HOUSTON (AP) — After the floodwaters earlier this month just about swallowed two of the six homes that 60-year-old Tom Madigan owns on the San Jacinto River, he didn’t think twice about whether to fix them. He hired people to help, and they got to work stripping the walls, pulling up flooring and throwing out water-logged furniture.
What Madigan didn’t know: The Harris County Flood Control District wants to buy his properties as part of an effort to get people out of dangerously flood-prone areas.
Back-to-back storms drenched southeast Texas in late April and early May, causing flash flooding and pushing rivers out of their banks and into low-lying neighborhoods. Officials across the region urged people in vulnerable areas to evacuate.
Like Madigan’s, some places that were inundated along the San Jacinto in Harris County have flooded repeatedly. And for nearly 30 years, the flood control district has been trying to clear out homes around the river by paying property owners to move, then returning the lots to nature.
Robin Goodfellow's racing tips: Best bets for Friday, April 12
'The more, the merrier!' Mother of Princess Beatrice's stepson says she is still close with her ex
Diplo showcases his buff body as he ditches his shirt during special Run Club workout at Barry's
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa honoured for her achievements in Parliament
'The more, the merrier!' Mother of Princess Beatrice's stepson says she is still close with her ex
Live Nation investigating data breach at Ticketmaster subsidiary
Yuka Saso wins another US Women's Open. This one was for Japan
Back to Black film: Does Marisa Abela sing her own songs in the Amy Winehouse biopic?