Flyover Opinions

His Flood Story

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the images I have seen made me think of a story told to me by my Grandfather. He was an amazing man, who lived an amazing life.

The son of Italian immigrants, he was born in Chicago but followed his father (who was a railroad worker) first to Colorado and later to Bryan, Texas. Bryan is in the "no mans land" of East Texas between Waco, Austin, and Houston (at least 80 miles from each). It is the neighbor to College Station, the home of Texas A&M and the George Bush Presidential Library.

In 1900, the International-Great Northern Railroad Company came to Bryan Texas. This most likely brought jobs, and at some point, my Grandfather and his family to the Texas town. In 1913, my Grandfather would have been 8 years old.

A neighbor to Bryan Texas is the Brazos River, longest river in Texas, running 840 miles from the center of the state to the Gulf of Mexico. Destructive Brazos River floods had often plagued residents of Burleson County and Bryan. In 1899, a 30-inch rain killed 35 and caused about $9 million in property damage. Again in 1900, 1902, and 1908 Brazos River Bottom inhabitants endured serious flooding. In July 1909, an 8-foot levee was built to act as flood control.

The levee's first real test came in December 1913, with a storm far worse than the 1899 flood. Residents of this area, depending on the levees for safety, did not flee until the water had risen dangerously. Too, late they discovered the levee trapped water and then broke, unleashing a wall of destruction from which there was no escape. Victims rode out the flood on roofs and in treetops. My grandfather told us stories that seemed unimaginable about waiting for floodwaters to recede perched high on his roof. It is only now that I realize this story was being told from the point of view of an 8 year-old boy.

There were 177 deaths and $8 million in property loss. On December 5, 1913, the Brazos river crested near Bryan (State Hwy 21) at 61 feet.

I have posted some photos from the 1913 flood to help give a better idea of what he must have seen. They are mostly from Brazoria County, Texas, about 150 miles to the south near Houston. They demonstrate how widespread the damage was.

I often think of my Grandfather and the amazing sights he witnessed. Fortunately, in addition to having lived a storied life, he was an artist. He left behind his art, landscape paintings which he created. These paintings in some small way help to capture and preserve not only the experiences which shaped his amazing life, but also the spirit of a great man.