patrick.net

It's not going to rain for a week. The dry air to the west behind it, is transferring all of the moisture out into the Western Atlantic.

The winds never got to 150mph yesterday either that was bull crap. Having been through 5 in South Florida myself.
At night even 75mph winds look like the world is going to end. The guy in the Car Wash said it was 150mph winds.
It would have taken that Tin Roof in the back along with his building and sent it sailing through the sky.

After Andrew in 92, nothing like car wash was left standing on US1 and 152nd Street.

The Storm produced a ton of Moisture but the weather bureau was not being honest about where all of the Moisture was going. The dry air to the West moving East, was sucking up the moisture out of the Gulf and conveying it to the Atlantic. It rained so hard here in South Florida that the flat roof over one of my additions sprung a leak.

The Surge was not as deep as reported either. Surges are not tidal water, or waves pilling up like NASA explains them. Surges are the Fresh water dumped on the ocean that is lighter than the salt water, is being pushed along the surface of the ocean. So the more rain the storm dumps the bigger the surge. This storm's moisture was being extracted from it, even as the winds were building up. It was being wound up like a spindle. As moisture fed into the Caribbean, the dry air was sucking the water back out into the Atlantic.
When this is all said and done it will be some Southern Atlantic states that get the most flooding. Georgia wont be able to absorb all of the Rain that is just miles off their coast right now.

FortWayne says

Are you comparing Trump to god?

I have no idea why people tie Trump into hurricane business, there is no connection between him and wind/rain as far as I can tell. I think that the man is borderline crazy, but trying to jab him because hurricane hits Texas or we have avalanche on Moon is stupid. And even more stupid is to blame him for local rednecks refusing mandatory evacuation orders, which is the only possible cause of disaster here.

Tenpoundbass says

weather bureau was not being honest about where all of the Moisture was going.

I think they have no clue where it will go. The track seems to change on bi-daily basis.

I do it's going to go North a bit then go right over the Southern states above the Florida line to the Atlantic Ocean.

Tenpoundbass says

I do it's going to go North a bit then go right over the Southern states above the Florida line to the Atlantic Ocean.

Hopefully it does not get to Gulf again - then it can become dangerous again.

Great call Bass. I guess you didn't stay at a holiday inn express.

From all news reports, Trump's Federal agencies are doing yeoman's work with rescuing thousands, providing places to stay for people who've been flooded out, and sending in aid. Even before the storm was over they were there. Looks like he's better than Obama! The last big flood they had in the South, he was also better than Obama, sending tractor trailers of aid before he was even elected President.

Rew says

So good to see such a competent administration, a high degree of federal readiness, and what a great message today.

Translation:

It must be related to Trump.

From ground zero here. It's wet, wet and more wet. Thankfully I am dry and my electricity is still on, something that thousands and thousands can't say. On the other hand, it's not over yet. Nights are worse than days. We have at least two more days. Say prayers for us.

"But I think the real driver for flood loss and impact in Houston is the built environment," Brody told ABC News in an interview Sunday. "This is a human-induced problem. Houston is a rapidly growing metropolitan area."

Because of all the rapid development in the city, the natural drainage patterns of the region have been changed.

"Instead of water seeping into the soil or running into the bayous, we're starting to see it run into people's homes," Brody said.

Houston uses bayous as its main drainage system, however the city has no major levee system in place.

But in trying to drain the water quickly from one place to another, you run the risk of harming another community downstream.

Brody added that Houston and the Harris County flood control district have "done amazing work" given the resources provided to them.

What can be done?

Brody argued that there needs to be a commitment to protect Houston because it is the fourth most populous city in the U.S.

"We've made some really good progress, but there's a lot more we can do in the future with time, funding, and commitment to make things happen," Brody said.

One of the issues that could improved, Brody said, is making local communities and its residents aware of flood risks.

"There's a real lack of awareness and messaging that reaches out to those neighborhood levels," Brody said.

Another way the local government could help be better equipped to deal with flooding is planning out how it's developing the city.

According to Brody, Houston also needs to focus not just on improving its physical infrastructure approach to flood mitigation, but thinking more widely of the surrounding communities.

