Photo Courtesy Torey Lewis
First responders placed barricades near the Pritchett Road and Jess Hinton roads in Seven Points following the significant rainfall Aug. 22.   

Photo Courtesy Marc Traister
The First Monday arbors were completely under water as a result of the downpour Aug 22.

Courtesy Photo
Roadways across the area were overrun with water. Some roads became impassable due to fast moving water that would easily carry a vehicle off the road. 

CEDAR CREEK LAKE–North and East Texas saw a tremendous amount of rain Aug. 22, something that many haven’t seen a trace of in months.  
Rain totals varied across the area with Dallas seeing 9.10 inches, Kaufman 4.07 inches, Canton 6.57 inches, Athens 3.94 inches and Corsicana 3.15 inches of rain in a 24-hour period between Aug. 21 and 22. 
A total of 15 inches or more is needed to pull us out of a drought, which a significant dent has already been made. More rain to add to the needed 15 inches is certainly possible, with continued rain chances appearing in the area forecast. 
Cedar Creek Lake commuters to Kaufman, Terrell, Canton and Dallas were faced with flooding and torrential downpours which made driving treacherous. Areas of Highway 175 flooded near Seagoville rendering water rescues for stranded drivers. Highway 198 going to Canton was also flooded and shut down for a time due to flooding. First Monday Fairgrounds in Canton were also completely under water. 
Area first responders were busy placing barricades in high water areas across Kaufman, Henderson and Van Zandt Counties. In Seven Points, barricades were placed in the Pritchett Lane, Jess Hinton Road area due to high water.  
While flooding of roadways was certainly an issue, many people experienced flooding inside their homes or extended power outages. Some neighborhoods had one or two streets without power while some had more widespread outages. Cross Roads ISD, Malakoff ISD and Kemp ISD decided to dismiss students early in light of the flooding Aug. 22.   
Kaufman County Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Steve Howie urges residents who were affected by the recent severe storms and flooding to visit damage.tdem.texas.gov to access the Texas Division of Emergency Management’s website for reporting damages. Funding relief is not yet available but evidence is necessary to make those claims. Watch the videos that will walk you through how to use the damage assessment tool.