A Texas
Flood
By Jason Olson
On a
November morning in
2004, my grandparents woke up at 5:00
to load their bags in the car so they could leave. They knew that soon
the Guadalupe River would overflow her banks and flood the lot
that their
home stood on. The floodwaters rose quicker than they expected. As they
were
heading out the gravel driveway, the water was starting to cover the
floorboard
of their car. On to higher ground and out of the flood zone they drove.
My
grandparents have been living on the Guadalupe River for 19 years and are all too familiar with
the head
to higher ground routine. Their home stands 12 feet above sea level and
about
100 feet from the banks of the river. The Guadalupe Bay is about 3.5 miles down river to the west
and the
bigger San Antonio Bay is about 6.5 miles down river to the East.
Both bays
lead into the Gulf
of Mexico.
When my
grandparents moved to Tivoli, Texas in 1986, Flood Insurance either was not
available or
whomever they talked to did not know anything about it. The next year,
in 1987,
a flood swept through the area that reached the 100 year frequency
mark. The
area was declared a disaster and FEMA got involved. Being that they
just moved
there, my Grandparents did not have much, so nothing of theirs got
damaged. When
the Guadalupe River floods its banks by my grandparents place,
it usually
is not caused by heavy amounts of rain in the area. The majority of
flooding is
the result of heavy rains up stream around the San Antonio area. On average, it takes about 4 or 5
days for the
floodwaters to reach them, so there is usually plenty of warning and
time to
prepare and evacuate if need be. Apparently it becomes a part of life
when you
live in a class 2 flood zone. For the Guadalupe River to overflow its banks is a pretty common
occurrence.
Even though, every so often an atypical situation occurs.
In 1998, a
horrendous flood
swept through the area breaking the 500 year frequency mark. The normal
60-70
foot wide river was now an astounding 7 miles wide. The town of Tivoli was trapped with all the roads into and
out of the
town underwater and impenetrable. Mail along with other goods and
supplies had
to be flown in by helicopter. The main highways stayed underwater for 4
weeks,
leaving destroyed asphalt that is still being repaired 7 years later.
My
grandparent’s home did not get washed away, but the water was deep
enough to
ruin just about everything inside, including the floors, walls and
cabinets. My
grandfather’s tool shed was completely ruined including all equipment,
hand
tools, power tools, riding lawnmower, freezers, refrigerators, etc. My
grandmother’s friend who lived in a nearby town said the water was so
high that
it got into the second floor of her house, totally submerging
everything on the
first floor. Whole neighborhoods were destroyed, car dealerships
demolished,
and towns were ruined. At this time, my grandparents still did not have
flood
insurance. After being declared a disaster, FEMA moved in to help out.
My
grandparents receive over $1000.00 in aid, which was just enough to
cover the
materials needed to fix their home. They were also able to take out a
low
interest loan to help rebuild and replace what was lost in the flood.
In 1999, my
grandparent
finally got flood insurance, which cost them a measly $150 a year. They
have
not seen another flood of the magnitude of the one in 1998, but when
you live
on the banks of a river, flooding is always expected.