What has been done?

In January, the city announced projects -- an estimate $130 million -- to expedite flood relief in areas surrounding the Brays, Hunting and White bayous.

"These projects will greatly reduce the flood threat for residents along these bayous and remove hundreds of properties out of the 100 year flood plain,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a press release.

The action came just weeks after Turner authorized a Storm Water Action Team to replace sewer inlets and grates and other projects.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/houston-prone-flooding/story?id=49452150

Obligatory:

Pictures from Houston:

My favorite one so far:

This is supposedly a floating fire ant clump:

http://wncn.com/2017/08/28/300-gators-could-escape-as-texas-flood-waters-approach-height-of-fences/

300+ gators could escape as Texas flood waters approach height of fences

BEAUMONT, Texas (CNN/WNCN) — Officials at an alligator tourist attraction in Texas say that flood waters are close to exceeding the height of fences that are keeping hundreds of gators inside.

KFDM reported that Gator County has more than 350 gators in outside areas of the attractions.

“We’re less than a foot a foot from (water) going over the fences,” Gator County Owner Gary Saurage told the TV station.

Rew says

So good to see such a competent administration, a high degree of federal readiness, and what a great message today.

How does the govt "FIX" a massive problem like this? Any ideas?

zzyzzx says

http://wncn.com/2017/08/28/300-gators-could-escape-as-texas-flood-waters-approach-height-of-fences/

300+ gators could escape as Texas flood waters approach height of fences

BEAUMONT, Texas (CNN/WNCN) — Officials at an alligator tourist attraction in Texas say that flood waters are close to exceeding the height of fences that are keeping hundreds of gators inside.

KFDM reported that Gator County has more than 350 gators in outside areas of the attractions.

“We’re less than a foot a foot from (water) going over the fences,” Gator County Owner Gary Saurage told the TV station.

Gentle Reader,

The Louisiana Cajun Navy is on its way. I wouldn't worry about those gators after the Cajuns get there. Not at all.

Regards,
Roidy
P.S. I have a good recipe for fried gator tail.

komputodo says

How does the govt "FIX" a massive problem like this? Any ideas?

Trump should raise hands to Heaven and yell: "I command the rain to stop and waters part!" If this does not work, he is a piss-poor president, just like king Canute who was not able to stop tides.

I'm from the government, and I'm here to help!

Texas Governor, Officials Urge Feds to Clear Way for Harvey Money

A growing chorus of high-ranking Texas officials is calling on the federal government to establish rules that will allow for the flow of $4.3 billion to the state for Hurricane Harvey recovery.

Texas has been waiting a year for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Office of Management and Budget to set guidelines for use of grant funds for projects meant to bolster storm resiliency in Harvey-impacted communities. State and local officials have emphasized the need to get moving on such initiatives before the next hurricane season, which begins in June.

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush — noting he had not received a response from then-OMB chief Mick Mulvaney, who is now President Donald Trump’s acting chief of staff — recently sent a strongly worded letter to the president asking him to intervene. The same day, Bush told the Texas Senate Finance Committee that the delay meant the General Land Office, which has overseen Harvey recovery, could not execute a “state action plan” dictating how the funds may be used.

Houston-area members of Congress also spearheaded a letter asking OMB Acting Director Russell Vought for “expeditious approval of the rules at HUD that will define mitigation projects for CDBG [Community Development Block Grant] disaster recovery grants.”

The letter was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas’ two U.S. senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, along with the entire Houston congressional delegation and U.S. Rep. Michael Cloud of Victoria.

“Despite the collaboration between the GLO and HUD, the rules have not yet been published in the Federal Register,” wrote the Texas officeholders. “As a result, the GLO has been significantly delayed in drafting a State Action Plan for the funds, the critical next step at the state level before the grants can begin to flow.”

Texas has already received billions of dollars for Harvey recovery, but each bucket of money is designated for a specific purpose. The $4.3 billion that Congress approved for Texas on Feb. 9 of last year is part of a HUD grant program designed “to help cities, counties, and states recover from presidentially declared disasters, especially in low-income areas.”

https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2019/02/07/517122.htm