1979 was always the Mother Lode. It hit land at Sabine Lake on the afternoon of July 24, and by 5 p.m. on July 25, a shower band from the storm's atmospheric rotation intensified over Houston. Early the next morning the band extended from Beaumont to Palacios. Three of the most intense cells were over Alvin, Pasadena and between West Columbia and Bay City. Comparing storms is difficult because damage and flooding are often so localized and precise historical data may not exist.
Population migrates around the region.
People worsen flooding by paving over porous ground, but they improve conditions by building flood-control projects. A History, by David McComb. Recent historic floods include Tropical Storm Frances in September 1998, a major storm in October 1994 and another Tropical Storm Allison in June 1989. Of those, the 1994 storm may have been the worst, dumping nearly 30 inches of rain over three days in parts of Montgomery and Liberty counties. Two fronts collided with the remnants of Hurricane Rosa.