Schools Reopen Following Historic Flood

Lindsay Collier, Editor|April 26, 2016

The Cypresswood area in Cypress, Texas saw historic rain.

The gentle, soothing rains that began in the night of Saturday, Apr. 16 quickly turned ravenous as the Houston area suffered from its biggest and most damaging flood in recent history. In the span of a few days, the storm dropped a record-breaking 240 billion gallons of rainwater on homes and residents, and 8.8 trillion gallons on the state of Texas as a whole.

Four school districts in the Houston area, including Cy-Fair ISD, closed for the week of Apr. 18 as many schools and facilities suffered water damage, and numerous students and staff were displaced. School resumed as normal on Monday, Apr. 25, but the effects of such a storm won’t be going away any time soon.

“We have 57 facilities that sustained some level of damage,” said Cy-Fair ISD Superintendent Dr. Mark Henry. “All facilities will be ready for students and staff by Monday, although some will require continued work through the summer to return to their original state.”

Though the week off was seen by many as an impromptu vacation, some students are concerned about what this week off will mean going forward.

“UIL and AP tests are coming up,” said senior Sehar Allana. “So this is affecting everybody, and they might have less time to prepare. I’m concerned for the families who are affected by the flooding, and I hope we don’t have a week of school more [to make up].”

However, these worries pale in comparison to the widespread damage that many Houston residents suffered. Once the flood subsided, what was left was destruction: seven people were killed, 1,000 homes were flooded, and the city was left with more than $5 billion in damages. At the height of the flooding, CenterPoint Energy reported that 123,000 homes were without power.

Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster for nine Texas counties, and emergency crews made over 1,200 high-water rescues as some residents were trapped in their homes by the rising flood waters. One notable rescue happened on camera, as KTRX reporter Steve Campion assisted a man out of a Prius that began sinking in the background of his report.

Residents weren’t the only ones who were brought to safety—the Wildlife Center of Texas reported that they received over 150 wild animals who were rescued from the flooding, and police in Conroe even rescued a small tiger that was roaming the streets.

This historic flooding was a 1-in-200 year event, according to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Association, and recovery will be slow. Ultimately, though, like Houston, Cy-Fair ISD will bounce back, and tragedies like these serve to remind of the power of community.

“This has been my third major weather event in the last 12 years as a superintendent,” said Henry. “It does not get any easier, but it does bring out the best in a wonderful community like Cy-Fair. Thank you for your kindness, charity and concern over the last seven days. I am so proud to be a part of CFISD.”