A Flood

A Houston neighborhood is experiencing severe flooding.

Flash flooding caused by a storm that blew in?

Nope.

Just another example of the city's deteriorating infrastructure and inability of Mayor Pothole's Public Works Department to act decisively on problems.

Public Works is claiming they were slow to shut down the water main break that has caused this flooding because they didn't want to cause further damage to the line or inconvenience other customers (like a breach in the line that causes contamination isn't enough of a potential inconvenience!). In reality, this is just the sort of passing-the-buck that characterizes all levels of City Administration under Mayor Pothole.

Excerpt:

Hernandez began calling for help as the street in front of his house disappeared under the fast-rising water. A Houston Fire Department rescue boat was soon dispatched for them because the current was too strong to wade through.

"I was glad to be rescued. I can't swim," a shaken Hortencia Hernandez said. "Our cars are there under the water. . . ."

Firefighters compared the eruption to whitewater on the Colorado River.

"It looks like rapids right here in the middle of the 4100 block of Clay," HFD spokesman Jay Evans. "I've never seen anything this bad."

Well, there was the flooding caused by Allison -- but no, I don't think anyone has seen anything quite this bad related to Houston Public Works.

[Posted at 23:30 CST on 10/13/02] [Link]