South Belt Leader (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 5, No. 25, Ed. 1 Wednesday, July 23, 1980 Page: 3 of 12

                                
Wsfcssday. My 23, im, SOUTH MLT LEADER. h* J
The flood: the community one year later
By Kathy Garrett
One year ago July 26, South Beit
residents experienced one of the most
devastating floods in American history
when tropical storm Claudette stalled
over the South Belt, Friendswood,
Pearland. Clear Lake and Alvin areas.
The storm dumped close to 30 inches
of rain in some areas within a 24-hour
period.
The waters receded and life returned
to some semblance of normality, but
some of the results of Claudette will
remain with the community.
Perhaps one of the most positive
things which has occurred in the area is
the flood control work which is currently
being conducted by the Harris County
Flood Control District.
IN ADDITION TO WORK being
done, city and county officials are more
closely scrutinizing building permit re-
quests to ascertain whether building
projects have adequately planned for
flood control. Several projects had been
red-flagged until drainage plans can be
reviewed and possibly altered.
The South Boh I eader, working with
Ray Barnhart of the Texas State High-
way Commission, effected the partial
damming of the Harris County Flood
Control Ditch (known as the H.L. and P.
ditch) at the 1-45 underpass.
The ditch has been blamed in part for
causing the flooding in a lawsuit filed
by several Wood Meadow residents.
A REGIONAL FLOOD TASK Force
was created by State Senator Gene
Jones and State Representative Bill
Caraway after area flooding drew na-
tional attention.
The 31-member group of elected offi-
cials, drainage experts and lay citizens
is investigating flooding problems and
possible solutions to these problems in
a five county region.
The flood control work which is cur-
rently being conducted by the Harris
County Flood Control District is one of
the most visible effects of the flood.
Local bayous and ditches which had
become over-grown and filled with litter
are receiving a long-overdue cleaning
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Last week, Harris County officials
awarded an engineering contract to
Espey Houston. Espey is required by
Harris County to submit final engineer-
ing plans for new flood control meas-
ures in this area to the flood control
district by Aug. 1.
The company began working on the
engineering plans months ago when
preliminary approval of the contract
was given.
PLANS FOR THE FUST PHASE of
flood control improvements include ex-
cavation from Clear Creek to Beamer of
the Beamer Road ditch to a bottom
width of 40 feet and a depth of 16 to 18
feet.
Turkey Creek and all of its laterals to
1-45 from Choate Road to Scarsdale will
be cleared and widened. Turkey Creek
itself will be made into a concrete-lined
channel with a bottom width of 80 feet.
Once engineering plans are submit-
ted, the county will advertise for con-
struction bids. Actual work on phase I is
expected to begin by Oct. 1, according
to Brent Miller of county Precinct 1.
The total cost for the first phase of
the project is estimated at $6 million.
In addition to the major phase I
project. Harris County Flood Control
District has been clearing and cleaning
the area ditches which will provide
unobstructed water flow should the
area again experience heavy rains.
REAL ESTATE VALUES in the area
were not affected permanently from the
flood, according to Barbara McCarver
of McCarver Realty.
“A majority of buyers understand
that this type of flood could have
happened anywhere. When you have a
25-30 inch rainfall in one day, it is a
flood. Nor does it mean that these
houses are necessarily prone to flood-
ing,** said McCarver.
McCarver said her staff encouraged
homeowners to repair flood damage to
their homes and once the shock and
restoration period in the area was over
to seek nothing less than full market
value for their home.
"We have a lot going for us. This is a
great area to live in. The news media
was unjust to the area in their coverage
of Scarsdale everytime a drop of rain
fell,” said McCarver. “We have a
favorable market now since interest
rates and points are low and houses in
the area are selling.”
HOW ABOUT THE HOMEOWNERS
themselves? Have they recovered from
the devasting rains which entered their
homes?
"Materially, yes, mentally, no,” an-
swers Wood Meadow flood victim Jen-
nifer Knight. "1 still am obsessed with
the fear that it will flood again, and 1
feel that generally people in our area
are no less fearful of another flood than
they were immediately after the last
flood.”
Knight expressed skepticism about
the county flood control project, deem-
ing too long term to avoid flooding
should the area have another storm in
the near future.
"Ray Barnhart has taken the only
really effective and positive action in
preventing flooding in our area” said
Knight, referring to the H.L. <5cP. ditch
damming.
SAGEMONT RESIDENT PATSY
Richmond was staining cabinets in her
as-yet-unfinished kitchen Monday
morning when it began to rain. Rich-
mond turned to her teenaged children
and said, “Paint faster.”
The Richmond family is still working
on restoring their home after having 24
inches of water in it in July and 18
inches in the September flood.
“We chose not to curtail our partici-
pation in activities in which we and our
children were involved. While we knew
that this would slow down work on the
house, we felt it was best to live as
normally as possible," Richmond said.
The family has done much of the
restoration work themselves but used
contractors whom they knew and trust-
ed for the remainder of the work. Work
often had to be delayed to fit the
contractor's schedule.
The last few months have been the
most difficult for the family. “It has
been fairly easy to keep a good attitude
until we got close to the year anniversa-
ry” said Richmond.
Although the family is concerned that
it will flood again, they have no plans to
move.
"We just enjoy our neighborhood
and like our neighbors so well, we just
aren't considering it,” Richmond said.
SHERRY PROFT ANOTHER Sage
mont flood victim, is "back to normal,
so to speak."
“When it rains real hard 1 get ner-
vous. I was glad for the rain today
(Monday), but at the same time it made
me edgy.” said Proft.
When asked if she thought the area
would flood again Proft said, "It’s a
possibility anytime since we live in the
Gulf Coast area.”
Proft said she does not think drainage
problems have been a 11 e viated.
"Dredging is not enough and I don't
see any major wort on new ditches or
creeks. 1 don't see any new building
codes to help assure proper drainage
and there is not an adequate evacuation
plan in case of a hurricane. I just don't
know that they will do anything in time
to prevent new flooding. Bureaucracy is
slow,” she said.
The Pro ft s bought their house in what
they felt was s high location. They
admit to not having considered flood
insurance a necessity until after the
first flood.
The Proft house is currently on the
market and the family is looking for a
home in Nassau Bay, doser to work and
the family church.
While the move is unrelated to the
flood. Proft says they have set strict
criteria as to location and future devel-
opment of the area surrounding their
new home.
After the first flood, friends of the
Proft family pitched in and spent eight
days cleaning and fixing up the house.
“I can't imagine that you emotionally
ever recover. You feel that your whole
world has been toppled. Because of our
friends, I'll be able to handle another
flood better, because 1 won't be so
insecure." Proft said.
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