Geez...normal storm floods I-10 (Houston, Katy: 2015, homes, tax)

[Clothahump]

Originally Posted by usc619

Something really needs to be done about the drainage in Houston.

Houstonians have been saying this all my life. And yet it never gets done. The streets will flood if a dog pees on a fire hydrant

We should look at New Orleans' pumping system. We should also quit pouring concrete all over the open ground as well.

[Dallaz]

Originally Posted by Clothahump

Houstonians have been saying this all my life. And yet it never gets done. The streets will flood if a dog pees on a fire hydrant

We should look at New Orleans' pumping system. We should also quit pouring concrete all over the open ground as well.

I was thinking the same thing. Houston needs an extensive flood control system.

In Dallas’ early years, the city had a history of flooding every year due to the Trinity River. To control flooding, the Trinity River was moved away from downtown (where Dealey Plaza now stands is where the Trinity River once ran), the river was straightened in a new channel, a floodplain was created around the new channel, and on each side of the floodplain 50 ft earthen levees were built. Six pump stations were built on each side of the levees to keep the neighborhoods on the other side of the levees dry. It was said that the project moved more earth than it did to construct the Panama Canal.

The majority of the massive lakes in Dallas-Ft Worth were built to control the Trinity River during flooding. Some of the lakes are up to 45 sq mi.

I remember a couple of years ago when we had months of consistent heavy rain. The Trinity River was extremely high. The floodplain was covered from levee to levee. Even the lakes upstream were full and going over the emergency spillway. The Army Corp of Engineers said if the Dallas Floodway wasn’t built and flood control reservoirs weren't constructed upstream, the City of Dallas would have had catastrophic flooding.

That level of engineering is what The City of Houston needs. They have basically controlled the Trinity River to a point where natural flooding does not occur.

[KerrTown]

Actually the underground sections of freeway are doing what they are designed to do. They act as reservoirs to prevent houses and businesses from flooding. The depressed section of the Sam Houston Tollway through Memorial is credited from saving the Town & Country area from Buffalo Bayou flooding during Harvey.

The problem with the fireworks show is that the stage was in the flood plain of Buffalo Bayou. It was creative genius to turn the otherwise unused flood plain into another large urban park--something abundant in Houston--for dry days.

[Dallaz]

Originally Posted by KerrTown

Actually the underground sections of freeway are doing what they are designed to do. They act as reservoirs to prevent houses and businesses from flooding. The depressed section of the Sam Houston Tollway through Memorial is credited from saving the Town & Country area from Buffalo Bayou flooding during Harvey.

The problem with the fireworks show is that the stage was in the flood plain of Buffalo Bayou. It was creative genius to turn the otherwise unused flood plain into another large urban park--something abundant in Houston--for dry days.

We have a large underground water detention vault in Uptown to keep Central Expy from flooding in heavy rain.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E49DDYXob78

I’m not trying to bash Houston at all, but what is the local leadership doing to help prevent major flooding in the city? In Dallas, we’re constructing a 5 mile drainage relief tunnel through East Dallas to help prevent flooding during heavy rain. By the Trinity River, new pump stations with greater capacity are being planned or constructed to replace the old pump stations. I know some people may not want their taxes to go up or have to vote on a city bond to pay for infastructure projects. But the City of Houston is going to have to invest in infrastructure to help mitigate the flooding problem. I honestly don’t like seeing Houston on the news everytime when heavy rain falls in the area. In Dallas, every local news station was talking about the Houston flooding as one of their top stories. Houston is a great city, it just saddens me that this seems like a common occurrence.

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by Dallaz

We have a large underground water detention vault in Uptown to keep Central Expy from flooding in heavy rain.


I’m not trying to bash Houston at all, but what is the local leadership doing to help prevent major flooding in the city? In Dallas, we’re constructing a 5 mile drainage relief tunnel through East Dallas to help prevent flooding during heavy rain. By the Trinity River, new pump stations with greater capacity are being planned or constructed to replace the old pump stations. I know some people may not want their taxes to go up or have to vote on a city bond to pay for infastructure projects. But the City of Houston is going to have to invest in infrastructure to help mitigate the flooding problem. I honestly don’t like seeing Houston on the news everytime when heavy rain falls in the area. In Dallas, every local news station was talking about the Houston flooding as one of their top stories. Houston is a great city, it just saddens me that this seems like a common occurrence.

The news coverage of these types of street flooding events has definitely changed. There was a time in the 70's when this may have lead off local news coverage but it wouldn't have been a all day event. Many local stations went 24/7 on this. The CBS national news mentioned it saying Houston floods without giving any idea as to the scope of what happened.

Basically what happened is it rained up to 8 inches there was some local street flooding which has happened literally thousands of time before. Some cars stalled because people tried to transverse flooded streets but there was no need for any water rescues or homes flooded or Bayous over their banks. Having an outdoor concert canceled is not a national story. Just goes to show you the media is desperate for fodder to fill their massive content needs.....

