Deer Park: Floods? (La Porte, Center, San Augustine: real estate, houses, neighborhoods)

[TootsieWootsie]

I've looked at a FEMA map, but can't quite get what they are trying to say. It will be better if someone who really has been there can tell me if Deer Park floods? Was it flooded badly during Allison?
From what I am picking up from real estate ads, there was a great deal of flooding and ruined properties in La Porte in the past 5 years. And La Porte is right next to Deer Park, so I am wondering how badly Deer Park flooded.

[Poltracker]

Deer Park did experience flooding during Allison and again w/Erin a year and a half ago. Street flooding was pretty much city wide which is to be expected when you get 10-12 inches of rain within 2 hours. House flooding occurred in 2 primary areas w/ a few other scattered houses being flooded. The areas were the houses just south of 8th (east of Center including Ivy, and James) basicaly just east and west of the flood control ditch. The other major area was in a new construction neighborhood off of San Augustine and East. Scattered areas include houses along Amy and some home on the west side of Center Street near the South Campus HS.

The flooding of the 2 major areas was determined to be caused by obstructions. The scattered areas (especially west of Center) was due to capacity problems. The City of Deer Park, never accused of being slow to correct issues, is already working with Harris County and others to correct the obstruction issues. Work has already begun on the ditch (and the bridges that caused the problems)draining the East Blvd neighborhoods. Property is being acquired to address the obstruction for the 8th street flooding. This will be in the form of a 36-acre detention pond that will be located south of 225 at Tidal Rd. The ditch itself could not be repaired due to issues w/ the EPA, Shell and Lubrizol.

The City of Deer Park has maps of the effected areas and flooded houses that they showed during a council meeting. BTW, the culverts under Amy have already been repaired.

[jd433]

Originally Posted by Poltracker

Deer Park did experience flooding during Allison and again w/Erin a year and a half ago. Street flooding was pretty much city wide which is to be expected when you get 10-12 inches of rain within 2 hours. House flooding occurred in 2 primary areas w/ a few other scattered houses being flooded. The areas were the houses just south of 8th (east of Center including Ivy, and James) basicaly just east and west of the flood control ditch. The other major area was in a new construction neighborhood off of San Augustine and East. Scattered areas include houses along Amy and some home on the west side of Center Street near the South Campus HS.

The flooding of the 2 major areas was determined to be caused by obstructions. The scattered areas (especially west of Center) was due to capacity problems. The City of Deer Park, never accused of being slow to correct issues, is already working with Harris County and others to correct the obstruction issues. Work has already begun on the ditch (and the bridges that caused the problems)draining the East Blvd neighborhoods. Property is being acquired to address the obstruction for the 8th street flooding. This will be in the form of a 36-acre detention pond that will be located south of 225 at Tidal Rd. The ditch itself could not be repaired due to issues w/ the EPA, Shell and Lubrizol.

The City of Deer Park has maps of the effected areas and flooded houses that they showed during a council meeting. BTW, the culverts under Amy have already been repaired.

My home by 8th street and Ivy was flooded during allison and during erin. Boy what a pain, I hope that this gets fixed. August of 2006 it flooded about to just above the electrical outlets all through the house. Its a shame because that is such a nice neighborhood and within walking distance to schools.

[texas7]

It is true that certain areas flood but then you have many areas that do not. You just have to really investigate where you are looking to buy, rent, etc. Talk to long-time neighbors too - don't rely solely on paper.

[Poltracker]

Originally Posted by jd433

My home by 8th street and Ivy was flooded during allison and during erin. Boy what a pain, I hope that this gets fixed. August of 2006 it flooded about to just above the electrical outlets all through the house. Its a shame because that is such a nice neighborhood and within walking distance to schools.

Hi neighbor! I live just down 8th street from you. My house was high and dry during Erin (thank goodeness!). It just got up to the top of the curb for me. Wasn't here during Allison but my neighbors inform me that it got up a little higher and was a bit higher yet during Carla and one other Hurricane (no noame supplied). I feel for you as I saw all the damage up the street.

Erin was a bad day for me as I had gone in for outpatient surgery early in the AM and was totally unaware of the rainfall until we left the medical center. It took 5 hours to get home (usually 30 min). At least 2 of those hours spent sitting on the feeder at Center and Hwy 225.

I have been following closely all the work Deer Park has been doing to correct the problem. The problem itself is that there is a 400sq ft culvert going under 225 but only a 200 sq ft culvert to receive it on the other side across Shell and Lubrizol and they w/ the EPA won't allow it to be enlarged due to some issues with the receiving stream. They have decided to put in the 36 acre diversion basin so that the surge which causes the flooding will be relieved. Last I heard, they had finished the preliminary environmental assessment on the land to be purchased but there was a hold up with Harris County which would slow the project. The city stepped in to rush the project a bit by offering to pay for the expanded assessment. I think they are aiming to start construction by the summer or as soon as they can push it through. I guess we will see.

I believe work has already begun on the culverts under Spencer and Aaron to relieve the flooding in that new subdivision. Those culverts were causing a restriction in flow that prevented the water from getting to that diversion pond across from Walmart on East. They are also going to be some improvements to that ditch from what I hear.

[Poltracker]

Originally Posted by texas7

It is true that certain areas flood but then you have many areas that do not. You just have to really investigate where you are looking to buy, rent, etc. Talk to long-time neighbors too - don't rely solely on paper.

That is the best advise.