On January 25th Sharon Mize and her husband, B Ray, drove around Lake Conroe to see the impact of the lower lake levels on boating, fishing and commerce. Even though the water level was still at 199 feet, they saw dozens of boaters; full parking lots at the boat ramps and restaurants; and people getting boats in and out of the water.
On Jan. 25, 2020, SJRA recorded the lake level at slightly more than 199 feet.Screen capture by Sharon Mize.
An Outsider’s View on a Cold and Blustery Day
The Mizes quickly point out that they do not have enough history with Lake Conroe to determine whether what they saw was “normal.” However, they characterized the activity as “healthy,” despite a cold, blustery, overcast January day.
As you look at the photos below, look not only at the activity in the shot, look at the waterlines on piers and docks relative to the water level.
Photo taken from Wolfies restaurant at Lake Conroe ParkHouse and slip across from Wolfies. Note fisherman at right.Bulkheading across from Wolfies shows normal and current water lines.Slips by restaurants at Waterpoint Marina. Note normal water level on posts and smile on woman.Activity at Waterpoint MarinaBoats tied up at restaurants at Waterpoint Marina. A restaurant owner told me that business was down seasonally, but that it was normal year over year. The owner estimated winter was down 20% compared to the peak in summer during vacation season.Waterline at Waterpoint MarinaBoat Ramp still usable at La TorrettaWalden Yacht Club. Note normal waterline on pier in foreground.Fishermen near Walden Yacht ClubNote difference between water level and normal waterline on docks at Walden Yacht Club.The heaviest orange color shows the most common level of the lake. B Ray Mize estimates the lake was down about 12 to 18 inches compared to that.Boats entering and leaving harbor at Walden Yacht ClubAnother waterline on docks at Walden Yacht ClubShoreline across from Scott’s Ridge Boat Ramp. No excessive exposure of sediment at 199 feet.Boats by Scott’s Ridge Boat RampScott’s Ridge Boat Ramp Parking Lot filled with empty boat trailers.Boat about to land at Scott’s Ridge boat rampParadise Point North Boat Launch
In fact, during the months SJRA intentionally lowers the lake 1-2 feet, the lake level AVERAGES about 199.5. So, Lake Conroe residents would only lose about another half foot.
The 46-year January average for Lake Conroe’s level is 199.54, according to the SJRA. Note also that the average for any month has never exceeded 200.44 since the lake was built.
For more background on this controversy, see the Lake Lowering page on this web site.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/6/2020 based photos and input from Sharon and B Ray Mize
891 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/D-10-Walden-Yacht-Club-copy.jpg?fit=1200%2C533&ssl=15331200adminadmin2020-02-06 16:09:172020-02-06 17:48:18Lake Conroe at 199 Feet: Photos Show Little Impact on Boating, Fishing, Commerce
At its Feb. 20 board meeting, the San Jacinto River Authority will decide whether to continue lowering Lake Conroe temporarily until other flood mitigation measures can be put in place. Before then, Donna Dewhirst, a resident of Walden on Lake Houston, wanted to share some reminders of the damage that Harvey and the 80,000 CFS Lake Conroe release inflicted on the Lake Houston area.
A Horror Story in Pictures
Dewhirst’s outdoor kitchen took on knee-deep water. In the background, that’s the second story of her boat dock.As water started to subside, Dewhirst found trees and other debris lodged in her dock. The flood destroyed her boat.A 70-foot surprise became visible when floodwaters receded. The flood also destroyed Dewhirst’s boat.The railroad bridge just down from her caught another boat swept away in the flood.
“The water reached my back porch at the foundation of my home, but amazingly my house and garage got no water in them,” said Dewhirst.
Dewhirst feels lucky.Her neighbors less so.As water receded, the extent of flooding became more apparent.
