# Flooding in TX and OK prompt evacuations. How prepared are you for flood?



## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

I've been watching news and reading about the flooding that is going on in Central TX and parts of OK. A number of news outlets are reporting evacuations are being conducted. The TX National Guard has been activated to assist in airlifts and search and rescue operations. 

How prepared for flooding are you and what is your feeling on "mandatory" evacuations? 

The house is on the highest ground so it will be OK, but if the road leading to Slippy Lodge floods and washes out, it would greatly hamper my ability to evacuate by car or truck but I can always leave via ATV if need be...but then again, I am prepared to stay here a long time if I have to and I damn sure ain't going to a FEMA camp or a makeshift camp at a local school auditorium. Hell NO!


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

I'm in the same situation as you. I live on the high ground. And I'm prepared to wait it out if the bridge leading to town were to wash out.

Mandatory evacuation is not something I believe in. If it's bad enough to warrant an evacuation and you aren't prepared to wait out until the disaster blows over. Then you get what you deserve. See Katrina, Rita, Sandy etc.

I was at a crawfish boil yesterday by the Red River in Shreveport and it is the highest I've ever seen it! All the rain weve had this spring is putting a strain on everything. The Dams are open as much as possible without washing out bridges and causing massive flooding. It's gonna be real bad if they have to open the gates any more than they're at now...


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## MI.oldguy (Apr 18, 2013)

Pretty good shape here.the grounds around lake Superior are mostly sandy and drain well.we are on semi high ground.when we moved here,I asked our insurer for our home about flood insurance and got a hearty chuckle.He said that there was never a major flood here other than when a hydro reservoir way up river blew its safety fuse and run down the river near us and destroyed a small bridge and a few homes had minor flooding.

As far as mandatory evacs,I would only comply if we thought there was a real need.we have had what is called Coffee with a Cop at some restaurants nearby and the state and local pd's along with emergency management are present also and we have attended.they stated that probably the only reason for mandatory evacs here would be wildfire.and that's about it.due to the MANY trees we have being in such a highly forested area.although they do have plans if it becomes a necessity.we would probably not be allowed shelter because we would not leave our dog behind and the people in charge around us don't have any plans yet to shelter with our animals yet.


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## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

I'm on high ground with soil that drains well.If it floods here, there will be nowhere else to go since everywhere else is lower ground
The Flood of 1986: What it teaches about dam failures on the Muskegon River | MLive.com
Reminds me of this song that got played a lot in the summer of '86


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Since I'm at 2700 feet, I'm not worried about regular flooding. I do worry about 
being down from the top of the hill and having a heavy rain come down the hill and 
wash up onto my property and into my garage and house. Most things are stored 
on shelving or in plastic tubs where practical so I'm not worried about possessions. 
I had a tons of sand bags when I packed to move but found a lot had "dry rotted" 
and had to toss most out. Guess I need to buy more to go with the few I put up to
protect the house from "flooding". Thank God I don't have to buy sand.
View attachment 11217


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

I live at 1,500 feet elevation but I live very close to a lake. Its probably 200 feet from my front door. It has been higher in recent years but its not volatile, its not going to erupt into a hurricane. I hope not. Anyway I'm probably not prepared for a flood because I don't have a boat. If I had to leave I hope I would have some time to grab some things.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

I'm up high enough that if it floods my place your all gone. Still the boat is always pointed at the door and full of fuel. For fishin, not floods, You always have to be ready when the fish bite.


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## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

Not a big concern here there would be cut off though. I'd be fine for a good long while.


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

Oh you know any flood up in Canada would freeze into a glacier.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

AquaHull said:


> I'm on high ground with soil that drains well.If it floods here, there will be nowhere else to go since everywhere else is lower ground
> The Flood of 1986: What it teaches about dam failures on the Muskegon River | MLive.com
> Reminds me of this song that got played a lot in the summer of '86


That would be summer 71, by 86 Bonham was gone. The next Zep was Houses then Physical in 75


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## Jakthesoldier (Feb 1, 2015)

I was in some of the low ground during last night's freak show. Heard Emergency services of varying types go by every 2 minutes or so. Maintenance guy at the building I'm working had to come hook up a backup subpump. Couple ambulances and fire trucks driving around with boats in tow. Probably sucked for a lot of people. I stayed dry at work, and Shoots was fine at home. 

