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Hard Hit
  
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By T.L. HAMILTON
The home of one family who fled Hurricane Katrina was among about 50 that flooded from the rains brought by Hurricane Ike in Timber Lakes/Timber Ridge, a small unincorporated neighborhood south of The Woodlands.
After leaving New Orleans, Jamal Davis found a rental house on Dawnwood and set up a successful lawn care business to provide for his wife Roberta Gray and four children comfortably.
But another hurricane changed everything.
“I was just getting to be so happy because we were getting things together,” Gray said shakily. “I think this just hurts me so much because it’s floodwaters, here — again.”
The Courier estimated the number of flooded homes in the Timber Lakes/Timber Ridge area by visual count; official numbers were unavailable but are expected soon, said Montgomery County Sheriff’s Lt. Dan Norris, who also is with the Montgomery County Emergency Operations Center.
The community is near Spring Creek, which is the cause of the flooding, officials with the San Jacinto River Authority said.
But some residents of the community think drainage from The Woodlands caused the rapid gush of water that filled their homes with water 3 feet high.
“I mean, it seemed like they opened the floodgates,” said Don Brame, who lives on Dawnwood near Glen Loch Drive.
“I think they had excess standing water and they drained it out into our area.”
Fernando Martinez, a home inspector who has lived in the neighborhood since 1979 said the same homes keep flooding over and over. Martinez plans to approach county commissioner’s to see if something can be done to keep the homes from being lived in.
“I’m taking this as a personal affront to humanity,” Martinez said.
“Excess water from The Woodlands flows into Spring Creek until it overflows its bounds. It’s happened at least 5 times since I’ve lived here.”
“This area never flooded before The Woodlands was built,” said Richard Harris, who has lived in the neighborhood for 34 years.
Jim Stinson, general manager of the Woodlands Joint Powers Association, said the flooding in Timber Lakes/Timber Ridge area is the result of Spring Creek overflowing its bounds.
Asked whether drainage from The Woodlands could have caused or added to it, he said “No, it couldn’t have.”
Brame, who is a Homeland Security officer for Bush Intercontinental Airport, said some homes on his street started taking on water about 11:30 a.m. Saturday after the rain and winds had died down. He rushed to help his neighbors, but then his home began filling with water as well. The flooding eventually settled at 3 feet.
“My wife said water was rushing in so hard, she couldn’t close the back door to our house,” Brame said.
Brame’s neighbors across the street, Davis and his wife Roberta Gray, ran to take their children to higher ground at the car wash across Glen Loch.
During the storm, a 50-foot pine tree snapped in two and crashed on their roof, breaking through to the interior. The family thought that was their worst trouble, until the floodwaters came.
“I can’t swim, so I took one of our boys over to the car wash, and Roberta had to bring the rest of them over,” Davis said.
Since the flooding occurred, the children have been confused and upset, he said.
“They cry a lot,” Gray said.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office sent a boat out to rescue residents, Brame said.
Both Brame and Davis said the boat driver had it on full throttle in an attempt to stay still in the rapidly-moving floodwater.
Davis said his wife went through a serious depression as a result of Hurricane Katrina and the devastation it caused. They lost their home and all their possessions that time, he said.
“She still has crying jags at night sometimes,” he said.
As hurricane coverage dominated the local media, Davis asked the Timber Lakes/Timber Ridge Homeowners Association about flooding in the area and received a vague response
Phone calls to the association Wednesday went unanswered.
Worried, Davis took action to place some valuables and items they might need in their car.
“Now that’s all we have left,” he said.
The Gray-Davis home is littered with debris and pieces of insulation. Amid the sharp odor of forming mold, the house shows signs that it was well taken care of and cherished before the catastrophic incident.
Gray tried to save some beautiful pieces of artwork the family saved for and pointed out a new desk that is now ruined.
Brame said the unexpected gush of water flowed away from The Woodlands and knocked down his back yard fence before destroying his house.
During the flooding, the walls filled up with water, he said.
The lower half of the walls in his home are swollen and buckling above the soggy carpets.
Although Brame has renter’s insurance, State Farm said flooding was not covered under that policy, Brame said.
“So this is all a complete loss,” he said. “We’re wiped out.”
Brame had about $4,000 of savings, which he said won’t even begin to cover all the damage. On his front lawn, a hodgepodge of items, including a TV set, clothes and furniture lie in the sun amid fallen trees to dry out.
Brame said he and his family are frustrated by the lack of help they’ve received so far. Unable to contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency or his landlord and running low on crucial items like food and water, Brame said he understands how the Hurricane Katrina victims in Mississippi felt.
“There’s all this focus elsewhere, but not here,” he said.
Brame pulled out his Homeland Security badge and said, “Even I can’t get any assistance for this mess.”
