Flooded streets plague Northeast Houston residents » Yale Climate Connection

Many residents in Northeast Houston braced for flooded streets and yards during the storm.

Espinoza: “There are people who lost their homes…and now every time it rains, there are just some people who are traumatized.”

David Espinoza is a member of the community advocacy group Northeast Action Collective.

Houston has more than 2,000 miles of open roadside ditches. They are designed to collect rainwater, funnel it under driveways, and move it away from yards and roads.

But this system often failed because many ditches needed regrading and maintenance, or became clogged with weeds and debris.

For decades, people have been able to report problems to the city through a helpline. But homeowners are responsible for keeping ditches and culverts clear.

Espinosa: “…for many elderly people or people with disabilities, that’s not possible. If a house is abandoned, that’s definitely not going to happen in that particular part of the street.

As a result, his team has been pushing for change.

They celebrated victory last year when Houston passed a new plan requiring the city to maintain ditches and increase monitoring and repair efforts.

But Espinoza's group continues to advocate for improved drainage infrastructure so residents can stay dry as climate change brings more extreme rainfall.

Report source: Sarah Kennedy/ChavoBart Digital Media