Nueces Co., Corpus Christi feel ready for hurricane flooding

May 31--CORPUS CHRISTI -- In the wake of devastating storms that ravaged the state, the thought of a hurricane wreaking havoc in Corpus Christi may seem terrifying.

The recent storms, tornado on the Westside a week ago and flooding throughout city this month, particularly along Oso Creek, are a glimpse of what could occur during a hurricane, albeit minor compared to a hurricane's destructive power.

City and county officials said being on the coast calls for year-round diligence and that boosts their confidence in tackling a major weather event, said Nueces County emergency management coordinator Danielle Hale

"We have a very unique string of relationships being on the coast that inland jurisdictions may not have," she said.

The six-month season, during which weather officials are predicting six to 11 named storms, three to six hurricanes and one to two major hurricanes, starts Monday.

Forecasters give this forecast a 70 percent degree of accuracy.

An average season produces 12 named storms and six hurricanes, two of which are major.

Corpus Christi has not had a major hurricane since Celia in 1970, but weather experts advise that families prepare for the hurricane season with proper supplies, planned evacuation routes and plans for pets.

"It's kind of difficult to get motivated because the last (major hurricane) happened in 1970s," said Philippe Tissot, associate research professor for Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi's Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences said. " But it's not a matter of if but when (a hurricane will strike)."

City officials are well aware of this, said Billy Delgado, the city's emergency management coordinator for the Office of Emergency Management.

Even with recent flooding prompted by a small fraction of the scope a hurricane generates, city officials are confident a major event will be handled appropriately, he said.

"The city stands ready," Delgado said. "We take a proactive approach instead of a reactive one. We are planning all the time. We plan for different emergencies that may happen instead of waiting for the incident to happen."

The preparation on behalf of the Corpus Christi utilities maintenance department -- mostly clearing debris from the drainage systems -- showed when it was put to the test with recent April and May storms, said department director Bill Mahaffey.

"Littering can cause blockage in systems, it's what we normally encounter," he said.

The storms produced rain that caused temporary flooding and increased wastewater flows that tested the city's utility infrastructure, he said.

"Fortunately the city's emergency operations center reported no evacuations or major flood damages to homes within city limits," he said. " ... The issues were minimized by the proactive maintenance that occurred before the storm, even when our systems were pushed beyond their design limits."

Oso Creek was among the low-lying areas affected by the rains.

Locally, the only reported death prompted by severe flooding happened in 2010 after Hurricane Karl struck in Mexico but brought heavy rain to the Coastal Bend.

Kelechi Kingsley Nwogu, 35, died Sept. 20, 2010.

Two weeks after he died after being swept into the floodwaters of Oso Creek at Farm-to-Market Road 43, his car remained in plain sight because the ground was too saturated for a tow truck to access.

Lacking the rage of a category 3 hurricane that Karl was, this year, the swell -- at more than 27 feet -- was 3 feet shy of the highest level ever recorded at Oso Creek.

The highest level recorded at the creek swept Nwogu's vehicle into the floodwaters.

"The challenge is not only along Oso Creek," Hale said.

Subdivisions in unincorporated areas found primarily in the western portion of the county took a hit, as usual, during May's rains, she said.

"We have a lot of areas that were developed before the current budding code standards -- those are the ones that worry me the most," she said of recent residential flooding along the Nueces River basin and areas like Agua Dulce and Petronila.

"It's frightening the number of homes that are in the storm surge potential areas and are not in a special flood hazard areas," which means they are not required to have flood insurance because their mortgages are not federally backed, she said.

Hale referred to this as the "nobody told me" dynamic.

Countywide, roughly 70 percent of the homes in the scope of county's emergency operations fall under this category, she said.

Stormwater infrastructure built before 2011 follows master plans adopted in 1961 and 1988 but "just because the age on a master plan is old does not mean (they are less effective)," said city Utilities Director Mark Van Vleck.

"Engineering has not changed that much over time," he said of the scale based on statistical information from meteorologists and climatologists used by developers to figure platting based on the likelihood of intense storms or floods.

The scale determines what platting standards need to look like to withstand probable weather in the area.

