Weather

Currently, a Tropical Depression is making its way across the gulf. We anticipate landfall sometime after noon on Friday. The cone is veering away from Houston and towards San Antonio.

Regardless of the tracking variances, we will receive large amounts of rain over the weekend. We anticipate that we WILL NOT need to pump water out of the district. At this point, there is nothing in the forecasts that the systems can not handle. We are fully functional and have reserve pumping capacity if needed (again, we do not anticipate needing that capacity).

It is important to note that despite our ability to handle this amount of rain, a Tropical Depression can bring deluges of rain that will temporarily overwhelm the storm drains. This amount of rainfall may briefly create street ponding or street flooding during times of torrential downpours. When the rain stops or slows, the storm drains will be able to catch up and clear the streets.

Due to this potential, especially during overnight hours, we recommend that you move your cars off the street, particularly if you have a low profile vehicle. Moving them to an elevated location, like your driveway, can save a lot of potential headaches.

Please use caution when driving and do not drive into high waters. We will update this post if the conditions change.

As you are probably aware, the LID 15 area is experiencing heavy rain volume today and through the weekend. The district management service, LMS, provided an update on the preparedness of the district.

Projections call for 4-7 inches of rain with possible downpours dropping 1-3 inches per hour into the district over the weekend. The river is below any action stage, and the district systems are all fully operational. Based on the current rain projections, LMS does not anticipate needing to utilize any of the pump stations during this storm.

As a reminder, in times of heavy rainfall, the sewer drains can back up, causing temporary street ponding. Also, higher than average detention pond and channel levels will be visible as the water makes its way out of the district.

If conditions change, we will provide updates on the district website, Facebook page, and, if needed, through emergency texts and emails.

The current water gauge on the Brazos River at Richmond shows the current water levels and their predictions on the water rise for the next five days.

In summary, at current projections, we do not anticipate any high water-related issues except for storm drain backup at times of torrential downpours.

Earlier this week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that they are extending the grace period to renew flood insurance. The extension is now 120 days; previously, it was 30 days. This change is directly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the financial burden it has caused to many households. The extension applies to NFIP flood insurance policies scheduled to end between February 13 and June 15, 2020.

Additional information on this policy adjustment and any policyholder questions, please call the National Flood Insurance Program Center at 1-877-336-2627.

https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2020/03/29/fema-extends-grace-period-flood-insurance-renewal-premiums