South Texas storms generate dangerous amounts of Stormwater

 What do you get with 17 inches of rain over 4 days? Flooding, road closures, water rescues and a declared State of Emergency in 6 counties. One year after Hurricane Harvey hit south Texas, another tropical storm arrived in late June and dropped over a foot of rain. This prompted the Governor of Texas to declare a State of Emergency and the National Weather Service to issued flash flood warnings and road closures in many coastal and inland areas. In several areas, the flooding initiated water rescues as Emergency Services used boats and canoes to rescue stranded residents. Along Interstate 69 near Falfurrias, the quickly rising water washed across the highway slowing traffic in both directions to a single lane.

 The Corpus Christi area was not spared the rainfall either and received over 20 inches of rain as
 well.

 As we have seen with recent major storms all over the country, first and foremost is the health and safety of family, friends, neighbors and your community. Please remember to have and execute Emergency plans to ensure your loved ones are safe. Only then can we consider the Stormwater issues at our construction sites. When the chance of flooding is high, and the communities near our projects might need to evacuate; please consider these following actions:

 •Evaluate your site to ensure perimeter BMP’s are in good condition; repair any troubled areas.

•Consider pulling inlet protection to prevent further flooding and assist evacuations if necessary.

•Secure hazardous materials to minimize the chance for spills; store chemicals away from drainage areas and areas prone to flooding, preferably inside a weather proof building or remove them from the site.

•Install additional BMP’s to protect wetlands and waterbodies. Consider flooding impacts to existing property and adjust BMPs accordingly.

 While this is not an exhaustive list it should prompt you to consider creating an Site Specific Emergency Plan that can be initiated when situations arise which can adversely affect the safety of your employees and minimize the effect to your projects.