HOUSTON — A man was rescued from floodwaters Thursday morning after his vehicle became stranded at a notorious flooding location near Navigation Boulevard and Franklin Street in east Downtown.
Emergency responders, including Houston police and a tow truck crew, pulled the driver and his blue sedan from approximately 2.5 feet of water.
Fortunately, the driver did not sustain any injuries during this incident, but the event has reignited discussions surrounding the city’s flood preparedness measures.
Despite a history of flooding at this underpass, barriers were not installed before the storm, raising questions about the city’s readiness for heavy rain events.
Just weeks prior, a similar situation occurred at the exact same location, highlighting the ongoing issue of flooding in that area.
Underpasses like the one at Navigation and Franklin are well-known for flooding during periods of heavy rain.
In response to these conditions, the city claims to have protocols in place to manage flood risk.
Brian Mason, the director of Houston’s Office of Emergency Management, stated that Houston Public Works monitors specific locations and prepares barricades when significant rainfall is forecasted.
Mason explained, “When we have 4 inches or greater in the forecast, that is when they pre-stage or deploy barricades at what they call their 49 kind of life safety, flood-prone locations.”
He confirmed that the underpass near Navigation and Franklin is part of this critical list.
However, on the morning of the incident, only police cones had been set up after the driver had already entered the flooded area.
When asked why no barricades were put in place ahead of time, Mason said, “Forecasts have limitations, but based on the information provided to us by the National Weather Service, today’s rain event did not exceed the normal threshold or trigger where Public Works would have gone and pre-deployed barricades.”
Mason also mentioned that efforts are being made to implement longer-term solutions.
He noted, “I know Public Works has been evaluating, installing a more permanent, manual gate to where it can easily be swung into place and locked.”
Mason continued by affirming that transitioning to a manual barricade system is deemed to be the most efficient as they explore additional technologies.
Elsewhere in Houston on Thursday, high water affected Uvalde Road near I-10, and there were reports of a stalled vehicle on a freeway frontage road off the North Freeway.
Officials continue to stress the importance of safety during flooding events, emphasizing the simple yet urgent advisory: “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”
AAA Texas spokesperson Daniel Armbruster warned, “There’s really no way to tell just how deep that standing water is on a flooded road.
Driving through it can cause your vehicle to stall and can result in severe damage, and it can also result in injury or even possibly death.”
Armbruster added that even shallow water can pose risks as visibility of depth is often obscured.
In the absence of barriers at flooded areas, Houston OEM officials are encouraging drivers to pay attention to flood gauges installed at known problem spots.
These gauges provide depth measurements and many are equipped with flashing lights to alert motorists.
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