Too much rain

[Ed in Houston]

It is getting quite soggy in Houston. We have had over 7 inches in the last month at my place and 55 inches in the past year. This would be fine if it were 7 inches in a summer month as the heat would "boil" it away. Some parts of Houston have had 60 inches in the last year, more like S. Louisiana. If we had sandy soil it would be a different matter but with clay soil and cool temps it is too soggy. Only been a couple of years since we were in a drought and parts of Texas still are in a drought.

Note: This is not intended to irritate the folks in California.

Ed in Houston

[smithgn]

I totally agree with ya, Ed. I don't think we've gotten as much rain as you all, but with the clay soil, any sort of rain seems to lead to numerous days of sogginess. It rained moderately hard all day yesterday and I'm digging a hole for a P. Sylvestris... The clay is just unreal, appalling, is a better word.

[WestCoastGal]

It is getting quite soggy in Houston. We have had over 7 inches in the last month at my place and 55 inches in the past year. This would be fine if it were 7 inches in a summer month as the heat would "boil" it away. Some parts of Houston have had 60 inches in the last year, more like S. Louisiana. If we had sandy soil it would be a different matter but with clay soil and cool temps it is too soggy. Only been a couple of years since we were in a drought and parts of Texas still are in a drought.

Note: This is not intended to irritate the folks in California.

Ed in Houston

Haha. We'd be happy to take some of your rain. I know Texas has been in draught for a while so it's nice to hear it's changing up for you. Although excess water on clay I know plays havoc with building foundations and tree/plant roots. What do you have planted you are most concerned about?

[_Keith]

Same here, it has been very tough to get things done this spring. I have 55 plants waiting to in the ground and starting to get very nervous. They'll have very little time now to get even partially established before the heat arrives.

[Ed in Houston]

It is getting quite soggy in Houston. We have had over 7 inches in the last month at my place and 55 inches in the past year. This would be fine if it were 7 inches in a summer month as the heat would "boil" it away. Some parts of Houston have had 60 inches in the last year, more like S. Louisiana. If we had sandy soil it would be a different matter but with clay soil and cool temps it is too soggy. Only been a couple of years since we were in a drought and parts of Texas still are in a drought.

Note: This is not intended to irritate the folks in California.

Ed in Houston

Haha. We'd be happy to take some of your rain. I know Texas has been in draught for a while so it's nice to hear it's changing up for you. Although excess water on clay I know plays havoc with building foundations and tree/plant roots. What do you have planted you are most concerned about?

Clay soil holds a lot of water and expands and contracts like an accordion with variations in moister content. The drought we had a couple of years ago damaged home foundations and streets.

I don't think that my palms mind the excess water as I have thirsty plams like Sabals and others that don't mind getting their feet wet. However the excesss rain in the cooler months usually means long periods of cloudy cool days unlike in the summer where it can rain a couple of inches in an hour and then the sun comes out and then one gets nature's steam bath.

Ed in Houston

[Ed in Houston]

Same here, it has been very tough to get things done this spring. I have 55 plants waiting to in the ground and starting to get very nervous. They'll have very little time now to get even partially established before the heat arrives.

We got another 3.5 inches yesterday bringing the total for the past month to almost ten inchs. The sun returns Monday for 2-3 days. Seems like we got caught in some kind of gulf coast pinealpple experss with the subtropical jet.

55 new plants to put in the ground!

Ed in Houston

[Ed in Houston]

Another rainstorm last night with 3.5 inchs of rain. The storm came with 50-60 mph winds and there is lots of debris and small limbs that have come down. The rainfall for the past year now is up to 62 inches at my place while parts of Houston have recorded 72 inches. Looks like the rainfall is now in the process of averaging out from the drought we had a couple of years ago.

Ed in Houston

[_Keith]

Ed, a month after you started this post, and here too it just won't stop. April is our driest month of the year, averaging around 4 inches of rain. Just over halfway into the month we are around 9 inch. Spring growth on some things has just halted due to lack of sunlight.

[Ed in Houston]

Another 8 inchs of rain fell in S.E. Houston last night. The bayous are running brim full with some street flooding. This brings the total to 74 inches for the past year, about 25 inches above average. About ready to start building an ark....two of every kind of palm......

