Last night we had a rain event that was unforeseen and extreme. We got about 9 inches where I live, in the southern part of Houston, Texas. Most of the rest of the city got NO rain. A weather system just sat over our part of town for several hours and flooded everything. But since the Houston Rockets were playing, there wasn't anything on the radio about flooding. So we had no idea what we were heading into as my son and I were driving back from the west side of town in my wife's Hyundai Sonata around 11:00 PM. Although it was raining hard, traffic was moving fine on the freeway. It was when we got OFF th freeway that our troubles began.

The feeder street was backed up. I figured it was because of a wreck and that it would soon clear. But when it didn't I realized it was because the underpass was flooded. Bad news - I had to make a left at the underpass to get home but there was no way anyone could make it. A policeman had it blocked off.

So I went the other direction but encountered serious flooding almost everywhere I went. We ended up at a sports bar and hung out there until about 1 AM, when we decided to try a few more routes home.

And we almost made it. But I ran into an intersection that was flooded. We couldn't see it until we were in it. I couldn't turn into the building next to me because I couldn't see the driveway. I couldn't stop, and I couldn't go backwards. So I just kept going forward, hoping to make some higher ground, or get out of the flood completely.

I didn't make it.

The car stalled in about 3 feet of water, and then the interior started taking on water. We grabbed the electronics (phones, chargers, etc.) and an umbrella and waded out into the murky depths of the rising flood waters.

We made it off the street and over to a building that had an alcove, where we were at least out of the rain. I made several trips back to the car, gathering personal stuff and hoping against it hope it would restart. It never did.

This was about 2 AM and the drunks came out in their Hummers and jack-up pick-up trucks. They could make it down the road and thought it was great fun to create huge wakes, burying cars like mine under their waves. Not cool. Not cool at ALL.

Around 3 AM the rain had almost stopped and the water had receded to the point the roads weren't flooded any more. We tried the car one more time but no luck. So we gathered our things and decided to walk home. We were about 3-4 miles away, and figured it was a 2-hour hike.

First we went to a CVS store that is open 24 hours so we could get another umbrella. There was a wrecker driver dropping off a stalled car in the parking lot and I asked him if he could get my car. He agreed, and we loaded up in his wrecker and went to my car.

He picked it up and took it and us to my home. What a great guy! He was charging $20 to get cars off the road but I paid him $41 for the ride home. I'd have paid more if I'd had more on me, believe me!

At least one person died (an infant was swept away after the family minivan ran off the road into a culvert). Lord knows how many hundreds of cars were ruined by the flood. We even saw an 18-wheeler that flooded out. That's how high the water was.

It turned out that all the ways I thought I should have gone, instead of the way I did go, were even worse. We considered ourselves lucky to be uninjured.

I'm guessing the Hyundai is totalled. So, I guess New Car Day is coming.

.

[Edited 5/13/15 16:19pm]

so glad you and your family are okay, sad that an infant died during the flooding.

Woah... I live in Montrose, and was working late when the rain and the alerts were coming in. Had no idea it got this bad. It's all overshadowed online by the train derailment.

sounds like you were on 45?

ufoclub said:

Woah... I live in Montrose, and was working late when the rain and the alerts were coming in. Had no idea it got this bad. It's all overshadowed online by the train derailment.

sounds like you were on 45?

Yes, down in Clear Lake.

Ahh man sorry to hear about your car and adventure. I grew up in Seabrook and definitely understand the severity of flash floods.

i'm glad to hear you are safe!!!! flash floods are extremeley dangerous, good on you for recognizing the danger and getting to safety. hope there is no permanent damage to your car...

XxAxX said:

i'm glad to hear you are safe!!!! flash floods are extremeley dangerous, good on you for recognizing the danger and getting to safety. hope there is no permanent damage to your car...

Thanks! I think the car will be a total loss. I'm bummed out I drove into what was basically a lake.

JackOat84 said:

Ahh man sorry to hear about your car and adventure. I grew up in Seabrook and definitely understand the severity of flash floods.

No kidding! We've doubtless crossed paths somewhere along the way!

Im in ATX and boy did we ever get the rain as well. Worst weather event I have been in...besides that earthquake...

So. much. rain

Glad you are okay

wow that is a nightmare, flooding at night.

My brother is in the Dallas area

oh no! I had sent you an orgnote asking if you were okay! I saw the news... that was crazy!

OldFriends4Sale said:

wow that is a nightmare, flooding at night.

My brother is in the Dallas area

yeah there is a small lake with a dam that is about to break. it will send 20 or so feet of water into the already saturated area. But they said all the people in harms way were warned and livestock moved.

Glad that you're ok.

Glad you're ok!

[Edited 5/27/15 10:38am]

Thanks for the well-wishes. We're all OK, and the good news is that the insurance company totalled the car. The BETTER news is that its salvage value is more than the lease buy-out amount!

Monday night we had another, even WORSE, round of flooding. You probably saw it on the news.

My son and mother-in-law were stranded at the Toyota Center after that night's Rockets-Clippers game. They didn't leave the Toyota Center until 5 AM the next morning! They were able to make it to the Hilton and we picked them up at 6:45 AM. What a surreal period this has been.

RodeoSchro said:

Thanks for the well-wishes. We're all OK, and the good news is that the insurance company totalled the car. The BETTER news is that its salvage value is more than the lease buy-out amount!

Monday night we had another, even WORSE, round of flooding. You probably saw it on the news.

My son and mother-in-law were stranded at the Toyota Center after that night's Rockets-Clippers game. They didn't leave the Toyota Center until 5 AM the next morning! They were able to make it to the Hilton and we picked them up at 6:45 AM. What a surreal period this has been.

that's actually really great - usually the blue book value is far less than the 'real' value of the vehicle. i'm glad your family is unharmed

Glad to hear you and yours are fine, but I'm getting the feeling that when we have a few days of heavy overcast here, I need to warn you there to get out your boat. And if it rains, warn you to get to higher ground.