As the city's growth continues, especially south near Oso Creek, state officials are working to keep up, said Texas Department of Transportation spokesman Rickey Dailey.

In 2010, Corpus Christi experienced major flooding that put the existing bridges on State Highway 286, Farm-to-Market roads 43 (Weber Road) and 2444 (Staples Street) at Oso Creek under water.

In response to past events, five of the seven state-maintained bridge structures over Oso Creek have been improved or raised.

The bridge at Farm-to-Market Road 43 where Nwogu died when he drove around barricades was lengthened, Dailey said.

"During the recent rain events, the roadway remained open," he said. "There was no water on FM 43 at this location."

Architect A. Javier Huerta of CLK Architects & Associates said recent storms shed light on flaws in the city's stormwater system.

"In evaluating the storm system we have, do we have a system that we understand? If we can afford better, do we want to invest in that?," he said. "If we can't, streets are expected to flood, channels are expected to be filled, and that's just part of it."

Mahaffey said, "The systems are designed to prevent flood damage to homes, flooding in the streets is almost expected in a storm."

Twitter: @CallerBetty

HURRICANE PREDICTIONS

The Atlantic hurricane season begins Monday and ends Nov. 30

Seventy percent likelihood of six to 11 named storms with winds of 39 mph or higher

Three to six named storms could become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher

Up to two of the predicted hurricanes may be category 3, 4 or 5 with winds of 111 mph or higher

The average six-month season produces 12 named storms, including six hurricanes.

Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS

Gather Information

Know if you live in an evacuation area

Assess your risks and know your home's vulnerability

Understand National Weather Service forecasts

Keep a list of contact information for reference

Plan and take action

Put together a basic disaster supplies kit and consider storage locations for different situations

Develop and document plans for your specific risks

Review evacuation guidelines to allow enough time to pack and inform friends and family if you need to leave your home

Consider your protection options to decide whether to stay or evacuate your home if you are not ordered to evacuate

When waiting out a storm be careful, the danger may not be over yet. Tornadoes are often spawned by hurricanes and when it may seem like the storm is over watch out for the calm "eye" of the storm. The winds will change direction and quickly return to hurricane force.

Recover

Wait until an area is declared safe before returning home

Remember that recovering from a disaster is usually a gradual process

Source: National Weather Service Hurricane Center

SOUTH TEXAS HURRICANES SINCE 1950

Category 1

Dolly (July 23, 2008), South Padre Island, no deaths

Erika* (Aug. 16, 2003), 2 dead

Claudette (July 15, 2003), Port O'Connor, 2 dead

Bret (Aug. 23, 1999), Kenedy County, no deaths

Category 2

Alex* (June 30, 2010), no deaths in Texas

Ike (Sept. 13, 2008), Galveston, 103 dead Category 3

Rita (Sept. 24, 2005), Beaumont, 7 dead

Alicia (Aug. 18, 1983), Galveston-Houston, 21 dead

Allen (Aug. 9, 1980), Port Mansfield, 7 dead

Celia (Aug. 3, 1970), Corpus Christi, 11 dead

Beulah (Sept. 20, 1967), Brownsville, 15 dead

Category 4

Carla (Sept. 11, 1961), Port O'Connor, 34 dead.

Audrey (June 27, 1957), Sabine Pass, 9 dead

* -- Made landfall in Mexico, just south of Brownsville

Note: Fatalities noted are directly attributed to the hurricane

SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE

Category 1: 74-95 mph. Frame homes could have damage, large branches of trees will snap and shallowly rooted trees may be toppled

Category 2: 96-110 mph. Frame homes could sustain major roof and siding damage, many shallowly rooted trees will be snapped or uprooted and near-total power loss is expected

Category 3 (major): 111-129 mph. Well-built framed homes may incur major damage, many trees will be snapped or uprooted and electricity and water will be unavailable after the storm passes.

Category 4 (major): 130-156 mph. Well-built framed homes can sustain severe damage, most trees and power poles will be snapped or uprooted and most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.

Category 5 (major): A high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas and most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.

Source: National Weather Service Hurricane Center

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