KAUFMAN, Texas — On Tuesday, the Kaufman County Commissioners Court discussed the catastrophic flooding on October 28, 2023, and the 20 homes it impacted.
KAUFMAN, Texas — On Tuesday, the Kaufman County Commissioners Court discussed the catastrophic flooding on October 28, 2023, and the 20 homes it impacted.
Steve Howie, the Emergency Management Coordinator for the County, stated during the meeting that they received 10 inches of rain in eight hours at their office and said the event had been described as a 1,000-year flood event.
“Most of the roads, drains, and ditches could not handle that,” said Steve Howie. “As a result, a lot of places got flooded, got water in them - one of them being 1299 Sunset Drive.”
The property in reference belongs to George Hinkle, who spoke at the Commissioners Court meeting. Hinkle says that the last drainage inspection of his property was completed in 2017.
“The last inspection was updated this month, and it was completed in 2017,” stated Hinkle at the Commissioners Court meeting. “[An inspection] is supposed to be done every five years, and there has not been another one.”
Hinkle says the flood has cost his family their home, vehicles, and other personal property.
“There’s almost $400,000 of damage at my home that did not get covered [under insurance],” said Hinkle.
He stated that his wife sold her business in a different state, and they moved to Kaufman County, where they have received “nothing but love.”
Still, he feels the reservoir and drainage systems haven’t been adequately addressed in Kaufman.
“I don’t feel that the reservoir and drainage systems have been adequately addressed with the growth in Kaufman and the clean-water runoff that’s supposed to be done for every neighborhood,” said Hinkle.
“When Mr. Howie took office, he put into effect [a document] that is 1,897 pages long, and in those 1,897 pages, it states that ‘all neighborhoods that are approved in Kaufman - the city or county - are to have a clean water runoff that incorporates where that water will go within one mile,” said Hinkle. “My home is within one mile of multiple brand-new neighborhoods.”
Hinkle refers to the Kaufman County Subdivision and Land Development Regulations, which the Commissioner's Court adopted. Hinkle said the last time Reservior 61, the reservoir nearest him that receives water runoff, was serviced was in 2017 due to a pipe failure. He said that in 2019, a petition was circulated amongst homeowners in the area to have the reservoir serviced, but more needs to be done.
Still, Emergency Management Coordinator Steve Howie says that Reservoir 61 was built in 1964 and refurbished in 1973 and is functioning as it should.
“According to our local water conservation district, it is working properly and doing exactly what it’s supposed to,” said Howie.
Howie says the property at 1299 Sunset was built in a flood plain that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) defines as “special.”
“Part of the problem at 1299 Sunset is that it is part of the flood easement held by our water conservation district,” said Howie. “It is also considered a special flood hazard area by the Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Insurance Map System.”
Howie says that the house at 1299 Sunset was built in 2013 by Richard Hall and that the county cannot find an application or permit documents for its construction in a flood plain.
“Apparently, it was built without any knowledge from the County,” said Howie.
Howie continued by saying that the property would flood again.
“It has flooded five times, and it will flood again because it is in a flood plain,” stated Howie. “Some people think that if you’re in a 100-year flood plain, you only have to worry about it every one hundred years. That’s a misunderstanding because, in 2015 and 2016, we had three one-hundred-year floods in less than 12 months. When the rainfall hits a certain level, things will flood in that floodplain.”
The American Red Cross and the Texas Baptist Men mobilized to help people escape the rising flood waters. The Texas Baptist Men also utilized their “Mud Out” team to clear homes of residue and help residents as much as possible.
Regarding assistance from the State of Texas and FEMA, Howie says the dollar values didn’t reach the threshold for an emergency declaration, which would have unlocked increased funding options for damage assistance.
According to Howie, the county needed 25 homes/businesses destroyed to get a Small Business Declaration; two are questionable out of the 20 they have. He said they are still looking for more properties that qualify as a loss.
County Judge Jakie Allen directed Steve Howie and staff to work on remedies quickly. This included new surveys on elevation and the drainage pipe.
In conclusion, Hinkle says he’s not pointing fingers; he just wants action.
“I’m not standing here trying to point fingers,” said Hinkle. “I just want someone to take action.”