“It was horrific,” said Dewhirst. “But we were lucky compared to others. I planned returning to a flooded home, but God of Heaven spared me. My son in law had put Flex Seal on the back doors and taped it with duct tape a few feet up. I’m sure that helped. But honestly from the water line on the house, it truly was a sheer miracle we didn’t flood.”
Can It Be Averted In the Future?
Aerial view of Aquatic Drive on Walden on Lake Houston after the Conroe release. Dewhirst believes this photo came from Greg Toole. If not, please let me know. I will correct the credit or remove the image if the author wishes.
If lowering Lake Conroe temporarily until other flood mitigation measures can be put in place, such as additional flood gates on the Lake Houston dam, I’m all for it.
For more information about that program and how to make your voice heard, visit the Lake Lowering page on this web site.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/5/2020
890 Days after Hurricane Harveyand 15 days before the SJRA decision
Nancy Vera and Edythe Cogdill live across the street from each other at the northern end of Village Springs. They moved to Elm Grove to build an idyllic life for themselves and their families. For years, it was a quiet, peaceful neighborhood filled with friends and block parties. Kids played in the streets and rode their bikes to schools on greenbelts. From their front porches, they could look north across the Montgomery County line and see forest laced with streams and trails. Then the bulldozers came. And spring rains. Suddenly, they found themselves at ground zero in a battle with Mother Nature, corporate giants, and a neighboring county that cared more about development than protecting downstream residents from flooding. Each woman flooded twice last year. As I interviewed them together, they shared their thoughts on every aspect of the experience.
Cogdill and Vera live at the tip of this 268-acre clear-cut funnel created by Perry Homes. See white dot for approximate location. Perry still has yet to install 75% of the promised detention.
Rehak: How badly did you flood in May and September?
Cogdill: We had about nine, 10 inches, in May. And 22 inches outside the fence during Imelda, but only 12 or 13 inches in the house. Our fence deflected a lot of water.
Edythe Cogdill looks with worry at Perry Homes’ Woodridge Village. Her home and camper are behind her. Her home flooded twice last year from Woodridge. She captured the harrowing ordeals on video to share with the world.
Rehak: And Nancy, in May, how much did you get?
Vera: We got two feet.
Rehak: And in Imelda?
Vera: Three.
Impact of Flooding on Neighborhood and Home Values
Rehak: We walked your block and discussed each house. All but one flooded. And you are the only two original families left. It’s like you’re living at ground zero.
Vera (left) and Cogdill (right) fret about the impact of renters on their once idyllic neighborhood.
Cogdill: Yes.
Rehak: Most of these other houses have sold to investors?
Cogdill: All with the exception of the one that has a brother living in it now. That family has to keep the house because they just bought it last year; they can’t afford to sell.
Rehak: Talk to me about property values in the neighborhood.
Cogdill: The house next door sold for $93,000. Our appraisal last year was $214,000.
Rehak: So it went for about half?
Cogdill: Another sold for $105,000.
Vera: It was appraised before the floods at over $200,000.
Rehak: Again, about 50 percent. Would that be a fair estimate for these others up and down the block?
Vera: That’s what I’ve been hearing. My son’s friend’s house sold for eighty. That’s on the next street over.
Vera: Most people are getting $80,000 to $100,000 now.
Homes on their block seem to have been in a perpetual state of repair since last May.
Rehak: And what would that one have gone for before?
Vera: $160,000 to $200,000 depending on square footage.
Rehak: Still, about 50 percent.
Vera: Yes.
Remodeling Right Before Flood
Cogdill: We totally remodeled our house in March of 2018, a year before the flood. All new paint inside and out. Totally gutted the bathroom and redid it. Added a very expensive back porch. And then it flooded.
Rehak: Did you have flood insurance?
Cogdill: We did.
Rehak: You did, too? (To Vera)
Vera: We did not have flood insurance in May. But I got flood insurance within a week after the first flood.
Vera’s living room has been reduced to “life with lawn furniture.” She has lived this way for almost a year. She and her husband have so little faith in Perry’s promises to fix Woodridge that they postponed repairs until after hurricane season.
