks at that time.”
Haltom City’s flooding locations:
- Big Fossil Creek on Glenview Drive
- 5600 Huddleston Street
- Little Fossil Creek on Eastridge Drive
On Sunday night, thunderstorms poured across the area. By Monday afternoon, water levels began to rise.
Timeline of the Haltom City fire department’s flood evacuations:
12:45 p.m.: The radar shows heavy rains across the Haltom City fire department’s radar.
1 p.m.: The fire department receives a call about a car stuck in the water. Napp sends a trained team to assess the situation.
1:30 p.m.: Water levels continue to rise
2 p.m.: Flood water in Haltom City reaches its peak. Rain starts leaking into houses. The department launches boats into flooded areas including Little Fossil Creek. The department evacuated homes in the 4700 Fossil Drive block.
“It was mainly along the Little Fossil Creek corridors where most of the problems occurred,” Napp said. “Once the rain quit, it wasn’t long before the water came up very fast, but it also went down just as fast.”
The baseball field on Little Fossil Park suffered damages from the flooding and storm. (David Moreno | Fort Worth Report) 
The baseball field on Little Fossil Park suffered damages from the flooding and storm. (David Moreno | Fort Worth Report) 
A portion of the parking lot at Little Fossil Park in Haltom City remains flooded. (David Moreno | Fort Worth Report) 
Workers outside the Haltom City recreational center hose down the mud on the parking lot. (David Moreno | Fort Worth Report) 
Another worker outside the Haltom City recreational center cleans up the mud leftover from the rain. (David Moreno | Fort Worth Report) 
Flood gauge on a Haltom City bridge.(David Moreno | Fort Worth Report)
The Haltom City fire department evacuated between 15-20 residents from their homes, Napp told the Report.
“It’s one of the most dangerous situations you can put your people in,” Napp said. “They’re stuck in the water. There’s holes and you just can’t see it, but we’re here to serve the people.”
David Moreno is a multimedia fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or via Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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