Recalling Beulah, Waiting For A Big One
August 7th, 2007, 8:46 am · 4 Comments · posted by Joaquin
The Valley Morning Star published a story on Sunday looking back at Hurricane Beulah, a massive rainmaker that struck this region 40 years ago next month, September 1967. Many readers can’t imagine what 1967 was like since they’re too young to recall, or more likely, weren’t even born. But those of us around back then, even if were just little kids like Chisme here, well remember this great storm.
Beulah unleashed biblical-like rains and epic floods in its wake. The wind power of Beulah is disputable because the wind gauge at the Port of Brownsville got blown away as the storm marched inland. From a rain standpoint, however, there is no doubt this was a category 5 storm. Beulah was such a massive rainmaker that it even rained 20 inches as far inland as Falfurrias, if that can be believed. Here in the Rio Grande Valley, it took weeks, even months in some places to get out from underneath the water.
What’s scary to think about is that the Valley was a place with barely 250,000 people in the region back then. By 2010, according to figures from the Center of Border Economic Studies, Hidalgo and Cameron counties alone will have 1.2 million residents. Think about it, 1.2 million people in our formerly little Valley.
Since 1967, aside from all of the population growth, our infrastructure is struggling mightily to keep up. Our old levees are largely worn and in great need of repairs and revitalization. As someone who lived through Beulah, albeit as a little kid, Chisme thinks three words come to mind if and when we get another Beulah: God help us.
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The rainfall totals credited to Hurricane Beulah are suspect. News articles of the day talked of rains in excess of 30 inches within 3 days. Perhaps an in-depth story of the facts, and impact of Buelah would be good reading for those who did not directly experience this amazing storm.
The rain is one thing “IF YOU HAVE A HOME TO COME BACK TO” Since January 2001 the Texas board of insurers has stated that they require an Engineer’s wind shear certificate on all new homes,
There have been countless meetings with David V Day and Engineer from Harlingen who has no doubt visited the hospital so many times from head injuries from banging his head against the wall as no one would listen.
The comment from Boozing Bill Hudson is quote “We have been building our way for years and do not need any thing that will withstand 250 miles per hour in our homes” end quote
The Chief Building inspector of Brownsville has stated that he has not implemented the law of the new wind codes as Quote “THE BUILDER CANNOT AFFORD THE EXTRA COSTS” end Quote.
Just wait until the home owner tries to claim wind storm damage on all properties built since 2000, they will soon find there is a clause for WIND SHEAR. There are many products on the market but the best is manufactured out of Brownsville as Boozing Bill Hudson did not want them in his town so now the builders will have to pay extra for delivery to buy that product.
When you do not have a building inspector that will not enforce the law then you do not have a home that meets the building codes and when the next storm hits Brownsville Home owners beware and do not cry when you do not get paid by your insurance company as your builder short changed you when building your home.
Elliot Ness
SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT OF THE RULES OR THE LAW IN BROWNSVILLE…THAT IS A FAMILIAR THEME. CARDENAS AND HUDSON LIVE HIGH ON THE HOG YET IT SEEMS THERE IS A LOT OF THINGS THAT THEY, AS BUILDERS CAN NOT AFFORD TO PAY ! THE TAXPAYER HAS BEEN RAPED FOR YEARS BY THESE SLICK BUILDERS, AND IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS NO END TO THIS TAXPAYER ABUSE IN SIGHT. WE KNOW THE LEVEES ARE NOT BIG ENOUGH TO HANDLE A BIG ONE, AND IN POOR CONDITION EVEN FOR A SMALL HURRICANE, YET WE SIT AROUND WAITING FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO REPAIR THE LEVEE SYSTEM. I GUESS “SOMEONE ELSE” IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. WHEN THE BIG ONE COMES, AND THE LEVEES FAIL, ARE WE GOING TO EMBARRASS OURSELVES LIKE THE LOSERS IN NEW ORLEANS AND BLAME EVERYONE EXCEPT OURSELVES FOR NOT REPAIRING THE LEVEES? I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT THE NANNY STATE IS ENTRENCHED DEEP ENOUGH IN BROWNSVILLE THAT THERE WILL BE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO LAZY/STUPID TO STORE UP ENOUGH FOOD AND WATER TO LAST SEVERAL WEEKS UNTIL HELP ARRIVES…AND WE WILL HAVE THE SAME EMBARRASSMENT HERE THAT THEY HAD IN NEW ORLEANS, BLAMING EVERYONE EXPECT THEMSELVES.
Taxpayer.
I agree with what you have said the multi millionaire builders are always crying poor but can spend a few hundred dollars a day on booze and food, as for the people that live in West Brownsville any type of flooding and their home just wash away so any stock pile of water or food will be lost.
Why does the City use one of their many empty buildings that the have at the SPIA and used it in readiness for an emergency, to stock pile bottled water and have a water purifying system installed as well as rapid ice makers so that they can distribute ice to their citizens instead of waiting for FEMA
I know for these rapid Ice machines as a friend has two plus the ice chests thet he will sell for half price, I think the City would rather wait for FEMA.
Elliot Ness