Flood Insurance Experiences in Back-to-Back Floods
Rehak: Talk to me about your flood insurance experiences. You said one of your neighbors had a problem. Even though most of the house was rebuilt after the first flood, they didn’t get credit for that?
Cogdill: The adjuster merged the claims because they did not have their inspection complete before the second flood. They were going to get something out of the second flood, but it didn’t nearly cover the loss. They had to redo everything. And they weren’t reimbursed for everything.
After the second flood in five months and hassles with insurance adjusters, Vera’s neighbors gave up. An investor bought their headaches for 50 cents on the dollar.
And then they took a $10,000 loss on their camper. They bought the camper to live in after the May flood. They were days away from moving back into their house. And then everything – house AND camper – flooded again in September. So they were upside down. Her insurance gave them $10,000 less than what they owed on it.
Never-ending Parade of Contractors
Vera: I just want to get everybody out of my house, because every day, every day, every day, somebody is there.
Rehak: You have no privacy anymore?
Cogdill: You have contractors that say, “We’ll be there at 7:00 a.m.” And then they don’t come. Or you might take off work to let someone in and they don’t show.
Vera: And I had to buy cameras to put in my house, so I can see them.
Cogdill: The lady with the camper worked from home. And they would pound on her door every time, “Well, we’re here.” And she would be on a conference call. She just said, “I can’t do this anymore.” They’re gone now.
Managing Repairs and Full-Time Jobs
Rehak: I hadn’t really considered the “time off from work” aspect of all this. Nancy, you and your husband both work.
Vera: He can’t really take off because he’s overseeing a massive construction project. So I’m doing all the taking off.
Rehak: Where do you work?
Vera: I work for an insurance company. We handle benefits for school systems that we sell insurance to.
Cogdill: I was the construction manager on our rebuild. We were completely done with the remodel from the first flood.
Rehak: How long did it take you?
Finishing First Repairs Then Flooding Again
Cogdill: We finished two weeks before the September flood.
Rehak: How did that feel?
Cogdill: I sat down and I cried. It was exactly like the May flood. I was home alone and calling my husband every ten minutes, and then … then when it came in the back door, I just started bawling. And nobody could get home until right before dark. It started like eight o’clock in the morning.
Home Alone in Rising Waters
Rehak: What does it feel like when the water is coming up?
Cogdill: Everybody’s telling me on the phone, “Do this and do that. Put this up and get the dogs. Be sure you get your medicines. And I’m just looking around like, wow, OK, the dogs are walking through puddles … in the house. We lost our car in the first flood. It was in the driveway.
Postponing Rebuild and Wondering
Rehak: Nancy, after the May flood, you were a little skeptical about what Perry was going to do. So, you didn’t rebuild immediately.
Vera: We lived in a house with no walls, nothing all summer. We put up that Tyvek paper on all the walls. So that kinda helped. My house never got too hot. We were lucky; our air conditioning was brand new. It held up when everybody else was losing theirs.
Rehak: So, when the second flood came, you didn’t have demo to worry about?
The Vera kitchen after two floods, the first without insurance.
Vera: Partially. We had more damage the second time. A lot more.
Rehak: That’s right. You said it went up another foot. When did you make the decision to renovate and why?
Vera: We waited until hurricane season was over. And we said we would try to get it done as soon as possible. I was my own project manager to save money. We’re still on the fence as to whether we should sell and walk out.
I Bought This To Be My LIFE
Rehak: Let’s talk about that. Do you think Perry will sort this out?
Vera: You want to have hope.
Cogdill: You hope that they’re human. You want to keep your home.
Vera: This is my home. It’s not an investment. I bought this to be my LIFE.
Cogdill: This is where I wanted to raise our kids. That’s the reason I live here.
