Houston Mayor Calls For Disaster Declaration After Floods
Apr 19, 2016 5:29:54 GMT -6
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Post by pavel on Apr 19, 2016 5:29:54 GMT -6
Mayor Turner Calls For Disaster Declaration After Floods Consume Houston
Mayor Sylvester Turner called for a disaster declaration Monday afternoon after the city and surrounding areas saw 10 to 15 inches of rainfall in a matter of several hours, underscoring the extent of damage Houstonians woke up to this morning.
Turner reiterated his request that people stay off the road unless it's an absolute emergency. The worst-hit parts of town include the areas along the Greens Bayou, Brays Bayou — both of which are at their bursting points Monday afternoon — and a sector of northwest Houston near Acres Homes, Inwood and Little York. The Houston Police Department is currently responding to 70 calls for help, none of which are life-threatening. However, Turner said that, earlier, one man was found dead in his car underwater in northwest Houston on Imperial Valley Drive; Turner said officials don't yet have enough information to directly link the man's death to the weather.
As of now, 94 intersections throughout the city are closed due to high water, and Turner added that some are so bad that not even the high-water rescue vehicles can get through. There have also been more than 44,000 power outages, Turner said. As for structural flooding, Turner has received 72 reports of flooded homes or businesses, but he added that may be an understatement. In fact, Turner estimated over 200 homes in the Braeswood area, specifically, are flooding. A few apartment buildings in northwest Houston flooded so badly that over 1,000 people had to be relocated to shelters including Jersey Village Baptist Church and Campbell Education Center.
"There’s nothing you can do whether you’re the city or the county to stop that amount of rain," Turner said. "I regret anyone who’s having to go through the flooding of your homes again. If your home flooded over Memorial Day weekend and you’re seeing water in your home again, there's nothing I can say that will help your situation."
Read more: www.houstonpress.com/news/mayor-turner-calls-for-disaster-declaration-after-floods-consume-houston-8334310
Mayor Sylvester Turner called for a disaster declaration Monday afternoon after the city and surrounding areas saw 10 to 15 inches of rainfall in a matter of several hours, underscoring the extent of damage Houstonians woke up to this morning.
Turner reiterated his request that people stay off the road unless it's an absolute emergency. The worst-hit parts of town include the areas along the Greens Bayou, Brays Bayou — both of which are at their bursting points Monday afternoon — and a sector of northwest Houston near Acres Homes, Inwood and Little York. The Houston Police Department is currently responding to 70 calls for help, none of which are life-threatening. However, Turner said that, earlier, one man was found dead in his car underwater in northwest Houston on Imperial Valley Drive; Turner said officials don't yet have enough information to directly link the man's death to the weather.
As of now, 94 intersections throughout the city are closed due to high water, and Turner added that some are so bad that not even the high-water rescue vehicles can get through. There have also been more than 44,000 power outages, Turner said. As for structural flooding, Turner has received 72 reports of flooded homes or businesses, but he added that may be an understatement. In fact, Turner estimated over 200 homes in the Braeswood area, specifically, are flooding. A few apartment buildings in northwest Houston flooded so badly that over 1,000 people had to be relocated to shelters including Jersey Village Baptist Church and Campbell Education Center.
"There’s nothing you can do whether you’re the city or the county to stop that amount of rain," Turner said. "I regret anyone who’s having to go through the flooding of your homes again. If your home flooded over Memorial Day weekend and you’re seeing water in your home again, there's nothing I can say that will help your situation."
Read more: www.houstonpress.com/news/mayor-turner-calls-for-disaster-declaration-after-floods-consume-houston-8334310