[travelguy_73]

Originally Posted by Dallaz

We have a large underground water detention vault in Uptown to keep Central Expy from flooding in heavy rain.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E49DDYXob78

I’m not trying to bash Houston at all, but what is the local leadership doing to help prevent major flooding in the city? In Dallas, we’re constructing a 5 mile drainage relief tunnel through East Dallas to help prevent flooding during heavy rain. By the Trinity River, new pump stations with greater capacity are being planned or constructed to replace the old pump stations. I know some people may not want their taxes to go up or have to vote on a city bond to pay for infastructure projects. But the City of Houston is going to have to invest in infrastructure to help mitigate the flooding problem. I honestly don’t like seeing Houston on the news everytime when heavy rain falls in the area. In Dallas, every local news station was talking about the Houston flooding as one of their top stories. Houston is a great city, it just saddens me that this seems like a common occurrence.

I like my city and plan to live here until retirement, but I am losing faith in our elected officials and bureaucrats (at all level) being able to make the BIG expensive changes necessary to deal with the next 100 years of growth and climate change. They seem paralyzed. They are addicted to the tax dollars that new development brings, even though that development pushes water too fast into our bayous, which in turn fill too quickly and overflow. Add to this a state that spends as little as possible on anything that isn't a highway, and you basically have us turning our back on the next generation of Houstonians.

Last week a house was torn down about a mile away from me along Brays Bayou. Nothing new, but it had been raised two feet after TS Allison. TWO FEET. And it has flooded two times this decade with probably two feet of water each time. This is how fast things are changing. Yet the city continues to give out more floodplain development permits, and the county keeps allowing new surburban and exurban development in places it shouldn't. All point fingers at each other and keep their conscious clear that they are "just following the rules."

Not sure where it ends, but we don't seem to be learning.

[travelguy_73]

Originally Posted by Jack Lance

Just goes to show you the media is desperate for fodder to fill their massive content needs.....

Freeways becoming completely submerged isn't par for the course in Houston. Yes, it happens on occasion, but considering we have a region still in the grips/trauma of dealing with Harvey recovery, it's definitely news. And it needs to be because human nature is mostly to forget and move on. We need to be paying attention to it. We have elected officials who would rather us forget that this can happen, so they can go about their business, which is not dealing with the issue at hand.

This wasn't a summer shower that filled up a few streets in the lowest lying areas.

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by travelguy_73

Freeways becoming completely submerged isn't par for the course in Houston. Yes, it happens on occasion, but considering we have a region still in the grips/trauma of dealing with Harvey recovery, it's definitely news. And it needs to be because human nature is mostly to forget and move on. We need to be paying attention to it. We have elected officials who would rather us forget that this can happen, so they can go about their business, which is not dealing with the issue at hand.

This wasn't a summer shower that filled up a few streets in the lowest lying areas.

I never heard of I-10 flooding until after the state did the massive redesign of I-10 10 years ago. It's not just local officials that need to take heed of these events . 288 is a state road as well. Beltway 8 through memorial was obviously designed to flood during these events as was 59/I-69 through Montrose, so no it's not really news when those sections are flooded.


Of course we all have a chance to do something about this next month when Harris County puts the 2.5 billion dollar bond issue before voters. We can take action then and not just whine about it....

[Dallaz]

Originally Posted by Jack Lance

I never heard of I-10 flooding until after the state did the massive redesign of I-10 10 years ago. It's not just local officials that need to take heed of these events . 288 is a state road as well. Beltway 8 through memorial was obviously designed to flood during these events as was 59/I-69 through Montrose, so no it's not really news when those sections are flooded.


Of course we all have a chance to do something about this next month when Harris County puts the 2.5 billion dollar bond issue before voters. We can take action then and not just whine about it....

Ok, that’s awesome! Is there a plan to which the 2.5 billion will be allocated to?

[Dallaz]

Originally Posted by travelguy_73

I like my city and plan to live here until retirement, but I am losing faith in our elected officials and bureaucrats (at all level) being able to make the BIG expensive changes necessary to deal with the next 100 years of growth and climate change. They seem paralyzed. They are addicted to the tax dollars that new development brings, even though that development pushes water too fast into our bayous, which in turn fill too quickly and overflow. Add to this a state that spends as little as possible on anything that isn't a highway, and you basically have us turning our back on the next generation of Houstonians.

Last week a house was torn down about a mile away from me along Brays Bayou. Nothing new, but it had been raised two feet after TS Allison. TWO FEET. And it has flooded two times this decade with probably two feet of water each time. This is how fast things are changing. Yet the city continues to give out more floodplain development permits, and the county keeps allowing new surburban and exurban development in places it shouldn't. All point fingers at each other and keep their conscious clear that they are "just following the rules."

Not sure where it ends, but we don't seem to be learning.

I heard that Harris County knew there were needed infastructure improvements but it was never built. Is that true?