Vera: I don’t want to give up hope because in my gut I don’t want to sell my house. But then do you trust that they can fix it after you flooded twice … and you see that they’re not actually out there doing ANYTHING to problem solve?
The Cogdill and Vera families fret over the Perry detention pond that seems to be under perpetual construction. Building additional detention capacity that might help prevent future flooding does not seem to be a high priority for Perry. Meanwhile, they live in a state of perpetual fear.
Cogdill: It’s fixin’ to be, you know, flood season and all that. Why have they not been doing anything?
Rehak: What would you like to see done out there now?
Cogdill: This is such a hard question because there have been so many things out there that people have said could happen, may happen. The most recent one is to make a 300-acre lake out of it if Harris County Flood Control takes over. But I have worries with that, too. Look at all the places that flood in Harris County.
Vera: Right now, we’re very gun shy about anything. We don’t have the correct answer either, because we’re not experts. All we know is that we don’t want to flood again.
Biggest Fear for Neighborhood
Rehak: Beyond flooding again, what’s your biggest fear for the neighborhood?
Cogdill: Renters won’t take care of property as much as homeowners. They’re not going to keep up their yards. They’re not going to care about landscaping.
Rehak: Beyond your block, how many homes in this area have flipped or are up for sale.
Vera: Close to a hundred.
Ten homes in a row for lease in North Kingwood Forest by the same company. These are directly across Taylor Gully from Vera and Cogdill.
Cogdill: I would say 40 percent.
Rehak: How many more homes do you think flooded the second time than the first?
Vera: About 200 flooded the first time. At least 400 the second.
Living in a State of High Alert
Rehak: What would make you happy at this point?
Cogdill: We just want things back to normal.
Rehak: What do you consider normal?
Cogdill: Not living with the fear. To have everybody’s homes that have been destroyed fixed, repaired, restored back to the original.
Cogdill can never escape the fear of living with the development in the background.She worries about flooding a third time before someone fixes the problem.
Vera: Not to worry every time there’s a storm coming. We were up all night last night, even though we were told we were not going to flood again. But everybody was still glued to the TV, because we’re always on high alert. We ARE going to flood again because nobody has solved this problem. What do I want? To NOT live with anxiety all the time. But it’s always there.
Cogdill: I want to get back to a place where everybody is not whining, complaining, or scared. I want everybody’s homes fixed and to say, “Hey, we’re having a block party this month.” I just want to live in a normal community that’s not consumed with fear.
Accountability and Oversight
Rehak: What role do you see Montgomery County Government playing in all of this?
Cogdill: Montgomery County should be liable. City of Houston should be liable. And once these people start being held liable over this stuff, maybe they’ll stop letting it slip through the cracks. You know, it’s just somebody somewhere along the way pushed a bunch of stuff under the rug. And all of them shut their eyes to it. They all should have been involved. But my understanding is that Montgomery County won’t come inspect it. They have a job. And they should do it.
Vera: My biggest concern is that I don’t know what we can do about it. And we get a lot of spring rain.
Running Out of Hope
Rehak: Have you considered raising your foundation?
Vera: It was going to be like close to a hundred thousand dollars to do it.
A never-ending story: Once immaculate lawns and proudly maintained homes have given way to trash piles.
Rehak: Last question. What do you feel about the way Perry Homes has handled this?
Vera: I think they’re sick.
Such is life at ground zero in the flood zone.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/4/2020 with thanks to Nancy Vera and Edythe Cogdillfor sharing their experience
890 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 139 since Imelda
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/20200111-RJR_6372.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-02-04 19:48:332020-02-05 05:38:00Life at Ground Zero in Elm Grove
Lake Conroe at 199 Feet: Photos Show Little Impact on Boating, Fishing, Commerce
On January 25th Sharon Mize and her husband, B Ray, drove around Lake Conroe to see the impact of the lower lake levels on boating, fishing and commerce. Even though the water level was still at 199 feet, they saw dozens of boaters; full parking lots at the boat ramps and restaurants; and people getting boats in and out of the water.
