Storms boost heavy flooding fear
Rainfall, releases from dam again threaten damage as rivers reach dangerous stage
LIBERTY — Communities trying to recover from Hurricane Harvey were bracing for another round of potential flooding from a heavy storm system that early Thursday moved over Southeast Texas
In this town northeast of Houston, Warren Croft made sure his vehicle was gassed and tuned. He used to the flooding and knows how to prepared. He modified his jeep to drive through water. He uses it to get himself and his neighbors to the grocery store when the streets are flooded. But the constant flooding has taken its toll.
“I’m moving — I’m out,” he said, saying that he plans to move soon. “When you’re not fighting Mother Nature you can achieve a lot more.”
As the Trinity River swelled and began to flood due to water releases at Lake Livingston Dam, a partly clear blue sky and 74 degrees other Liberty County residents indicated they were unruffled by a forecast for major flooding and flash floods.
Wednesday’s heavy rainfall across Texas had the Liberty County Emergency Management officials on edge as runoff from watersheds to the north began flowing into Lake Livingston. And the Trinity River Authority began releasing that extra water into the river, causing it to rise.
The San Jacinto River, for the second time since Harvey, rose
out of its banks in Kingwood on Thursday, inundating streets and parks and contributing to residents’ conviction that the sand-clogged river makes them more vulnerable.
Bob Rehak, a retired advertising executive active in efforts to protect Lake Houston-area communities from future flooding, spent much of the day driving around Kingwood neighborhoods and taking photographs. The water continued to rise throughout the day, Rehak said.
Rehak said he was grateful that city officials had reduced the level of Lake Houston this week in anticipation of heavy rains. “If they hadn’t done that, it would have been much worse,” Rehak said.
Flooding in communities around Lake Houston has attracted the attention of top state officials. Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush visited Kingwood this month, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick plans a visit April 3.
The Coastal Water Authority, which manages Lake Houston’s level for the city, reduced it from 42.5 to 40 feet by releasing water downstream from two gates at the spillway. By Thursday afternoon, with water rushing in from upstream, the level was above 42 feet and was expected to be back to its normal level of 42.5 feet by Friday or Saturday, said city public works department spokeswoman Alanna Reed.
“Future releases of water will only occur in the imminent threat of severe weather and to the 41-foot level,” Reed said. Lake Houston is a major source of drinking water for Houston area communities.
Trinity crests on Saturday
On the Trinity River, slight to moderate flooding was expected to begin by late Thursday, with its banks projected to overflow by the weekend, cresting at 29.9 feet on Saturday.
That is when weather officials say major lowland flooding could occur. But the river forecasts showed the river falling well below its peak during Hurricane Harvey. During the hurricane, the river topped just above 35 feet.
Water usually goes into homes when the river crests at about 30 feet, said Tom Branch, Liberty County Emergency Management Coordinator.
Branch said that nearly a dozen small subdivisions along the river could be subject to flooding, although most of the homes are elevated. But the level of flooding could depend on how much the Trinity River Authority of Texas will release from the dams.
Releases at Lake Livingston will contribute to rising water levels in the river, as well as high amounts of rainfall this week that dumped both above and below the reservoir, National Weather Service hydrologist Katie Landry-Guyton said.
Rainfall totaled to about 7 inches in Livingston, according to the weather service.
“We’re sort of at the mercy of the release of the Livingston dam,” Branch said. “If they don’t increase it, we’re fine.”
At 8 a.m., water at Lake Livingston was being discharged at 73,500 cubic feet per second, according to the river authority. As of 6 p.m. the discharges had not increased. But flooding in Liberty County, which is cut in half by the zigzagging Trinity, is not rare for this time of year.
“This is fairly common,” Branch said. “The only time it doesn’t flood is when we’re in a drought.”
Simply business as usual
So for most residents — it was business as usual. Many residents along the river live on water-front properties that stand on stilts above the county’s flood zone.
Residents chatted on their porches while children rode their bikes in neighborhood streets, despite the threat of flash floods.
But since Harvey, many residents took steps to protect themselves against future flooding events.
For Brian Randolph, 48, that meant moving out of his flooded home, where black mold has taken over, and moving to a section of his neighborhood where the homes sit higher.
“I said, ‘enough,’” the longtime city of Liberty residents said. “We had never seen water that high, and I don’t want it to happen again.”
But in spite of the clear skies, meteorologist are still urging residents to be prepare. Even though the homes may not flood, the roads will be impassable.
The river will remain above flood stage for at least a week, or until discharge rates at the dam decrease, Branch said.
“These anticipated levels are similar to what we saw in the May 2015 flood event, and it should be noted the levels are well below Hurricane Harvey levels by as much as 2 feet,” Branch said in an email.
More than 800 homes in Liberty County are dealing with major damage or were destroyed during Hurricane Harvey in August. More than 60 homes in Liberty had major damage.
While the severe weather has moved out of southeast Texas, some lowland flooding is projected to continue in much of the northern Houston area.
Photographer Godofredo Vasquez contributed to this report.