May, 2015 has been a very wet month for Texas. The rain has been a welcome sight in a state that, until recently, was suffering a severe drought. But it's been a mixed blessing. The floods over Memorial Day weekend claimed over a dozen lives and destroyed countless homes and businesses.
Texas desperately needed rain. So how did it go so wrong? There's the scientific explanation: the ground was already saturated from the past month's worth of rain, and the high volume of rain over the weekend couldn't soak in, so it ran off. But there's a social component to this issue too. Over the many years of drought, Texans have become complacent and willing to build in flood plains, since it rains so rarely. This has put many people in danger of losing their businesses, homes, or even lives when the “big one” does come.
Read this article to learn more.
For a state that was mired in severe drought only a year ago, it poured. The city of Austin has seen five to six inches of rain since Friday, and areas to the southwest, like the city of Blanco, have seen as many as 10 inches since Friday.
In fact, this month has been the third-wettest for the Austin metro area since record-keeping began in 1891, and the wettest since 1921.
Houston also saw intense rainfall, with 11 inches falling overnight in some areas on Monday. This month is the eighth-wettest May since 1930, according to weather records from Houston Hobby Airport.
Part of being prepared is knowing what natural disasters are likely in your area, and choosing to avoid the most risky areas if you can. Do you know if your home is in a flood plain? How have you prepared in case your area is flooded? Let us know in the comments.
Want to know more? Check out these related articles:
- It Never Rains, But It Pours… | Flood Survival
- Flood Survival Tips | How to Survive Natural Disasters
- The 11 Weirdest Disasters in Human History
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on May 28, 2015, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
And we build nuclear plants on fault lines.
Has anyone given geoengering a two second thought? They are dead set at distroying America and where better to start then Texas?
Mr. Southwell, perhaps you should learn how to spell the words you use in your posts. Then work on coherent sentence structure. Your post is a disgrace to the educators of America.
Life is hard, harder still when you’re thought to be ignorant!
SEMPER FIDELIS
Where is your subject of your sentence in “Then work on coherent sentence structure.” ? Do you see how it feels? We are not here to spar with each other. We are here to unite and stand together for the liberties God granted to this great nation. Name calling among ourselves does not help our issues.
P.S. The machines to create weather anomalies do exist. We are not the only nation that has this ability. Did I do a lot of thinking about HARP this week in Houston? Yes!
Patriot Lady, you are way off base here. Your post would have a better impact had you researched and read a little more on your SUBJECT! And, I sure as hell hope you did much thinking about HARP, that’s the High Altitude Reentry Program, which was started in 1961 to explore the possibility of launching satellites via ballistics devices.
As for weather being controlled by machines, dream on! Oh my bust, you were dreaming of HAARP or as it’s known in the science fields as the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program. Having toured the facility, which once or more times a year is open to tours for civilians, I have seen first hand this evil machine is incapable of the conspiracy theories that abound. Stop drinking the Kool-Aid and feed your brain with more than Hot-Pockets and Red Bull.
And like I stated before:
Life is hard, harder still when you’re thought to be ignorant!
SEMPER FIDELIS
My….. coming from an Old Fart Marine I am disappointed in your lack of understanding of Geoengineering. you are quick to point out my lack of spelling as well as my sentence structure so I will thank you for correcting me. You see I am on one side of the fence trying to wake up people just like you, While you are on the other side pointing out my defects. You say I am a disgrace to the educators of America? Well the fact is the educators in America are truly the disgrace!
Arguing with ignorance is akin to wrestling with pigs, far too much squealing, you work up a sweat with zero results, and in the end the pig just lays there and enjoys it.
Did you read my other posts?
As for my understanding of Geoengineering, here is a definition that is universal:
Climate engineering, also referred to as geoengineering, is the deliberate and large-scale intervention in the Earth’s climatic system.[1][2][3] See planetary engineering. Climate engineering with the aim of reducing global warming has two categories of technologies- carbon dioxide removal and solar radiation management.
Lastly, blaming others for your lack of english writing skills, harkens thoughts of government run indoctrination centers (public schools, project head start etc…) liberal projects to promote dependance on government, being the main theme.