An Outsider’s View on a Cold and Blustery Day
The Mizes quickly point out that they do not have enough history with Lake Conroe to determine whether what they saw was “normal.” However, they characterized the activity as “healthy,” despite a cold, blustery, overcast January day.
Exception Noted for People at North End of Lake
A Lake Conroe resident told me that the lower level impacted people at the far north end of the lake the most. This stands to reason. Water levels are lowest there. Grand Harbor felt the effect of lowering the most. However, she quickly added that the canals were poorly maintained, silted in, and not dredged deep enough to start with. A video by a Grand Harbor resident posted to YouTube before the SJRA started lowering the lake underscores these points.
201 Feet a Target Level, But Average is Lower
Note that the SJRA targets a level of 201 feet. When the water goes above 201, the SJRA starts releasing water so it rarely goes above that except briefly in major floods. However, the water level frequently drops below 201, due to evaporation combined with low rainfall.
The 46-year January average for Lake Conroe’s level is 199.54, according to the SJRA. Note also that the average for any month has never exceeded 200.44 since the lake was built.
Make Your Voice Heard
The SJRA will hold its next board meeting on Feb. 20. Please attend and explain how the SJRA release affected you and why you value the lake lowering policy.
For more background on this controversy, see the Lake Lowering page on this web site.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/6/2020 based photos and input from Sharon and B Ray Mize
891 Days after Hurricane Harvey
Donna Dewhirst’s Harvey Experience
At its Feb. 20 board meeting, the San Jacinto River Authority will decide whether to continue lowering Lake Conroe temporarily until other flood mitigation measures can be put in place. Before then, Donna Dewhirst, a resident of Walden on Lake Houston, wanted to share some reminders of the damage that Harvey and the 80,000 CFS Lake Conroe release inflicted on the Lake Houston area.
A Horror Story in Pictures
“The water reached my back porch at the foundation of my home, but amazingly my house and garage got no water in them,” said Dewhirst.
“It was horrific,” said Dewhirst. “But we were lucky compared to others. I planned returning to a flooded home, but God of Heaven spared me. My son in law had put Flex Seal on the back doors and taped it with duct tape a few feet up. I’m sure that helped. But honestly from the water line on the house, it truly was a sheer miracle we didn’t flood.”
Can It Be Averted In the Future?
If lowering Lake Conroe temporarily until other flood mitigation measures can be put in place, such as additional flood gates on the Lake Houston dam, I’m all for it.
For more information about that program and how to make your voice heard, visit the Lake Lowering page on this web site.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/5/2020
890 Days after Hurricane Harvey and 15 days before the SJRA decision
Life at Ground Zero in Elm Grove
Nancy Vera and Edythe Cogdill live across the street from each other at the northern end of Village Springs. They moved to Elm Grove to build an idyllic life for themselves and their families. For years, it was a quiet, peaceful neighborhood filled with friends and block parties. Kids played in the streets and rode their bikes to schools on greenbelts. From their front porches, they could look north across the Montgomery County line and see forest laced with streams and trails. Then the bulldozers came. And spring rains. Suddenly, they found themselves at ground zero in a battle with Mother Nature, corporate giants, and a neighboring county that cared more about development than protecting downstream residents from flooding. Each woman flooded twice last year. As I interviewed them together, they shared their thoughts on every aspect of the experience.
Rehak: How badly did you flood in May and September?
Cogdill: We had about nine, 10 inches, in May. And 22 inches outside the fence during Imelda, but only 12 or 13 inches in the house. Our fence deflected a lot of water.
Rehak: And Nancy, in May, how much did you get?
Vera: We got two feet.
Rehak: And in Imelda?
Vera: Three.
Impact of Flooding on Neighborhood and Home Values
Rehak: We walked your block and discussed each house. All but one flooded. And you are the only two original families left. It’s like you’re living at ground zero.
Cogdill: Yes.
