Presidio
At least a dozen drivers were stranded for hours as the Terneros Creek flooded outside of Presidio Saturday evening. A severe thunderstorm passed over the interior of Big Bend Ranch State Park early afternoon on Saturday, dropping rain north of Sauceda.
Six hours after the storm, a 50-foot span of cold, fast-moving water still filled the creek bed near Casa Piedra Road, separating two Border Patrol trucks and a half dozen residents and tourists on River Road. Many had been waiting hours to cross.
Several pickup trucks braved the crossing after watching the flood gauges, sliding sideways on hidden gravel sandbars and rocks. As darkness fell, residents left their cars and hitched rides with taller vehicles and responding maintenance crews while tourists weighed whether it was worth it to wait or turn around for a longer drive to their destinations.
Terneros Creek reached nearly three feet of water and covered over 100 feet of River Road. Headwaters arrived at the bridge over Alamito Creek nearly 8 hours after the storm, although cresting information was not immediately available. Terlingua also experienced flash flooding, but the waters had receded by morning.
The Big Bend region has very few weather and river gauges, resulting in spotty flood warnings, unreliable weather reports and limited research data. The National Weather Service out of Midland issued flash flood warnings on Saturday for Brewster County, but not Presidio County.
The creeks and arroyos have been a longtime source of concern for many locals who are accustomed to having plans disrupted by floodwaters. A proposed border wall is causing additional anxiety, as it could impede the flow of floodwaters draining into the river. The International Boundary Water Commission and CBP have not responded to questions from local officials about hydrological studies in the area.