Life is hard, harder still when you’re thought to be ignorant!
SEMPER FIDELIS
How is that 2nd grade public education working for you….. PLEASE learn how to spell….
Gee it is nice to know that the only thing you can point out is my lack of spelling and you are quite correct you see replying using my phone instead of a computer is a problem with auto correct, never the less tongue lashing taken into stride! Now let’s speak about your lack on knowledge on Geoengineering shall we?
Let examine what’s going on in Texas:
1. Texas People made it clear that they did not want Jade Helm 15 in their State.
2. This would prevent the Fed Gov from moving large numbers of troops into the State.
3. The Fed Gov resolved this problem by using their weather war machine (HARP) flooding the State.
4. The Texas Gov has now declared 47 Counties as disaster areas/zones.
5. Now the Fed Gov (Fema and U.S. Military Troops) now has and invite to come into Texas. They can now bring in more troops than Jade Help would have brought in!
6. Problem solved…God help the People of Texas…The Devil/Evil is in the Fed details!
We STILL don’t want the feds in our state. We’ll handle it.
Amen to that, Karen R!!!!
I wholeheartedly agree with you on keeping the feds out……may have a hard time unless the gov. will stand his ground…..
i’m from upstate ny….i’m praying for you all down there
I agree wholeheartedly, Karen. It was sad to see so-called “conservatives” on the FOX’s The Five almost mocking us Texans when Abbott said he was going to have OUR National Guard keeping their eyes on the Feds. The Five’s crew really screwed that one up.
I also agree.Our government under O cannot be trusted.So Texans,keep your eyes open and be ready If anything starts going sideways.
And you guys are, and doing an awesome job of it! You have a very well-training emergency management infrastructure at the local, county and state level.
I know, I helped train them.
Indeed and I got your back and I am in Texas.
LIVED IN SAN ANTONIO 44 YRS BUT JUST RELOCATED 2 WEEKS AGO FROM THAT LIBERAL MEXICAN CITY. I DON’T TRUST THOSE LIBERAL CITY OFFICIALS ESPECIALLY THE CASTROS’, VAN DE PUTTE, NELSON WOLFE, ETC.
Let’s hope so Karen.
You gotta be outta your mind. Theres a Fed behind every bush but not here in Texas. It is simply the weather pattern that has been developing for some time.
It’s clear Billy Boy that you don’t understand technology (HARP) and clearly don’t understand the motives of BO and his Commie/Muslim/NWO Cronies! I also don’t believe you are from Texas! I know a lot of People in Texas and they are more than worried about Jade Helm and what is going on! Also, when people post comments and DO NO research it waste all our time! Go do some real research then comment, or don’t do any research and drink some more of BO Kool-aid. God, they get dumber (IQ’s dropping like flies) everyday!
Yep. The military trains like it fights, so why in the hell are they doing it in Texas cities?
They’ve been training in many US cities…just on a smaller scale than Jade Helm. Be wary people! The JH exercise includes military wearing civilian clothing, driving civilian vehicles and working to infiltrate and blend into the general population. Keep a wary eye out. They’re working to become invisible in our civilian society. Wouldn’t be bad if they were doing this in a city that looked like Benghazi…but they’re looking to fight in the USA. A billion rounds of hollow point are the proof.
I AM WARY AND WATCHING VERY CLOSE. I wish all people would open their eyes to Obama’s socialistic, dictator, HITLERESQUE, agenda he has for the U.S. N.A.T.O is also demanding for the U.S. to comply just like other countries and be weapon/gun free nation! Whether, Libertarian, Liberal, Conservative, Democrat, Independent etc….Please don’t be so damn trusting of the government. It has become a giant and are making laws as they see fit because we “THE PEOPLE” are too stupid to know what’s good for us!
Well, I am from Texas (with 2 degrees) and I think that you need to take that tin foiled hat off of your head and go back and do some REAL research… go and look at my other post…
your degrees don’t mean shit! It doesn’t make you better nor smarter that the rest of us.