Rehak: Most of these other houses have sold to investors?
Cogdill: All with the exception of the one that has a brother living in it now. That family has to keep the house because they just bought it last year; they can’t afford to sell.
Rehak: Talk to me about property values in the neighborhood.
Cogdill: The house next door sold for $93,000. Our appraisal last year was $214,000.
Rehak: So it went for about half?
Cogdill: Another sold for $105,000.
Vera: It was appraised before the floods at over $200,000.
Rehak: Again, about 50 percent. Would that be a fair estimate for these others up and down the block?
Vera: That’s what I’ve been hearing. My son’s friend’s house sold for eighty. That’s on the next street over.
Vera: Most people are getting $80,000 to $100,000 now.
Rehak: And what would that one have gone for before?
Vera: $160,000 to $200,000 depending on square footage.
Rehak: Still, about 50 percent.
Vera: Yes.
Remodeling Right Before Flood
Cogdill: We totally remodeled our house in March of 2018, a year before the flood. All new paint inside and out. Totally gutted the bathroom and redid it. Added a very expensive back porch. And then it flooded.
Rehak: Did you have flood insurance?
Cogdill: We did.
Rehak: You did, too? (To Vera)
Vera: We did not have flood insurance in May. But I got flood insurance within a week after the first flood.
Flood Insurance Experiences in Back-to-Back Floods
Rehak: Talk to me about your flood insurance experiences. You said one of your neighbors had a problem. Even though most of the house was rebuilt after the first flood, they didn’t get credit for that?
Cogdill: The adjuster merged the claims because they did not have their inspection complete before the second flood. They were going to get something out of the second flood, but it didn’t nearly cover the loss. They had to redo everything. And they weren’t reimbursed for everything.
And then they took a $10,000 loss on their camper. They bought the camper to live in after the May flood. They were days away from moving back into their house. And then everything – house AND camper – flooded again in September. So they were upside down. Her insurance gave them $10,000 less than what they owed on it.
Never-ending Parade of Contractors
Vera: I just want to get everybody out of my house, because every day, every day, every day, somebody is there.
Rehak: You have no privacy anymore?
Cogdill: You have contractors that say, “We’ll be there at 7:00 a.m.” And then they don’t come. Or you might take off work to let someone in and they don’t show.
Vera: And I had to buy cameras to put in my house, so I can see them.
Cogdill: The lady with the camper worked from home. And they would pound on her door every time, “Well, we’re here.” And she would be on a conference call. She just said, “I can’t do this anymore.” They’re gone now.
Managing Repairs and Full-Time Jobs
Rehak: I hadn’t really considered the “time off from work” aspect of all this. Nancy, you and your husband both work.
Vera: He can’t really take off because he’s overseeing a massive construction project. So I’m doing all the taking off.
Rehak: Where do you work?
Vera: I work for an insurance company. We handle benefits for school systems that we sell insurance to.
Cogdill: I was the construction manager on our rebuild. We were completely done with the remodel from the first flood.
Rehak: How long did it take you?
Finishing First Repairs Then Flooding Again
Cogdill: We finished two weeks before the September flood.
Rehak: How did that feel?
Cogdill: I sat down and I cried. It was exactly like the May flood. I was home alone and calling my husband every ten minutes, and then … then when it came in the back door, I just started bawling. And nobody could get home until right before dark. It started like eight o’clock in the morning.
Home Alone in Rising Waters
Rehak: What does it feel like when the water is coming up?
Cogdill: Everybody’s telling me on the phone, “Do this and do that. Put this up and get the dogs. Be sure you get your medicines. And I’m just looking around like, wow, OK, the dogs are walking through puddles … in the house. We lost our car in the first flood. It was in the driveway.
Postponing Rebuild and Wondering
Rehak: Nancy, after the May flood, you were a little skeptical about what Perry was going to do. So, you didn’t rebuild immediately.