It's amazing how so little rain can cause so many problems in texas. 

In California I remember a few wet years it rained like last night for a few weeks straight. Barely raised the river an inch, then after an early 90s drought it rained like that for 3 or 4 days and raised the water all the way up to the edge of the house and the barn. Turned a 10 foot wide creek into a 150 yard wide river, and took out my favorite bridge.


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## Mish (Nov 5, 2013)

I have water and food that would last me for over 2 weeks. I live on high ground but that doesn't mean I won't feel the effects of everyone else's lack of preparation.


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## jimLE (Feb 8, 2014)

*just like others here.im on high ground.i have food and water.so im good on that.just hope the electric dont go out.on account im ready for short term.but,i aint ready for long term outages yet..i can either turn left or right,when i pull out of the driveway.and there's a bridge in a low area,in both directions.but i dubt i have anything to worry about there.on acount the water never got half way up the creek banks that i know of.and im on a paved road to boot.*


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## Salt-N-Pepper (Aug 18, 2014)

If it floods where we live, then Noah is sailing by on a boat.

Living at the TOP of a hill is good (for flooding at least).


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

I am at a pretty high elevation... there are days that I go to work and the weather is different at home and at work 20 minutes away.


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## I'd_last_a_day (May 12, 2015)

Anyone have an opinion on a beach house on pilings? Like part of me thinks it's an awesome idea, a way to beat the system (a beach house but not flood risk), but another part of me is weirded out about stilts driven 60 feet deep, like couldn't mediocre tremors tweak one of them and fracture the entire house?


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

I am on pretty high ground and well out of the flood plain. We get a lot of street flooding in my area and may not be able to leave. But, that is rare. Even in Tropical storm Allison, I didn't flood and that storm put most of the medical center and downtown under water. I am prepared to wait it out if the streets flood around me and I can't get out.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Chipper said:


> I'm up high enough that if it floods my place your all gone. Still the boat is always pointed at the door and full of fuel. For fishin, not floods, You always have to be ready when the fish bite.


 When we had the 500 year flood some time back FEMA tried to tell us the place would be gone in a 100 year flood. Well the 500 year did not even get close. Ground here is stable
Plenty of places for the water to go. If anything some of the ditching work on farms and work done for roads in the area over the last 60 years have improved our chance of not having to deal with flooding issues.
If you have ever done any major digging on your property they can tell a lot about historic water levels, back farther than any records we would have or the memory of anyone that lived here.
The house nearer to the creek could be at risk in a so called 1000 year flood, I would concede that but the other house is not. Winter may be a pain some times but living in this part of the country has it's advantages.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Salt-N-Pepper said:


> ...
> 
> Living at the TOP of a hill is good (for flooding at least).


And for shooting down on roving bands of idiots intent on evil...


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## Piratesailor (Nov 9, 2012)

In Houston and it's ugly. My house is high and dry being one of the highest in the area. Always prepared.


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

I use to live in those areas that are flooding. Most of the interstates and larger roads in Houston are elevated bridges so you can stay above it (or because Houston is so ugly you don't have to touch it) and even those bridges are underwater. I've seen entire busses swept off the road in some of the Tropical Storms there. There is no level of prepping that really gets you around this. It is an environmental checkmate. If you didn't bug out, far out, days ago, then you really can't now and if your BOL is within 250 miles of Houston it is inundated and swampy too.

I hate to say it, but people living in high rise condo's with a crap load of food are the best prepared.

But - This is all part of why I moved to AZ. That's how I prepped for it. The secret of Miagi Family Karate is to not be there when the strike lands. So I left.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Some of the footage of the floods in TX are showing some areas of great devastation. The destruction is widespread and evidently waters are still rising.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

We got hammered last night in Houston. Power was on and off but I didn't get flooded. Anyplace close to the bayous and downtown is in bad shape tho. I got around fine today, just stayed away from the usual places that flood. Funny, 2 years ago we couldn't buy a thunderstorm.


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## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

One of my all time favs, sorry about your luck in The Lonestar State,but this musta happened before






Around here up North,a SRV means Sea Ray V-(Hull), which you could use one about now.

