More than two dozen Dallas, Texas, Police Department vehicles were damaged in what meteorologists have called a "thousand-year rain event." On Monday, August 22, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport recorded 9.19 inches of rain, the second heaviest 24-hour period rainfall on record, according to NBC DFW.
A police vehicle is seen here under several inches of water after historic rainfall in Dallas.
Photo: Dallas Police Department
The unprecedented rainfall led to widespread damage; The Dallas Police Department reported that 28 of its vehicles were damaged.
The Dallas Police Department public information officer said the department is "well-positioned to make vehicle replacements" for the department, adding that 70 vehicles are currently in the pipeline to join the department's fleet.
Photo: Dallas Police Department
Dallas Police Public Information Officer Senior Cpl. Brian Martinez told Government Fleet that the vehicles are still being inspected, so it's not clear whether they are a total loss. The police equipment inside the vehicles is also still being inspected. The department does not currently have an estimate on the cost of the damages to the vehicles.
The damaged vehicles and equipment are still being inspected to see whether they can be salvaged.
Photo: Dallas Police Department
When asked about impact the flooding has on the department's need for new vehicles, Martinez said the department is "well-positioned to make vehicle replacements." He said there are currently more than 70 units in the immediate pipeline for the department, including marked squad cars, along with light trucks and SUVs. The vehicles are in various stages of being prepared for patrol use. Among those are more than a dozen Chevrolet Tahoe patrol vehicles waiting on microchips for emergency equipment inside the vehicles. A spokesperson explained that the vehicles themselves are ready to be used, but the equipment is not.