I beg to differ…. how about graduating college with a 3.96 GPA with a Masters in Business Administration with a Minor in Economics…. or the fact that I have a 154 I.Q. and that I am a member of Mensa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqohMC4zhY4 man u really give the gov’mt more credit than it deserves .U actually believe that conspiracy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Frequency_Active_Auroral_Research_Program BVet your a Alex Jones fan too
.
When I was in college at Colorado State University there was a host speaker that came and talked about the weather machine testing that was already underway in Alaska at that time – that was in 1995! Technology has come a long way since then and what government wouldn’t want the ability to control weather (control others through food supply, liveability, warefare, etc, etc). Wake up and realize that your gov wants the ability to quickly break the will of it’s citizens when needed.
then why is it not used to control say the Russian invading Ukraine or China building air strips on floating Islands that are to be in international waters that they claim. they could destroy those airstrips with out any perceivable actions and put a stop to it. Or am I to believe it’s only to control US
Please inform yourself ; just research it ; j.e. is control ; military can exercise in military reservations only ; not in urban areas . Just think of the logistics involved for this exercise . feds are all over here.
Why exercise in urban areas .???? Beside , military have already done this in Iraq and Afghanistan , going into villages or door to door looking for criminals or designated targets . Next : why not go and exercise at the border ; 1500 miles total length and 700 in our state; that would be the best exercise ever , with any sorts of terrain and any type of criminals . Please research it .
Hopefully it washed away all the trash, on the border, and the muslim training camps right inside the border, and the ones in the state.
PatriotOne, while I wholeheartedly agree with you that NO PATRIOT wants this Jade Helm business in their state, we DO NOT have a a weather war machine, period. This is a total fabrication.
Would you like proof? Let’s start with this, California and it’s agriculture is slowly dying due to a very severe drought. There are lakes that nearly gone and some river down to a bare trickle. Yet, California remains one of the bluest of states, a consistent supporter of Democrat causes and candidates., As such, it would be in the best interest of the Administration to support and assist their Fellow Travelers.
If we can “make it rain” in Texas, we could certainly make it rain in California; yet we don’t Why, because we can’t, period.
Now before you counter with “this action would give away the secret”, does not using it in Texas or anywhere give away the secret?
One last point. ALL DISASTERS ARE LOCAL. Ask any Emergency Manager. This means that the bulk of those that respond to emergencies are local as well. Granted, FEMA does send some people that work mostly in and for the JFO (Joint Field Office) but for the most part these are clerical workers, there to process disaster assistance funding. That’s what FEMA does, they teach classes and write checks PERIOD. The uniformed personnel you will see responding to a disaster are the National Guard of the affected state, under Title 32 of the US Code and under the command of the State Governor, and not Active Duty military.
Sir, that’s the reality here. Texas has a very robust emergency management infrastructure with well-trained EMs and responders at every level. In addition they have a robust and well-trained National Guard. To this add the Texas State Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary and Civil Air Patrol, all unpaid, volunteer adjuncts to the local and state emergency services system. There is NO INVASION by hoards by FEMA or US troops (or UN troops for that matter, as we have NO UN troops in our country!)
Bullshit you’ll wrong on both counts fool.
PLEASE do a little research…. Coastie407 is correct on ALL accounts…
Interesting…I made four discrete points, yet I’m “wrong on both counts.”
Guess mathematics is not your strong suit, Boone.
unless you have classified documents on hand disproving the weather machine and Jade Helm “training”, it means shit to me and others. It’s still he said, she said argument………..not proof!
Trust me, the people of Texas are more than ready for anything the feds can throw at us short of a direct nuclear strike.
anything possible …………
I thought that the Posse Comitatus (sp) Act made it illegal to use federal troops for civilian matters. Of course, violating our laws hasn’t deterred de turd from doing what he damn well pleases in the past.
Good points. I will say that for the most part Texas can do anything for itself that the federal guvmint claims to be able to do for Texas exclusively. The main reason(s) Texas doesn’t do more for itself already is because of federal vs state legal issues. We would rather live as independent of the federal guvmint as much as possible however as long as Texas remains part of the union this will never be totally possible.
