BRAZORIA COUNTY, Texas – Heavy rain, strong winds and high tides caused flooding across parts of Brazoria County Wednesday morning, as tropical weather churned in the Gulf, leaving some roads underwater and prompting officials to urge residents to stay cautious.
In Surfside Beach, village officials remained in a Level 3 readiness posture as they monitored conditions and prepared for possible additional rain bands.
“We had a lot of heavy rainfall last night. There was a lot of flooding this morning as well,” said David Calhoun, Tourism and IT Director for the Village of Surfside Beach. “We’re really just trying to make sure everybody’s safe and the city keeps functioning.”
According to Calhoun, a Level 3 designation means the village is in a state of readiness. This is one step above normal operations. Officials encouraged residents to review emergency plans, charge electronic devices and make basic preparations as the tropical system developed in the Gulf.
While the center of the storm was expected to move toward Louisiana, Surfside still experienced impacts from strong onshore winds, high tides and rain.
“The wind is pushing water up off the Gulf, and then that mixed in with the high tide and the heavy rainfall is going to lead to a lot of water inundation,” Calhoun said.
Elevated homes help limit damage
Several roadways in Surfside were covered by water throughout the day, making travel difficult in some areas. Calhoun said elevated homes throughout the community helped minimize damage.
“Thankfully here in Surfside, most of our homes are elevated, so it’s mitigated a lot of the damage,” he said. “Mainly it’s just some of those roadways that are covered right now.”
Officials reported no widespread power outages and no high-water rescues within the village.
Calhoun also warned visitors and residents to avoid driving through flooded streets and to stay out of the Gulf while rough surf and rip currents remain a concern.
“Better safe than sorry,” he said. “If your gut is telling you this isn’t a good idea, it’s probably not a good idea.”
Driver rescued after SUV floods in Freeport
Just north in Freeport, emergency crews responded to several flooding incidents, including a rescue involving an SUV stranded in high water on Second Street.
The driver, identified only as Bruce, said he and his girlfriend were returning from work when they encountered what appeared to be a normal roadway.
“It looked like the regular road whenever I came over,” he said. “As soon as I took the dip in there, it started just flooding the car. Nothing I could do.”
Bruce said water quickly filled the vehicle, forcing them to call 911.
“Freeport Police Department came in to help us in a speedy manner,” he said.
The pair safely exited the vehicle with assistance from officers and walked to higher ground. Despite losing his SUV, Bruce remained optimistic.
“Everybody came out fine. I think we’re all good,” he said.
Residents frustrated by recurring flooding
Residents in Surfside say flooding has become a recurring problem whenever storms, high tides and rough Gulf conditions occur at the same time.
Jeff, a Surfside resident, said rising Gulf waters often have nowhere to drain, causing streets to flood.
“It is extremely difficult to travel these streets here in Surfside. It’s dangerous,” he said. “Don’t come down if you want to look around. Certainly don’t come down and go surfing because it’s very, very dangerous.”
Jeff said local and state officials have discussed projects aimed at reducing flooding, including efforts to better manage sand movement along the coast, but residents are frustrated by the pace of progress.
“This is a tourist-driven town,” he said. “People like to come down. We typically have beautiful beaches, great places to bring your kids, nice restaurants. But right now we’re in lockdown. Nobody makes money, and it affects the economy greatly here in Surfside Beach.”
Floodwaters expected to recede
While conditions improved throughout the day, residents say standing water may linger in some areas long after the storm moves away.
“You’ll see people out driving and moving around, but we will have water here for quite a long time,” Jeff said. “And that comes with other issues — sewer, mosquitoes, et cetera.”
Officials expect gusty winds and periods of rain to continue in the short term but remain hopeful floodwaters will continue receding as the weather system tracks farther east.
In the meantime, emergency managers are urging drivers not to attempt crossing flooded roads and advising beachgoers to stay out of the rough surf due to the threat of dangerous rip currents.