Homeowners in McLendon-Chisholm hope the dam holds up
ROCKWALL COUNTY — As North Texas continues to get hit with rain, residents in the Rockwall County town of McLendon-Chisholm say they're sick of it.
There are concerns over a dam that's already seen a major shift due to the elements.
As the rain continues to come down in the Chisholm Crossing neighborhood, homeowners like Caroline Bloom are getting prepared.
"We've already packed up some valuables," she said. "If anything, we're just going to run to our grandmother's house."
Both Bloom and Karen Duignan live by an earthen dam which has seen extreme levels of flooding and erosion.
"I mean, looking at it, anybody would be concerned because it has never been like that, you know?" Duignan said. "This is the most rain we've had in months and months and months. So, yeah, very concerning."
Mayor Bryan McNeal says they've put up caution tape and are monitoring its movement. So far, it's shifted more than six feet.
"So we're talking six feet in about a less than a 10-hour period and then we had the more bottom 'dropage' this morning!" he said.
The state brought in an emergency response team this morning, and for now, the dam seems to be stable. Still, there are concerns.
"Of course, with the rain coming it's just something we need to watch because I don't know what the land will do," McNeal said.
He has crews out every hour or so checking for potential movement. They're watching stakes in the ground to see how much they slide.
"I have a bag packed," Duignan said. "I have all my valuables, passport, birth certificates already in my car. I'm ready to hightail it out of here if I have to."