I am terrified. I just wish there were more Texans with their eyes and ears open and alert!
an interesting video about the hill country
area …. search for “flood ally”. We live in this area and know it happens. Some just dont pay too much attention. Camping and swimming down there, you look around and never think something like that would happen.
This flooding in Texas was unprecedented because of the combination of the torrential rain and already wet soil. People aren’t just building in flood plains. The house that washed away with the family of 12 people in Wimberley had been there 30 years. People aren’t being careless or stupid.
The house that was washed away was on the banks of the river, duh. That is the definition of a flood plain. I also have a river view in WA state, but I am 800 feet up on the side of a mountain, the river can never get to me. I have ZERO sympathy for people who live near rivers, oceans, etc. as they will get flooded sooner or later, and then the taxpayers (who were smart enough to NOT build in a flood plain) get to bail them out. Enough already.
Ever been to Texas, most of it is flat. Unlike WA state that has a lot of hills. Most of the people that live near a river, or on it, raise cattle. End of story!
You’re right. Being mostly flat and featureless, people want to build and live near the only natural scenery available – the rivers. Living on flat land doesn’t put you at risk for flooding, but living near a river does. And that is everyone’s choice; most people aren’t educated or far-sighted enough to recognize or care about the risk.
Your right, my brother lived in Huston for a short time, I paid him a visit, and loved it. It’s a great place, but you will get your butt run over in a hurry. When U make a turn, make it fast! HA! But, I didn’t read all the comments, this BigB65 did live in Texas.
Choices have consequences! Choose to live in a flood plain…get wet eventually. So many poor choices that we the people have to bail out those bad choice makers these days.
Yup, lived in Comal county for 15 years. It is called the Hill Country for a reason. You are correct, no mountains, but tens of thousands of hills which do not flood. Duh. I lived high on a hill, many flooded around me, while I stayed high and dry.
Texas has lots of hills and mountain ranges. Ever heard of the ‘Hill Country’?? It aint small. Davis Mountains? Do your research…ever been to Texas??
Mike B, lots of us have lived or live in Texas. I know I can drive 12 hours across the state without seeing a hill of any kind (other than small river valleys). And no, while things are bigger in Texas, there is not a single mountain.
I’ve lived in Texas all my life, and although a LOT of it is pretty flat, especially in west Texas in and around the San Angelo area, there are a LOT of hills and valleys. Have you ever visited the quaint little city of Kerrville and the surrounding towns? Some of the scenery there is beautiful, and even more so in the Fall. Fredericksburg is also a delightful little town. Austin is also very “hilly.” Try going down Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. sometime… it’s like being on a roller coaster.
And it is going to rain………sometime….
Texas
is the greatest place in the world to live. Houston used to be called the “Bayou
City” because of the many bayous we have. They provide natural drainage;
although we have had to make engineering changes to the natural flow in order
to accommodate the increase in population.
Your attitude and comment uses the same arguments as Obummer crazies use
to argue for government control of insurance.
Texas past a “Windstorm” insurance law that requires anybody who lives
in “government chosen” areas are required to purchase windstorm insurance. You cannot sell your house if your roof is
over 5 years old – no matter what condition it is in. I watched my house as it was being built and
inspected for the required hurricane bracing.
At that time it was not required for home builders to deliver a
certificate of hurricane bracing – it was up to each individual county or city
inspectors to verify the house was up to code. If not, I wouldn’t have been
able to close on this house. Now 23
years later I cannot sell this house until I put a new roof on it. This roof has withstood 3 tropical storms and
Hurricane Ike. It has been inspected yearly
for defects and has always passed. I
live between Clear Lake, Galveston Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico. I can have my boat in the water and go
sailing any time I want. I can go
fishing and enjoy the view across the lake or bay while eating at many fine
dining establishments at the Kemah Boardwalk. I pay for insurance too. If you
don’t want to “pay for my insurance claim” then cancel your insurance. Last I heard I still have the right to
purchase property and build my homestead where I want; although people with
your attitude will eventually erode that right. BTW, Oklahoma is a dryer state
and yet they live in Tornado Alley. I
guess we need to move them all to safety? It must be nice for you to live in an
area where there is no inclement weather; however, at least 98% of every day I
enjoy the pride and love for my home and the great State of Texas without inclement
weather or the government taking away my rights to homestead. We’ll survive the stormy weather just as our
forefathers have. Even though He gives
us our trials, God has blessed Texas. He made this the place where the angels
come to dance. Or in this case, to perform water ballet.
