Plum Grove Flooding, Many Streets Cut Off
After heavy rains and several tornados swept through the area Saturday afternoon, many streets in Plum Grove are under water tonight.
Warning from Plum Grove VFD
The Plum Grove Volunteer Fire Department reports that: “We are receiving multiple reports of several roads flooding in the area.
- FM 1010 near the Valero
- Plum Grove Road near Road 5000
- Multiple areas of Paul Campbell Loop
“Plum Grove VFD is currently assisting the city with placing road warning signs with out our high water vehicle. Please avoid driving in the weather if possible. Do not drive through high water areas where you can not clearly see the roadway. Do not chance swift moving water. Remember it only takes a few inches of fast moving water to sweep you or your vehicle off the road. Please be safe.”
The gage at FM2090 and the San Jacinto East Fork shows that Plum Grove received 5.96 inches of rain, the highest total in the area, by far. To put that amount in perspective, it’s only a half inch less than Plum Grove received on May 7, 2019, which caused widespread flooding.
All Channels Still within Banks At This Hour
It’s not clear how many homes have been affected. Pam and Jack Arnold, whose home near the East Fork was cut off for three days last Spring, say that their property still has not flooded at this hour but that the river is still rising. They are watching it closely. Pam says, “We have everything loaded to move up the road, but we could’t get out of Plum Grove if we tried right now.”
I’ll try to get up there tomorrow morning to get pictures. It’s not safe now.
Ironically, in Splendora at Peach Creek, just four miles west, the gage on FM2090 recorded only 2 inches of rain – one third the amount in Plum Grove. The Harris County Flood Warning System shows that all channels in the region are currently within their banks. Today’s rains, at this point, seem to have caused primarily street flooding.
Forecast from Harris County Flood Control
Jeff Lindner, Harris County’s Meteorologist, reported at 11:30 PM that widespread rainfall will continue across the area tonight bringing another inch of rain. However, strong lines of thunderstorms are training across the area. “Additional rainfall amounts of 1-2 inches with isolated totals of 3-4 inches will be possible within this line tonight. The main threat will be street flooding, but rises on area watersheds will be possible.”
Lindner warns that the East Fork of the San Jacinto River is rising rapidly and may reach bankfull (flood stage) at FM 1485 tonight and downstream to Lake Houston. Flooding near the river will be possible and mostly limited to low lying roads.
Luce Bayou is also rising in central Liberty County and run-off from both middle and upper Luce and Tarkington Bayou will route downstream toward Lake Houston tonight and Sunday. Rises are likely near FM 2100 in NE Harris County.
At 1 am on Sunday morning 1/9/22, Lindner reported on the training supercell thunderstorms shown above. “They are producing up to 4.5 inches of rainfall per hour. Significant street flooding is likely. Rapid rises on the smaller channels are likely.”
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/8/2022, updated at 1 am 1/9/22 based on information from Scott Engle of the Montgomery County Police Reporter and Harris County Flood Control.
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