Jon Erdman,Chris Dolce
Houston has a long history of extreme rainfall events, including many in recent years, likely making it America's flooding capital.
If you're unlucky, you may have dealt with major flooding perhaps once or twice in your life. But Houstonians, even transplants who have only spent a few years in southeast Texas, likely have experienced flooding multiple times — sometimes in the same year.
Here's a rundown of some of the more notable flood events Houston has faced in just the last 5 to 6 years.
-September 2020: Tropical Storm Beta triggered widespread moderate to major flooding in the southern Houston metro area, according to a National Hurricane Center report.
-September 2019: Tropical Storm Imelda was no stronger than a 45-mph tropical storm as it made landfall along the upper Texas coast. But it slowed its forward speed to less than 5 mph the following day and meandered over east Texas. That slow movement produced over 30 inches of rain in several counties across southeast Texas, including from near Houston to the Beaumont area.
-August 2017: Hurricane Harvey is of course the most extreme flood in Houston's history. Nederland, Texas, measured 60.58 inches of rain from Harvey – the heaviest rainfall total from any tropical cyclone in the U.S. on record – which resulted in massive flooding and 68 deaths in Texas alone.
Areal coverage of Hurricane Harvey's rainfall in eastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana from Aug. 23-30, 2017.-April 2016: Up to 17 inches of rain fell during the April 18, 2016 "Tax Day" Houston flood, inundating freeways, vehicles, homes and buildings. More than 1,800 water rescues were performed, and the resulting damage cost $2.7 billion, according to NOAA.
As this century began, Tropical Storm Allison in June 2001 became one of the most disastrous floods to strike the Houston area. By the time the rains ended, parts of the Houston metro had picked up more than 35 inches of rainfall over a five-day period.
Twenty-three lives in Texas were lost due to the flooding from Allison.
U.S. Highway 59 in Houston, Texas, remained flooded on June 10, 2001, due to rain from Tropical Storm Allison.Four to Five Times A Year
According to NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, there were 96 days with at least one report of flooding or flash flooding in Harris County from 1996 through 2015. This equates to an average of four to five days of flooding each year over that time period.
Of course, not all of these flood events are as severe as Harvey in 2017, the Tax Day flood of April 2016 or Allison in 2001. The fact that flooding happens with such regularity most years in an area just slightly larger than the state of Rhode Island is quite impressive.
These events have happened every time of the year, even in late fall and winter.
Apart from the prodigious rainfall from tropical cyclones and their remnants, thunderstorms and thunderstorm clusters tend to slow and stall near the Gulf Coast, especially from late spring through early fall.
There's also Houston's geography and method of flood control.
"We now force rainwater into streets, and then into bayous, which flush out to Galveston Bay and the Gulf (of Mexico)," said Matt Lanza, an operational meteorologist in energy based in Houston.
Lanza says the streets, therefore, are part of the flood control system. "It's a good idea in theory because you'd rather flood roads and cars than houses. But I'm not sure any method of flood protection can prevent what unfolded over us in April 2016."
Then, there's Houston's notorious urban sprawl.
"The population has exploded here in the last 10 years, much of it settling north and west of the city," said Lanza.
"What was once farm or wetlands is now pavement and suburbia. Thus, there is less barren land to suck up the rain now, and that further exacerbates flooding."
Houston also sits only about 43 feet above sea level, so the flat system of bayous drains very slowly.
Other Notable Houston Floods
Flood waters swamp Houston, Texas in December 1935.Here are a few more notable Houston metro floods of the past, not including the ones already mentioned above:
- Aug. 8, 2017: 4-7 inches of rain fell in a matter of hours on the west side of Houston. Two dozen water rescues were performed, according to The Associated Press.
- Memorial Day 2015: Most freeways flooded, some homes flooded; worst since Allison (2001).
- April 28, 2009: Over 2100 homes flooded, freeways impassable.
- June 19, 2006: Up to 11 inches of rain in southern and eastern Harris County flooded 3000 homes.
- Late Summer/Fall 1998: Three separate flood events flooded at least 2,700 homes. The first event on Sept. 11 was from Tropical Storm Frances.
- Oct. 17-21, 1994: Over 22,000 homes flooded; Record lake levels at Lakes Conroe, Livingston and Houston; At least $900 million damage (1994 dollars) and 17 killed.
- Late June/Early July 1989: Just over a month after a separate flood event swamped 1,400 homes, Tropical Storm Allison - the 1989 version - flooded another 1,100 homes. This was the second highest crest at Greens Bayou in northeast Houston other than 2001's Allison.
- Sept. 19-20, 1983: Just one month after Hurricane Alicia, 1,000 homes along Brays Bayou flooded from a 9-inch deluge south of downtown Houston.
- July 24-26, 1979: Tropical Storm Claudette wrings out U.S. record 24-hour rainfall of 43 inches near Alvin. 15,000 homes and 17,000 vehicles were damaged.
- Dec. 8, 1935: Flooding to second and third floors of downtown buildings; Houston central water plant inoperable for weeks; prompted the creation of Harris County Flood Control District.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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