On other area streets that intersect with Glen Loch, most homes show the signs of flood damage with high piles of electronics, carpeting, sheetrock and other ruined household items.
After leaving New Orleans, Jamal Davis found a rental house on Dawnwood and set up a successful lawn care business to provide for his wife Roberta Gray and four children comfortably.
But another hurricane changed everything.
“I was just getting to be so happy because we were getting things together,” Gray said shakily. “I think this just hurts me so much because it’s floodwaters, here — again.”
The Courier estimated the number of flooded homes in the Timber Lakes/Timber Ridge area by visual count; official numbers were unavailable but are expected soon, said Montgomery County Sheriff’s Lt. Dan Norris, who also is with the Montgomery County Emergency Operations Center.
The community is near Spring Creek, which is the cause of the flooding, officials with the San Jacinto River Authority said.
But some residents of the community think drainage from The Woodlands caused the rapid gush of water that filled their homes with water 3 feet high.
“I mean, it seemed like they opened the floodgates,” said Don Brame, who lives on Dawnwood near Glen Loch Drive.
“I think they had excess standing water and they drained it out into our area.”
Fernando Martinez, a home inspector who has lived in the neighborhood since 1979 said the same homes keep flooding over and over. Martinez plans to approach county commissioner’s to see if something can be done to keep the homes from being lived in.
“I’m taking this as a personal affront to humanity,” Martinez said.
“Excess water from The Woodlands flows into Spring Creek until it overflows its bounds. It’s happened at least 5 times since I’ve lived here.”
“This area never flooded before The Woodlands was built,” said Richard Harris, who has lived in the neighborhood for 34 years.
Jim Stinson, general manager of the Woodlands Joint Powers Association, said the flooding in Timber Lakes/Timber Ridge area is the result of Spring Creek overflowing its bounds.
Asked whether drainage from The Woodlands could have caused or added to it, he said “No, it couldn’t have.”
Brame, who is a Homeland Security officer for Bush Intercontinental Airport, said some homes on his street started taking on water about 11:30 a.m. Saturday after the rain and winds had died down. He rushed to help his neighbors, but then his home began filling with water as well. The flooding eventually settled at 3 feet.
“My wife said water was rushing in so hard, she couldn’t close the back door to our house,” Brame said.
Brame’s neighbors across the street, Davis and his wife Roberta Gray, ran to take their children to higher ground at the car wash across Glen Loch.
During the storm, a 50-foot pine tree snapped in two and crashed on their roof, breaking through to the interior. The family thought that was their worst trouble, until the floodwaters came.
“I can’t swim, so I took one of our boys over to the car wash, and Roberta had to bring the rest of them over,” Davis said.
Since the flooding occurred, the children have been confused and upset, he said.
“They cry a lot,” Gray said.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office sent a boat out to rescue residents, Brame said.
Both Brame and Davis said the boat driver had it on full throttle in an attempt to stay still in the rapidly-moving floodwater.
Davis said his wife went through a serious depression as a result of Hurricane Katrina and the devastation it caused. They lost their home and all their possessions that time, he said.
“She still has crying jags at night sometimes,” he said.
As hurricane coverage dominated the local media, Davis asked the Timber Lakes/Timber Ridge Homeowners Association about flooding in the area and received a vague response
Phone calls to the association Wednesday went unanswered.
Worried, Davis took action to place some valuables and items they might need in their car.
“Now that’s all we have left,” he said.
The Gray-Davis home is littered with debris and pieces of insulation. Amid the sharp odor of forming mold, the house shows signs that it was well taken care of and cherished before the catastrophic incident.
Gray tried to save some beautiful pieces of artwork the family saved for and pointed out a new desk that is now ruined.
Brame said the unexpected gush of water flowed away from The Woodlands and knocked down his back yard fence before destroying his house.
During the flooding, the walls filled up with water, he said.
The lower half of the walls in his home are swollen and buckling above the soggy carpets.
Although Brame has renter’s insurance, State Farm said flooding was not covered under that policy, Brame said.
“So this is all a complete loss,” he said. “We’re wiped out.”
Brame had about $4,000 of savings, which he said won’t even begin to cover all the damage. On his front lawn, a hodgepodge of items, including a TV set, clothes and furniture lie in the sun amid fallen trees to dry out.
Brame said he and his family are frustrated by the lack of help they’ve received so far. Unable to contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency or his landlord and running low on crucial items like food and water, Brame said he understands how the Hurricane Katrina victims in Mississippi felt.
“There’s all this focus elsewhere, but not here,” he said.
Brame pulled out his Homeland Security badge and said, “Even I can’t get any assistance for this mess.”
On other area streets that intersect with Glen Loch, most homes show the signs of flood damage with high piles of electronics, carpeting, sheetrock and other ruined household items.
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