Looking back it was a dress rehearsal of sorts for what would come a few years later.
Check out some of the most stunning photos from 2015’s Memorial Day flooding…
Over the past few years Houston has been pounded a number of major flooding events, each one more severe than the next.
Until Hurricane Harvey hit in August 2017, the most recent major flooding event in Houston were Memorial Day 2015 and 2016’s Tax Day floods. Before that the most major rainfall had been June 2001’s Tropical Allison, which was incredibly unforgettable and destructive in its own right.
HOUSTON GETS WET: A look back at the devastation caused in Houston by the tax day flood of 2016
The 2015 flood began on the night of May 25 and ran roughly until the morning of May 26. Around 12 inches of rain fell in Houston over the course of 10 hours.
Seven people died in incidents related to the flooding, including some in their own cars. Lightning strikes in the middle of the madness also created fires for first responders to fight in the midst of the rainfall. More than 500 high-water rescues were conducted, as well.
By the time it was over, Houston took on about 162 billion gallons of water. The Tax Day flood dropped another 240 billion gallons. Mother Nature later dropped 9 trillion gallons of rain on Houston and southeast Texas during Hurricane Harvey.
THE WATER’S TOLL: Before and after: Hurricane Harvey in satellite photos
Houston racked up an incredible $459.8 million in damages, placing the Memorial Day Flood as one of the costliest floods in American history. Hurricane Harvey later had a damage cost of $125 billion at last estimate.
Craig Hlavaty is a reporter for Chron.com and HoustonChronicle.com .
