Carolanne Norris took this shot while sitting on her stairs, watching her home fill with water.

The Long Reach of Harvey

While much of the press after Harvey focused on the wisdom of development in floodways and floodplains, the plight of homes and businesses much further from the San Jacinto was largely overlooked. Amy Slaughter and Jennifer Trimble bought homes more than a mile from the river, thinking they beyond the reach of floods. They weren’t. Homes near mine, almost two miles from the river, also flooded.

Page 13 of the Harris County Flood Control District’s final report on Harvey states, “Of the 154,170 homes flooded, 48,850 were within the 1% (100-yr) floodplain, 34,970 within the .2% (500-yr) floodplain, and 70,370 were outside of the 1% (100-yr) and .2% (500-yr) floodplains.” In other words, 46% were not in a marked flood plain. Which helps to explain the staggering number of uninsured homeowners.

Sixty-four percent of all the homes flooded did not have flood insurance.

Below are some more pictures that two readers recently submitted after recent posts about The Night 11,000 Lake Houston Area Residents Became Homeless and The Night of the Intruder.

Photos by Carolanne Norris

Carolanne Norris took this shot while sitting on her stairs, watching her home fill with water.
Carolanne Norris took this shot while sitting on her stairs, watching her home fill with water.
Looking toward Kingwood Drive from Woods Estates and Twin Grove. Carolanne Norris took this from an upstairs window as the floodwaters rose during Harvey.
Looking toward Kingwood Drive from Woods Estates and Twin Grove. Carolanne Norris took this from an upstairs window as the floodwaters rose during Harvey. Note the water level near the stop sign one block north of Kingwood Drive.
Carolanne Norris took this shot as she and her family hiked to safety on Valley Manor. Shot is looking back down Woods Estates. Kings Forest Pool is on right.
Carolanne Norris took this shot as she and her family hiked to safety. Shot is looking back down Woods Estates from a hill near Valley Manor . The Kings Forest Pool is on right. This is more than 1.75 miles from the river as the crow flies.
"Bath anyone?" Photo of Carolanne Norris' tub after Harvey's floodwaters went down.
“Bath anyone?” Photo of Carolanne Norris’ tub after Harvey’s floodwaters went down and she could get back in her home.
"The water was strong enough to pick up my island and slam it into my double ovens." Photo by Carolanne Norris.
“The water was strong enough to pick up my island with a granite counter (bottom) and slam it into my double ovens.” Photo by Carolanne Norris.
Carolanne Norris' home took on 44 inches of water.
Carolanne Norris’ home took on 44 inches of water. Wakes from all the rescue boats had water lapping at her first-floor eaves.
"Nice reminder that you sometimes have to laugh when all you want to do is cry." Photo by Carolanne Norris.
“Nice reminder that you sometimes have to laugh when all you want to do is cry.” Photo by Carolanne Norris.

Photos by Karen Favero

The Cleanup After Harvey Begins. Photo by Karen Favero.
The Cleanup After Harvey Begins. Photo by Karen Favero. Favero lived in the Kingwood Town Center Apartments in a first floor unit. Distance from river is about 1.25 miles.
Flooded apartment in Kingwood Town Center as Harvey's Floodwaters Receded. Photo by Karen Favero.
Flooded apartment in Kingwood Town Center as Harvey’s Floodwaters Receded. Photo by Karen Favero.
Car at Kingwood Town Center Apartments floated away by Harvey. Photo by Karen Favero.
Car at Kingwood Town Center Apartments floated out of its parking spot by Harvey. Photo by Karen Favero.
Cars floated by Harvey into new parking spots. Photo by Karen Favero.
More cars floated by Harvey into new parking spots. Photo by Karen Favero.
House on Kings Trail After Harvey. Photo by Karen Favero.
House on Kings Trail After Harvey. Photo by Karen Favero.

Folly of High Rise Development near the Floodway

Images like these so far from the river can only make one marvel at the folly of high-rise developers who insist on building on the edge of the current floodway. They know full well that, when new new flood maps are redrawn, their property will be IN the floodway. Of course, by that time, they will likely have resold it to unsuspecting buyers who are thrilled with the river views.

Underscoring Urgent Need for Flood Mitigation

If you have pictures that you would like to share, please send them to me via the Submissions Page of this web site. My thanks to Karen and Carolanne for sharing their experiences. They underscore the urgent need to put flood mitigation measures in place. It’s been more than a year and a half since Harvey and six months since the Everybody But Trump meeting in Austin. That that meeting, City officials came away hopeful that we were close to an agreement with FEMA to remove at least part of the Mouth Bar.

Sadly, not much has happened since then. But City Council Member Dave Martin, Mayor Turner and Stephen Costello have scheduled a meeting for March 21 at the Kingwood Community Center. That will be one year after Turner promised the community more gates for Lake Houston and additional dredging to reduce our flood risk.

Posted by Bob Rehak on March 11, 2019

559 Days since Hurricane Harvey