Vera: We lived in a house with no walls, nothing all summer. We put up that Tyvek paper on all the walls. So that kinda helped. My house never got too hot. We were lucky; our air conditioning was brand new. It held up when everybody else was losing theirs.
Rehak: So, when the second flood came, you didn’t have demo to worry about?
Vera: Partially. We had more damage the second time. A lot more.
Rehak: That’s right. You said it went up another foot. When did you make the decision to renovate and why?
Vera: We waited until hurricane season was over. And we said we would try to get it done as soon as possible. I was my own project manager to save money. We’re still on the fence as to whether we should sell and walk out.
I Bought This To Be My LIFE
Rehak: Let’s talk about that. Do you think Perry will sort this out?
Vera: You want to have hope.
Cogdill: You hope that they’re human. You want to keep your home.
Vera: This is my home. It’s not an investment. I bought this to be my LIFE.
Cogdill: This is where I wanted to raise our kids. That’s the reason I live here.
Vera: I don’t want to give up hope because in my gut I don’t want to sell my house. But then do you trust that they can fix it after you flooded twice … and you see that they’re not actually out there doing ANYTHING to problem solve?
Cogdill: It’s fixin’ to be, you know, flood season and all that. Why have they not been doing anything?
Rehak: What would you like to see done out there now?
Cogdill: This is such a hard question because there have been so many things out there that people have said could happen, may happen. The most recent one is to make a 300-acre lake out of it if Harris County Flood Control takes over. But I have worries with that, too. Look at all the places that flood in Harris County.
Vera: Right now, we’re very gun shy about anything. We don’t have the correct answer either, because we’re not experts. All we know is that we don’t want to flood again.
Biggest Fear for Neighborhood
Rehak: Beyond flooding again, what’s your biggest fear for the neighborhood?
Cogdill: Renters won’t take care of property as much as homeowners. They’re not going to keep up their yards. They’re not going to care about landscaping.
Rehak: Beyond your block, how many homes in this area have flipped or are up for sale.
Vera: Close to a hundred.
Cogdill: I would say 40 percent.
Rehak: How many more homes do you think flooded the second time than the first?
Vera: About 200 flooded the first time. At least 400 the second.
Living in a State of High Alert
Rehak: What would make you happy at this point?
Cogdill: We just want things back to normal.
Rehak: What do you consider normal?
Cogdill: Not living with the fear. To have everybody’s homes that have been destroyed fixed, repaired, restored back to the original.
Vera: Not to worry every time there’s a storm coming. We were up all night last night, even though we were told we were not going to flood again. But everybody was still glued to the TV, because we’re always on high alert. We ARE going to flood again because nobody has solved this problem. What do I want? To NOT live with anxiety all the time. But it’s always there.
Cogdill: I want to get back to a place where everybody is not whining, complaining, or scared. I want everybody’s homes fixed and to say, “Hey, we’re having a block party this month.” I just want to live in a normal community that’s not consumed with fear.
Accountability and Oversight
Rehak: What role do you see Montgomery County Government playing in all of this?
Cogdill: Montgomery County should be liable. City of Houston should be liable. And once these people start being held liable over this stuff, maybe they’ll stop letting it slip through the cracks. You know, it’s just somebody somewhere along the way pushed a bunch of stuff under the rug. And all of them shut their eyes to it. They all should have been involved. But my understanding is that Montgomery County won’t come inspect it. They have a job. And they should do it.
Vera: My biggest concern is that I don’t know what we can do about it. And we get a lot of spring rain.
Running Out of Hope
Rehak: Have you considered raising your foundation?
Vera: It was going to be like close to a hundred thousand dollars to do it.
Rehak: Last question. What do you feel about the way Perry Homes has handled this?
Vera: I think they’re sick.
Such is life at ground zero in the flood zone.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/4/2020 with thanks to Nancy Vera and Edythe Cogdill for sharing their experience
890 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 139 since Imelda
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.