Video: Meteorologist explains what triggered deadly Texas floods
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CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Howard County flood protection progress celebrated after another round of heavy rain
Some flooding may have crept close to streets in Historic Ellicott City over the last few days, but it was nothing compared to the devastation Main Street has had in the past. Howard County's Ellicott City Safe and Sound Plan has been in the works since 2018, and it's credited with helping keep flooding away. A business owner along Main Street agrees there are positive impacts that show how valuable the plan has been. When it rains like it did Monday and Sunday, a wave of fear comes over business owner Cindi Ryland. "What we go through here every time it rains, we all just hold our breath," Ryland said. "It's frightening, but we're here and we're resilient." Ryland has been a business owner on Main Street for decades -- as owner of vintage and antique store Retropolitan, and selling out of the Stone House Collective -- so she's lived through the catastrophic floods of 2011, 2016, and 2018. Altogether, according to Howard County Executive Calvin Ball's office, around 1.5 inches of rain fell in less than an hour on Monday. On Sunday, nearly 3.5 inches of rain fell in three hours. That's close to the amount of rainfall from the last catastrophic event in 2018. The EC Safe and Sound Plan includes a series of projects meant to redirect and keep water away from Historic Ellicott City. The projects include five retention ponds, two of which are complete, and two water conveyance projects. Those include a series of culverts under Maryland Avenue and the North Tunnel project. The third retention pond is expected to be up and running this fall. The North Tunnel is expected to be complete by fall 2027, while the culverts are in their final design stage. There are also a number of measures that have been put in place to complement those projects, and some are done ahead of big rain events. Crews from the Department of Public Works inspect streams and clear debris in the watershed to ensure water can keep flowing. There's also now some signage posted around Historic Ellicott City to show where to get to high ground. A tone alert system has also been installed and used several times to alert of potential flooding. Howard County Police have been helping as well. During Monday's rain event, officers enacted parking restrictions to keep drivers away from any floodwater. Police also towed 13 cars from closed-off streets and parking lots to higher ground at no cost to the drivers. Ball said he's proud of the progress made. "No longer is Ellicott City going to be known as the place that flooded," Ball said. "It's the place that came back. It's the place that's resilient. It's the place where the community comes together." Ball knows more needs to be done, especially to finish all of the projects under the plan. However, Ryland said she's happy to have seen some positive impact already. "It has just been so close every time," Ryland said. "We've survived every time without any flooding on Main Street."
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Will There Be Flooding In Florida? What We Know About Tropical Storm Dexter Potentially Forming
A wet and rainy Florida could soon see even more precipitation in the coming days, according to the National Weather Service, which has warned the Gulf Coast will face a flood-generating system that could form into Tropical Storm Dexter. Rain is forecast to increase later this week in western Florida (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty ... More Images) AFP via Getty Images The National Hurricane Center says there is a 40% chance of a tropical system developing as it moves from the east coast of Florida over the Gulf of Mexico, potentially impacting Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Conditions appear 'favorable' for development once the disturbance reaches the northern Gulf on Wednesday—if it reaches tropical storm strength it would be named Tropical Storm Dexter, which would mark the Atlantic hurricane season's fourth named storm. Regardless of whether or not the system becomes named, Florida and its neighboring states should expect significant rain this week, with up five to seven inches of precipitation forecast in places like Tampa, Florida, and Mobile, Alabama.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
How to Know Your Flood Risk
On the heels of devastating flooding in Texas that killed more than 120 people this month, on Monday flash floods inundated subway stations in New York City and closed roads in New Jersey. Extreme rainfall events are becoming more frequent and more intense as climate change alters global weather patterns. At the same time, local early warning alerts often rely on multiple systems working together: A timely mobile notification is useful only if cellphones have service to receive it. That's part of the reason flash floods are 'the hardest kind of disaster to prevent' and why only about half the countries in the world have early warning systems in place. So, what should you do to understand your neighborhood's flood risk? I talked to experts about why you may be at more risk than you think, what you can do about it and how local governments are adapting. The Federal Emergency Management Agency publishes flood maps that inform all kinds of decisions, from zoning regulations to building standards. Some local governments have compiled their own easier-to-read flood maps based on the same information. (You can look at the FEMA flood map for your address here.) FEMA maps remain extremely influential and they help determine which homeowners have to buy flood insurance, for example. But experts have argued that they actually underestimate the growing risk of floods. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
