Houston underwater

Ironic that Houston is under water and so was Whitney Houston

...I heard on the news, that theres also unwanted creatures following the water way into the city...

-like aligators and snakes...

...Been there a couple of times. Hope it gets sorted out pretty soon, good vibes to your niece and all people there.

At this writing Houston officials report about 30,000 displaced persons and 8 known flooding deaths. The area has received about 50 inches of rain in 3 days and rain is expected to continue through Wednesday when the storm returns to Houston (it did a U turn and is lingering just off shore) with another 14 to 50 inches possible. As a result of the rain several dams have been forced to relieve pressure by opening their spillways. That water is adding to the flooding downstream, but is considered preferable to having a dam actually collapse. Numerous homes have gone completely under water. Other homes on small hills and knolls are surrounded by water which is slowly rising.

An interesting and worrisome for officials problem developed. Residents were asked to shelter in place and stay off the roads. The expectation was the storm would pass and break up, instead it stalled and came back. Now that the flooding has become severe and many roads are already deep underwater, because the waters are rising in many neighborhoods, mandatory evacuations have been ordered. With no roads, how?

Residents are being advised to hang a towel or sheets out a window if they wish to be evacuated. The number of small boats owned by local governments is woefully inadequate for the numbers of folks wishing evacuation as the waters rise. Accordingly, those owning small boats, rafts, kayaks, etc. have been asked to assist (shades of Dunkirk) and pick up residents at any home displaying a sheet or towel and bring them to shelters. At least 8,000 were boat lifted out of their homes by Houston Police today. This number does not include evacuations by privately owned boats, or evacuations in suburbs or Galveston (which is also being hard hit by floods). Attempting to wade is being discouraged as both alligators and water moccasins (a poisonous water snake native to the Southern US) have been observed swimming the flooded streets.

The entire National Guard of Texas has been mobilized for disaster response and rescue and aid and supply convoys from around the US have begun to arrive. Anheuser Busch Breweries has temporarily halted the production of Budweiser ibeer n order to produce instead cans and bottles of drinking water for the effected areas.

My daughter brought me bittersweet news,neighbors in their boat rescued my sister and husband -water was
aabout chest level.their only 'son and his evacuated but could also Lose a home too.brasso river? Texas

* @wife they have experienced flooding there before.very close call.Thanks Be.

For many individuals evacuated (tens f thousands as of this writing) due to flooding during Harvey the decision to evacuate their home carried grim economic consequences. In the US about the only way of getting flood insurance is to live in what is called a flood prone area. These areas are designated on maps made by NOAA and the FPA back in the 1960s. Reality is urban sprawl incorporating paving, roofs which changed the reflectivity and block rain from soaking the ground, storm sewers, etc. have rendered many of the maps both obsolete and wrong. Irregardless, banks issuing mortgages to homeowners check the maps and if the house is in what is called a flood plain (prone to flooding) area, the bank will require the owner to purchase an insurance policy against flood damage. These insurance policies, although offered by several vendors, are basically underwritten by the government. Although many folks not living on designated flood plains recognize their home is inside a non-designated probable flood plain, purchasing flood insurance is not offered them because the area has not been so designated on a map created in the 1960s. Almost all homeowner's insurance policies contain an exclusion prohibiting any coverage for earthquake damage, flood damage, and acts of God.

The concept is that if you need earthquake or flood insurance, then you should get one of those policies. That the law may prohibit you from being eligible for that is irrelevant to the insurance companies issuing homeowner policies. The second concept is that when you owe a bank mortgage money and your house is damaged, the insurance company will provide the money to either fix the property or pay the bank the balance of the mortgage if your home is destroyed.

The various news media have been interviewing folks evacuated to shelters as the flooding continues today. Many have been asked why they didn't evacuate earlier. Only a small portion blame the Houston Mayor's statement made last week about since the storm would pass them, there was no need to order an evacuaton. Rather instead many indicate they knew they should evacuate, but economics prevented it. The Houson economy is problematic, with some folks barely hanging on and others doing very well. Some lacked the money to buy enough gasoline to leave an area affected by the storm or pay for rooms in motels in other cities. Others stated they were gambling their area would not flood as it had never flooded before. This storm is being classified as a 1,000 year storm. The hurricane passed nearbye, then stopped, then did a U turn and made a second pass before returning to the water, then today came back ashore and made a just East of the city of Houston dropping another 8 inches of water as it passed before heading upstream to deliver more water.

Many homeowners postponed an evacutation decision until there truly was no other option. An insurance industry spokesman today announced that about 85% of the cities homes do not have Flood insurance. Some homes went completely under water. Some only have a few inches of water on the first floor. Most evacuated homes lay somewhere in between the two extremes.

Regardless of the destruction of your home by a flood, under US Civil law you are still liable to tbe bank for the mortgage. Most possesions inside the home do not react well to water immersion. It may be several weeks before the homeowners are permitted to, or capable of, return to areas currently under water. Most literally now own no possesions other than those they wear or were permitted to bring with them in the crowded shelters.

over 50" of rain. that's the same amount of rain that falls over

Tampa Bay, FL in one year. according to local news

Always look under the cars before approaching them.

as I saw on TV 1 out of 5 homeowners have flood insurance.

these ppl are completely alone.