Upstream rains. Downstream pains. On what could be one of the best soccer days of the year, the soccer fields at River Grove Park are mostly underwater this morning. And more rain could be on the way this afternoon.

Conditions Near West Fork Tuesday Morning

At 10 a.m. on 5/16/23, the San Jacinto West Fork was out of its banks by about a foot and a half. The water surface elevation stood at 50’8″.

Here’s what that did to River Grove Park.

Last Month Compared to Normal

The last month has been wet!

Luckily, most of the rainfall has been spread out. At 59 and the West Fork, the highest daily total was 1.8″.

But it ain’t over yet. Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist, says daytime heating today could bring another round of thunderstorms with 2-3 inches in isolated areas.

How does that compare to normal for this time of year? The National Weather Service shows these average rainfall totals by month for the last 30 years for Houston Intercontinental Airport.

The average for April is 3.95″ and May is 5.01″ inches.

Many places in Harris County have received more than double the usual rainfall for this time of year.

The good news: The rainfall was spread out. So few, if any, homes flooded. Mostly, just low-lying areas near rivers and streams flooded, such as River Grove Park.

Parks represent the highest and best use for areas near rivers that frequently flood. When the water goes down, it’s “game on” again. No soggy carpet to replace. No drywall to repair. And they don’t reduce the storage capacity of the floodplain.

Many thanks to the Kingwood Service Association which owns and maintains all five parks and recreation areas in Kingwood.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/16/23

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