Watch out for the weather!

The rain today reminded many of tropical storm Allison back in 2001. On your way home tonight, be sure to watch out for flooded roads and accidents along the way. The heavy rain has buried Houston, in some areas going up to 6 inches of rain. Before you hit the road and if you have internet access on your cell phone or office, check the conditions of the weather and the roads to your route back home at the Houston Transportation and Emergency Management Center. If not, you can tune your radio to 740 AM and listen for alerts on flooded areas or blocked roads.

Remember it is always better to be extra cautious when it comes to something as unpredictable as the weather. Also, to avoid this chaos getting any worse, carefully read and take action on the following recommendations from the City of Houston:

• The City of Houston is advising residents to avoid flooded areas, and to not attempt to drive across water-filled roads. Motorists should avoid any covered roads and find an alternate route.
• It only takes six inches of moving water to knock down an adult and wash them down stream, and about 2 feet of water to move a vehicle as large as an SUV.  The best advice is to "Turn Around, Don't Drown".
• Keep ditches clear of debris.  Mow weeds and tall grass, and don’t block culverts.
• Remove or secure large objects that are on the property that may end up in the ditch during a storm.
• Keep curb and gutter clear of debris that may prevent water from flowing into inlet drains.
• Keep trash bags at least two to three feet behind the curb on pick-up days.

Following these precautions will help keep us safe and prevent more flooding. The storms and heavy rain should be over by today at midnight, according to meteorologists at KHOU News, but the cold weather will follow, so be prepared for nearly freezing temperatures later in the week. For a detailed forecast from the National Weather Service click here.

Meanwhile, here is a photograph of a man crossing the street during in the days following the 1915 Galveston Hurricane. People were actually trapped in the County Courthouse, like many Houston drivers today. Visit the UH Digital Library for more photographs of natural disasters in the history of our city.