Flood in Houston: How We Spent Monday

As I said in a post I wrote for Gems in the Attic yesterday, I certainly prefer a nice April shower than a “world is coming to an end” rain like we had in Houston yesterday!

Monday, April 18, was an unhappy experience that began at 1am for us when the power went off.

Through the long night, we listened to rain and hail pound the roof–and wind so loud that I wondered if a tornado had passed overhead. I’ve heard that kind of sound before when I was a kid, and it’s so distinctive that you never forget it. I did see some trees snapped off in the boulevard about a mile away so who knows?

Yesterday, we went out in our pickup just to drive and try to charge the cell phones. Crossed over Cypress Creek about 1.5 miles from home. Water just beneath the bottom of the bridge there. Up ahead barricades were in place going west on Cypresswood. We kept going straight, through the intersection and saw on the right a shopping center (designed in a low place with the stores built up so you climb about 3 feet of steps to reach store level) had water up to the stores.

On the left, a large vacant field looked like an ocean as far as you could see. People were kayaking there. We drove on in hopes of grabbing a Little Caesar’s Hot and Ready Pizza. Unfortunately, everyone else who could get out and drive had the same idea. So we decided to go to Whataburger which was inundated with hungry people trying to charge devices and get a hot meal.

We passed the post office where throngs of really unhappy people were circling the post office in an effort to mail their tax returns.

We kept driving and turned on Champion Forest Drive and headed south, thinking we’d just make a big square from where we started, go to Jason’s Deli, and then back home. We were dismayed to see water in parts of the northbound side of the street.

We got as far as the Kroger’s where Cypresswood crosses Champion Forest, which backs up to where we live. Across the intersection, Champion Forest Drive was under water.

So we turned left. That end of Cypresswood was also under water. We drove through the Kroger’s parking lot as far as we could go, and came out on the end where the flood water was just starting to fill the northbound lane.

At this point, our cells had enough charge that we just came home because every bridge we had crossed had water level with the roadway. We spent the afternoon visiting with all the neighbors who were exchanging stories of what they’d seen while out and about. We were all stunned at the flooding.

We’ve lived in Houston more than 30 years. We’ve been through hurricanes, tropical storms, and spring thunderstorms. We’ve never seen anything like this.

Takeaway Truth

Since 2013, there’s been a Houston flood every year. One can only conclude that the weather patterns have changed for the worse.