Do not get me wrong, I love the Great Nation of Texas, and having lived there for 15 years and adopting two infants in Houston, I consider myself and my children Texas citizens, now and forever. I also love the rivers in Texas, have canoed, tubed and bungie jumped on and over the Guadalupe river many times. I just did not choose to live next to the river because God blessed me with a high intelligence level along with good looks. A year before Hurricane Katrina, I saw a special on New Orleans and they showed how the city is BELOW sea level next to the SEA. A gigantic wall is what protected them. Duh. I said the same thing then: When, not if, these morons get flooded, they should be on their own.
A house in place 30 years hasn’t been tested even in a 50 year flood…much less a 100, 500 or 1,000 year event.
And it was built on top of 12ft concrete pillars…..
Although we DO welcome rain because of recent droughts, and our lakes have been receding over the years, and are now filling back up… gradually… it would sure be nice to have a few days of SUNSHINE so our yard will get to be dried up on the topsoil to at least mow it. This is a constant frustration to me and my family. We get a day or two of sunshine and we don’t have puddles in our yard… ALMOST time to mow, and then it rains again. Grrrrrrrrrr!! This sounds selfish, I know. There are people who have been flooded out, both homes AND businesses, and the cleanup continues. We should count our blessings that our home didn’t go underwater. My son has been traveling from Austin to San Marcos daily to help with the cleanup of his workplace, and then last night we got slammed AGAIN with another storm. As they say, “when it rains, it pours.”
Us too. We live on a “hill” that is at an elevation even higher than our state Capitol building.
Exactly. And the other issue is the rednecks that drive through low water crossings, happens every year during any flooding. That will probably never change.
It is not the rednecks…not a single one of them died in this flooding….. we know better…. it is stupid city people that don’t know how to survive when faced with a disaster like this…. they have no plan….
Why Rednecks .?????? Who told you so .??? Did you personally asked a Redneck .??????? At my location there is an Intersection that becomes flooded anytime it rains ; I see everyone crossing that flooded area at high speed , why .? I guess they want to wash the undercarriage of their vehicles ; many pay the consequences; engines getting flooded and stalling ; fire department comes in and brings them to safety . They are young , old , female , any race ; but no red neck written on any of them.
He’s just ignorant and seeking attention, Rednecks, ha, it’d be funny if not for the disaster associated w/it.
Thank you for such a fair post indeed.
Thank you my friend . I have been in Texas since 91 ( came back from serving 3 tours in Korea ) and retired here in 95. Texas is my home , my Land . At 73 and being cut up to pieces , I stand Tall and I am a Free man in the Free State of Texas and I Intend to keep it that way .
May God and Jesus keep you and your family safe .
ASKED a Redneck? I drove past a 4″ inch puddle, completely shut my 1999 S-10 down for several hours, Am I a Redneck? Mexican. Thought it would wash my undercarriage. Started right up after work, 10 hrs. later.
Sounds like that comment is coming from one of the leftist-collectivists that invaded the state (especially Austin) from Californicatia. Texas would be better off if those vermin got washed down the storm drains.
Austin is a disaster : LGBT , flesh meat market , illegals , brainwashed liberal leftists , chief of police and Mayor included.
So is San Antonio. I have lived in San Antonio my whole life (44 yrs). I got tired of all the Illegals that settled there. Besides being the majority democrats, all I hear in every store, restaurant, schools, etc..is just Spanish! I was born and raised in Texas. I love Texas and could never leave.
