1. Dam at Smith County Road 448 has given way

(UPDATED May 27, 2015 at 10:48 am CT) MIDLOTHIAN (WFAA via KYTX) – Engineers and builders at Padera Lake in Midlothian say it was a close call, but an earthen dam won’t breach after all.

They are still waiting on official word from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

The National Weather Service expected the levee to break Wednesday morning. U.S. Highway 287 was being prepared to close near Kimble Road in case the road became flooded. Up to 15 feet of water was possible.

Stephanie Parker with the Ellis County Emergency Management Agency told News 8 that people living near the dam were notified of the potential break, and livestock was moved to higher ground.

Officials had been trying to slow down the process for several days, as rain added more water to the small lake. They were draining it from the bottom of the dam Monday morning, as soil was seen eroding and water was spilling over the top.

To make matters worse, the National Weather Service just issued a Flash Flood Warning for Ellis County, which includes Padera Lake. Engineers will continue to monitor lake levels.

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Police say emergency personnel could shut down a highway if a dam southwest of Dallas breaks.

Water was flowing over the top of the earthen dam at Padera Lake, near Midlothian, early Wednesday morning following days of heavy rain.

If the dam breaks, Highway 287 could flood with a couple of feet of water.

Midlothian police Capt. John Spann says officials will divert traffic if that happens, but for now they must “just wait and see.”

He says it’s mostly a rural area, but that residents of around a dozen homes have been warned they could be in jeopardy of flooding if the dam breaks. He says they are not in danger of being swept away and that there’s no mandatory evacuation order.

Midlothian is some 25 miles southwest of Dallas.