April 18, 2016 Cypress and Houston Flooding (Tool: lender, how much, home)

[Oildog]

Combining threads about flooding in Northwest Houston and Cypress areas.

[TexasTallest]

Originally Posted by Dopo

Something that I feel Houston is missing is parks that are also used as "easily flooded areas"
People tell me that highways are designed to flood (don't know how that s... makes sense)
Why not take easily flooded areas, make them into public parks and then when it rains, those parks get flooded?

I've seen that in several cities, but not in Houston where it seems like investors want to use every square inch to build houses and the government allows them to do that.

Huh? You just perfectly described Buffalo Bayou Park, and Willow Waterhole, to name a few..

[TexasTallest]

Originally Posted by 96tahoe

So I am in the house market and I have been looking into the new community called Elyson. I am very familiar with the area and I am glad this type of MPC is being build out there by Newland Communities. I've always known this area has flooded but never this bad, April 2016. From 529 and Katy Hockley to 529 and grand parkway was not passible unless you had a high up vehicle. Peek, Porter, Katy Hockley, Stockdick school road, Beckendorf and Katy Hockley cutoff was under water. I'm not sure what Elyson has in plans to alleviate all this flooding but it has me second guessing about buying into this community. I just picture another Meyerland or Bellaire in this new developed area. If there is a plan in place, how will this cost be passed onto the buyers? Will the property taxes be high compared to South Katy? I was shocked that Ventana Lakes is 3.75%, and to add, that community held up fine during the flood.

If anyone knows or can share some information regarding flood plans in the Northwest Katy/Cypress area, would be greatly appreciated.

You are "glad this type of MPC is being build out there", yet you are concerned about the flooding?

Uhh.. You do realize that communities like these "being build out there" are part of why Houston floods so bad, right? All of that area is known as the Katy Prairie. When you start filling those prairie lands with development, you are essentially dumping concrete down natures drain, blocking up the prairies ability to absorb flood waters. With nowhere to go, the water inundates the developed areas.

[96tahoe]

Yes, I'm concerned about the flooding with Elyson out there and yes I'm glad this type of MPC is being built out there for economic reason. That's my point...how do you balance the economics with concern for nature, safety, peoples investments, etc.

[JohnnyDA]

Fairfield did pretty well during all the rain. I guess this was a good test.

[jenfarm_]

We just bought a new build site in a newish neighborhood up in Cypress. My boss currently lives just down the street from our new lot (construction was supposed to start this week - LOL) and was able to check on it for us on Monday. A couple of the streets flooded a bit and both entrances to the neighborhood got it pretty good but as far as the homes (even the ones in flood plain at the front of the neighborhood) didn't get flooded at all. Our lot backs up to a large retention area and while it filled up to capacity, it was still well away from the back of our lot. No standing water on or around our lot either. All in all, very happy with our spot. Hate to say convenient that we got to see this before moving in, but nice to know anyway.

Keeping that area in good thoughts as creeks and rivers continue to rise and more rain heads toward us this evening.

[shortel]

Its to bad people don't care anything about checking the flood plain before they buy a house.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by shortel

Its to bad people don't care anything about checking the flood plain before they buy a house.

I do it every time
I live right between two creeks that are 7 miles away from each other.

[JohnnyDA]

Originally Posted by shortel

Its to bad people don't care anything about checking the flood plain before they buy a house.

From what I have seen, 99% of all the reported flooded places are within the 100/500yr flood plain designated areas.

Even so called homes that have never flooded before, are actually in the flood plain area.

Use the website. It is VERY useful.

[fnh]

Jersey Village area residents can access flood insurance maps from the JV city website:
http://www.jerseyvillage.info/defaul....flood_control

None of the homes in my neighborhood (north of 290, between FNH and Gessner) flooded, but we are outside the 500 year flood plain. Two miles west there was flooding in JV near Philippine and the Beltway (as seen on TV) but I don't think the flooding was as widespread as in areas further out southwest (Bear Creek area) to northwest (Cypress Creek area). Correct me if I'm wrong.

During heavy rain events I check the bayou levels at the Harris County Flood Warning System site:
Harris County Flood Warning System - Harris County, Texas

We are near Rolling Fork Creek which flows a half mile south through Burger Estates into White Oak Bayou. Over the last fifteen years the Flood Control District has bought out and razed the homes there that flooded where this usually sleepy creek meets the bayou. I took this photo Monday morning as the creek rose to the height of the bridge, 10-15 feet above usual level. Usually the creek is only a few feet wide, maybe 1-2 feet deep?