Putting a 54-Foot Flood in Historical Perspective
Below is a list of historic crests on the West Fork at the 59 bridge. If the current flood crests at 54 feet, it will be the tenth highest in the last 25 years. Scroll down the list for floods you remember. For instance, did you flood in the Memorial or Tax Day floods?
The Memorial Day flood of 2015 on the West Fork crested at about the same height as this flood is expected to crest – 54 feet. However, that was lower than a flood in 2016, also near Memorial Day that crested at about 62 feet.
This flood will be about three feet lower than the Tax Day flood in 2016. And about 2.5 feet higher than the Good Friday flood this year.
However, we will be about 15 feet below Harvey.
Remember: Things Change
Apply some judgment to all these numbers. New blockages downstream, such as the mouth bar, could back water up compared to what it used to be. New development upstream could also. hasten the convergence of water and increase flood levels. And it’s not just how much water falls, it’s how fast it falls.
Recent Crests
(1) 49.51 ft on 07/05/2018
(2) 51.66 ft on 03/29/2018 Good Friday
(3) 49.46 ft on 02/26/2018
(4) 69.18 ft on 08/29/2017 Harvey
(5) 61.95 ft on 05/29/2016
(6) 57.32 ft on 04/21/2016 Tax Day
(7) 50.11 ft on 06/21/2015
(8) 53.65 ft on 05/29/2015 Memorial Day
(9) 49.56 ft on 05/18/2015
(10) 50.54 ft on 05/14/2015
(11) 49.58 ft on 03/13/2015
(12) 49.92 ft on 05/28/2014
(13) 52.09 ft on 07/14/2012
(14) 50.10 ft on 10/30/2009
(15) 50.10 ft on 04/28/2009
(16) 49.70 ft on 11/13/2008
(17) 62.80 ft on 09/14/2008
(18) 50.20 ft on 01/17/2007
(19) 51.40 ft on 10/17/2006
(20) 51.10 ft on 10/17/2006
(21) 49.60 ft on 05/02/2004
(22) 50.60 ft on 02/14/2004
(23) 55.80 ft on 11/07/2002
(24) 53.90 ft on 10/29/2002
(25) 55.30 ft on 06/10/2001 TS Allison
(26) 60.10 ft on 11/15/1998
(27) 55.10 ft on 10/20/1998
(28) 54.20 ft on 10/19/1998
(29) 46.90 ft on 02/22/1998
(30) 52.40 ft on 01/08/1998
(31) 67.30 ft on 10/18/1994 ’94 Flood
(32) 49.82 ft on 03/04/1992
(33) 51.72 ft on 06/27/1989
(34) 55.60 ft on 05/18/1989
(35) 50.46 ft on 11/26/1987
(36) 50.10 ft on 06/13/1987
(37) 42.20 ft on 08/23/1986
(38) 53.20 ft on 11/26/1985
(39) 51.80 ft on 10/26/1984
(40) 46.00 ft on 02/13/1984
(41) 54.00 ft on 05/23/1983
(42) 50.60 ft on 05/14/1982
(43) 50.10 ft on 09/01/1980
(44) 55.70 ft on 04/19/1979
5th Wettest December 7th on Record
According to Matt Lanza at Space City Weather, Houston officially had 4.31″ of rain on Friday, making December 7, 2018 the 5th wettest December day on record in the city, going back to the late 1800s. It was also our wettest single day since August of 2017, which we all know was during Hurricane Harvey.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/8/2018
466 Days since Hurricane Harvey
