Flood — Jones, Texas

2020-09-09 · near Funston, Jones, Texas

Event narrative

Very heavy rains fell in a short time between 530 and 630 PM CDT, on September 8, and resulted in flash flooding across Jones County. On Wednesday September 9th, 2020, the Jones County Sheriff's Office responded to an abandoned vehicle call near FM1226 and County Road 266 on Red Mud Creek. The Sheriff said these individuals went missing around Noon CDT on 9/9/20. The vehicle was located just off a roadway in high level and rapid moving water on FM1226 just south of County Road 266. With the assistance of Anson Volunteer Fire Department, Texas Game Wardens and Anson EMS, it was determined that the vehicle was not occupied. Due to weather conditions, water level and speed in which the water was flowing, personnel were instructed to return to the area the following morning, 9/10/2020, during daylight hours. Just before noon Thursday, September 10, 2020, a resident used his drone to help rescuers scan the area. They located the body 100 yards away from the car in a flooded field near a fence. They found the deceased body in a field the next day on 9/10 and it was a 71 year old male. At approximately 3:30 pm, on 9/16/20, the body of a 62 year old male, who was a passenger in the same vehicle, was recovered in the Red Mud Creek area.

Wider weather episode

An unusual strong Canadian Cold Front and an upper level low parked across the Four Corners resulted in very heavy rainfall in a short period time and a few severe weather reports in portions of the northern Big Country. This heavy rain flooded low water crossings and even U.S. 277 across the region and caused Lake Stamford to flood. Two occupants in a vehicle went missing on September 9. They both drowned as they attempted to cross a flooded low water crossing on Red Mud Creek in Jones County. One body was recovered on September 10 and the other was recovered on September 16.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (32.7813, -99.8042)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 920521. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.