I’m a life long resident of north Texas. My house has been flooding since this rain began. Despite the damage being done I have no desire to invite martial law. I’m afraid of what that would bring…I’ll help myself, thanks, government.
my prayers to you as well…..and for all of Texas
Enough of the Crack-pot Global Warming Conspiracy Theories…..have seen 19 inches of rain fall in Texas in a single day, have seen flooding in Missouri that took over a year to recede, and farm animals 12 feet off the ground, dead in trees in Illinois. When are these kooks going to blame the Native American Indians doing their Rain Dances or the Tooth Fairy, or Bush, for that matter, causing what occurs naturally. It is going to rain, FACE IT ! So don’t buy a million dollar home hung on the edge of a cliff in Malibu or one in Houston, Texas that is built on the lowest point in the neighborhood next to a bayou. YOUR WELCOME !
Maybe it was Lady Liberty trying to wash out all of the illegals…
One factor not mentioned is that normal rivers and creeks in the past can become overloaded with new water because upstream developers have paved over a lot of the soil and there is now minimal absorption into the ground. That results in more water draining into the same small channels in a short period of time and a flood on each side of what once was a small creek bed. Houses that have been there thirty years can be affected by development last year. Plano is a good example.
And yet, Lake Buchannan and Lake Travis, which are northwest of Austin, haven’t even reach 50% capacity yet…..
The “Hill Country” ranging from San Antonio to San Marcos to Wimberley to Austin and northwest from there is know for its steep hills and ravines. On the way from San Marcos to Wimberley, you will come across a stretch of road that travels on top of what is known as the “Devil’s Backbone” where from the top of the hill to the bottom of the ravine can be well over 2 miles long at a very steep grade with all of the water running down hill into the ravine and then flowing towards a river….. this area is normally a semi-arid part of the state…..
Houston is another matter….. Too much CONCRETE and ASPHALT and too little grass and ground to absorb the rainfall… the normally dry streets and interstates become rivers….. THINK about it… 1″ of rainfall in a rain gage = 1″ of rainfall on the ground…. cover 2/3rds of the ground with concrete or asphalt or a building and you increase the rainfall on the remaining 1/3rd of the ground by 200% …… so 5″ in Houston = 15″ in rural areas……
.
Oh, and I live out in the country about half way between Houston and San Marcos and saw 17″ in 1 day and we did NOT wash away, not by a long shot…..
Residents of the southwestern U.S. should have enough situational awareness to recognize that an exceptional El Nino can generate unusual rains and floods.
Why was the flooding so bad? Let’s see if I can make this simple enough that you can understand. IT RAINED A LOT.
Liberals want to hear…..Global Warming, Bush did it, It was caused by FOX NEWS (just like FOX causes poverty)……did I miss any?
Just like two gangs of kids on the play ground. But now the gang with the R mark are working for the D’s.
At the risk of ticking off some naysayers, geo-engineering has a lot to do with the amount of rain we are having. Those grids laid out by aircraft do have an impact. People, you need to do some research and use your intelligence and common sense to see what scientists are doing to our Planet, all the while yelling we need to be more environmentally correct. I am not talking chemtrails, a whole other subject. The scientists treat us like mushrooms; they keep us in the dark and feed us bullsh/t.
God created this planet but he is a good and gracious God, He will give man enough rope to hang ourselves.
We don’t live on a flood plain. However, there is a small stream behind our home. It’s dry about 8 months out of the year and generally no more than 2 inches deep in the other 4. But one year we had what the meteorologists called a 100 year storm that dumped so much rain in such a short span of time that that little stream rose to 5 feet. It floated a downed tree trunk and carried it to a spot directly behind our yard where it became wedged sideways and created a dam. Water quickly pooled behind it and threatened to flood our yard and then our basement. All we could do was to pray and pack sandbags at the basement walkout. Our prayers were answered when that tree trunk was floated again and carried downstream away from our home. But that storm could have been a disaster for our family. Now if I ever buy another house I will make certain that there are no water sources, dry stream or creek beds, etc. near the house. I’ll also look for a house on a hill high enough to keep us dry.
Basically, the flooding is owing mostly to the ancient geology of that region–there is little topsoil over the hard caliche substratrum which allows floodwaters to rampage all over the areas with the heavier than usual rainfall. Additionally, Wimberley & its environs are in the hear of the Texas Hill Country, which exacerbates the effects of the floodwaters.
James many of the homes in Wimberley have been there for years