God Bless and stay safe,if not be careful.

Not to mention the tour was "Couldn't Stand The Weather"


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## just mike (Jun 25, 2014)

I'd_last_a_day said:


> Anyone have an opinion on a beach house on pilings? Like part of me thinks it's an awesome idea, a way to beat the system (a beach house but not flood risk), but another part of me is weirded out about stilts driven 60 feet deep, like couldn't mediocre tremors tweak one of them and fracture the entire house?


You better have some really high pilings. After hurricane Opal I was restoring service to places where the 1st and 2nd story were full of sand and the 3rd floor was washed out with waves coming thru the beach side and taking out the brick walls facing the parking lot. A lot of homes on pilings were just gone , only the pilings remained.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

The story of the family being washed away while inside their house is unbelievable.
I can only hope they find the bodies so the rest of the family get some closure.


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## Hawaii Volcano Squad (Sep 25, 2013)

I rented the bottom half of a beachfront duplex in Malibu after the big fire. One day they predicted rain and warned of flash floods but I looked up at night when I got home from work and saw clear sky. Woke up in the morning and a flash flood had come down Los Flores Canyon bringing down all the loose gravel & sediment that no longer was secured by surface vegetation because it burned in the fire. Pacific Coast Highway was covered with mud about 4-5 feet high. The oceanfront home 2 doors over was washed out to sea. There were upside down BMW's along the highway. IN my garage, my Mustang was buried in mud but luckily for me, the mud did not go over the engine cowling. Unfortunately for the upstairs guy who parked next to me, his lowered Lamborghini was not so fortunate and it was totaled completely buried with mud, engine ruined, etc. etc. I mean I woke up it was still blue sky, opened my front door when I noticed some mud seeping under my front door. The area code for Malibu is 911. Would not have been so bad had the fire not wiped out all the vegetation in 1992.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

love Stevie Ray. What a great talent.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

Hope you all are safe and dry.

Send some of that rain here, we have a drought.


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## oldgrouch (Jul 11, 2014)

We're at 1,900 feet on top of a ridge connected to a higher mountain (Rocky Top in E. TN). No chance of flooding here even when Noah walked the earth. The road below our house might wash out, but we have standby power, lots of food, and a back way out.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

They closed 2 bridges out here this morning. A 3rd is likely to be closed by this afternoon. The red river and it's tributaries are flooding out here. Not record level but close. The folks in central Texas have it the worst.


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## Salt-N-Pepper (Aug 18, 2014)

Flooding is nasty business, sad to see folks so affected.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

Sometimes being "prepared" means considering the chances of things like floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and tsunamis. 
My home is only at 950 feet but it is the highest ground for miles. The chances for earthquake do exist here but the quakes in this region are deep and of lower magnitude than in the Seattle area. Not much chance of a hurricane or tsunami here but there is a slight chance of an F1 tornado. (not going to do much more than rustle the leaves). Lately fires have been a problem... there are a couple of people who are travelling around lighting fires just to have some excitement in their life. One 20 year old male was arrested in town last week but there is at least one more out there.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

We've had pretty much daily rains in the Southeastern US for many days now. Good for my garden but a pain in the rear for many people. This morning I noticed my tanks were overflowing at the tank AND at the gutters. So I had to take apart my Slippy-Rigged First Flush system and they were backedup with dirt and leaves and crap from the roof. 

As I type this, thunder just started and a few drops are coming down. I miss the sunshine...

(Prayers for the folk in Tejas!)


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

With all the bridge closures out here getting around is a big pain in the butt. Thankfully none of the bridges I have to cross are closed yet. About 30 people on my crew had the choice of an Hour and a half detour to go home or get a hotel room yesterday. Many on nightshift called in so the plant was really shorthanded. Im sure its the same story at all the other businesses in town. The holiday Inn must be happy! Still getting lots of rain on a daily basis.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

It's getting worse all over. More bridge closures all over, still getting daily rain. The floods have overwhelmed the water plants and now water is being trucked in to the northern areas of the ArkLaTex.

Budweiser water:









http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/29190626/anheuser-busch-producing-canned-water-for-flood-victims


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