Ed in Houston

[_Keith]

Another 8 inchs of rain fell in S.E. Houston last night. The bayous are running brim full with some street flooding. This brings the total to 74 inches for the past year, about 25 inches above average. About ready to start building an ark....two of every kind of palm......

Ed in Houston

Wow, that is a lot of rain. It has been a rainy spring here too, for sure, but nothing like what you guys are getting.

[Ed in Houston]

Much of Houston only got 3-4 inches but my place happened to be in one of the two bull eyes. More heavy rain is forecasted.

Ed in Houston

[palmsOrl]

For areas with sandy soil such as ours, I'd always take too much rain over too little from March-November. Lately, we have had almost no rain, but that is fairly typical for this time of year and we are currently in the process of transitioning into our rainy season pattern. Thus, I am not worried, but have been doing a lot of watering!

Also, keeping my 10X10 greenhouse cool (not over 98-100F) during the day, and super humid at all times on the cheap has required constant attention and effort. My large Cyrtostachys renda, which I planted in the ground in the greenhouse would not mind the heat, but my collection of swamp/rainforest dwelling orchids need it very humid at all times.

Edited May 13, 2015 by palmsOrl

[_Keith]

https://www.facebook.com/KPRC2/videos/vb.110260895670639/1072176052812447/?type=1&theater

[Ed in Houston]

I got another 4 inches of rain last night in S.E. Houston. Fortunately I was in a dry spot as much of Houston got 10 inches. Some parts of Houston are up to 84 inches in the past year. But it is not so bad here as it was in central Texas. Ten inches of rain in Houston does cause some flooding but being rather flat, the rain just spreads out over a broad area. Some places in central Texas near Austin got ten inches yesterday. There the rain all runs down to the bottom of the hills rather rapidly causing flash flooding, catching people by surprise and washing them and their cars and their homes away. Many areas in Texas and Oklahoma have had 20 inches of rain in the last three weeks. The severe drought that we had like California is now experiencing is long gone.

Ed in Houston

[Xenon]

Pretty bad in Houston. A lot of the roads look like rivers...schools are closed, public transport is down

...

[DoomsDave]

Too much of a good thing can be tragic.

Glad to hear you're all right in Hugetown.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/death-toll-rises-to-at-least-10-in-texas-oklahoma-floods-thousands-displaced/ar-BBkgcQJ

"Severe storms pummeled central and southeast Texas late Monday and early Tuesday, the latest devastation from a weekend storm system that spawned tornadoes and widespread flooding in major cities, killed at least 10 people in the state and Oklahoma and displaced thousands of residents."

"Authorities were searching for 30 people who were missing after flooding along the Blanco River in Central Texas. That included a group of eight people who disappeared after a vacation home was swept down the river and slammed into a bridge."

"It was unclear how many of the missing are dead, Hays County Commissioner Will Conley said at an afternoon news conference. Some of the missing may have left and are staying somewhere else, he said, according to the Associated Press.

Conley also told reporters that 70 homes were destroyed and about 1,400 homes and properties have some type of damage after this weekend's torrential rains."

"Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared disasters in 37 counties. Austin, Dallas and Houston all reported flooding, with scores of water rescues and hundreds stranded at the Houston Rockets-Golden State Warriors NBA playoff game."

[Ed in Houston]

Pretty bad in Houston. A lot of the roads look like rivers...schools are closed, public transport is down

...

Back in 1979 I was lucky enough to have survived the mother of all frog stranglers. Tropical storm Claudette came onshore and stalled over Houston. First it started out raining cats and dogs and then the rain got heavy and it started raining alligators and hippos. I was living in a southern suburb of Houston, Friendswood Texas, about 5 miles north of Alvin Texas. The NWS recorded 43 inches of rain in Alvin in a 24 hour period.

After that, ten inch rains seem kinda dusty.

http://theweatherprediction.com/habyhints2/492/

Ed in Houston

[_Keith]

My friends are passing this one around.

[WestCoastGal]

I heard you guys are still inline for more rain. Can't help but feel a lot of compasion for those who have lost their homes or had them severly damaged. The loss of lives is heartbreaking. Hope you guys remain dry inside. I had a cousin down in San Antonio and remember him telling me how bad the flash flooding could be there.

Wondering what will be in store for California this winter.