Stores opened for limited hours after the storm

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994



Doubt it - major misunderstanding of the physics of trillions of gallons of water falling in a short time trying to drain via gravity down a system with a max capacitiy of many magnitudes less. When the drainage system overloads, backs up and stalls - then it really starts floodind fast.

 

[Panzerman]

True about no storm system can handle 50" of rain BUT they got alot more than 50" of water in those houses and cars and highways. About double that so it tells me the storm drains are hooked to water ways and not actual drain ponds or drainage away and as the water in the water ways rise they are actually back draining to houses and pumping water in.
That's the problem. Florida had the same problem when we got four in a row. Now the storm drains don't connect to creeks, rivers or ocean. Problem gone.

 

[Coprolite]

What do the storm drains empty into in Florida, singularities?

1" of rain doesn't equate to one inch of water rise. An easy example would be a cube that is half concrete and half retention pond. 1" of added water would raise the pond by 2" if the difference in elevation is enough. Houses and concrete tend not to absorb water very well. When all this water flows down hill, some big floods happen.

What we have in Houston is a case of not quite good enough. Much of what is on TV is part of the flood control design. Once the retention ponds and retention "streams" are full, the roadways perform their parts in the floodwater retention scheme. The problem here is that not enough retention is happening in normal times, not to mention groundwater infiltration. A properly designed system in place would still have flooded due to Harvey. However, the impact should not have been as bad.

If flood insurance was properly set up, it would dissuade people from rebuilding in the exact same manner over and over again. I won't go further down that explanation so that we can avoid the lock. From the engineering standpoint an event like this is an opportunity to tune the inputs and improve the systems responses. Reality is much more difficult and unpopular..

I am facing some big bills to make our home whole and in a way we are blessed that we likely won't meet our deductible. So many people have lost almost everything that I can't complain about the hand I have been dealt. What bothers me are the people that have lost so much for the xth time...If you lose it once, why do it the same way again?