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Flooding leads to collapse of Kingwood homes

KINGWOOD, TexasHarvey's floods have caused big-time problems in the Kingwood area. It got so bad that it caused at least three homes to collapse.

Joy Rizzi left her home exactly one week ago. When she returned, it was no longer there.

Rizzi lives along the San Jacinto River. When floodgates opened at Lake Conroe, the waters came rushing in at nearly 80,000 cubic feet per second.

"We can handle being flooded," she said. "Our homes are on cinder blocks. We couldn’t handle that pressure when they opened up the floodgates. The water was like 14 feet deep."

Joy Rizzi’s daughter, Jennifer Rizzi, has been at the site every day trying to salvage whatever they could find.

"Heirlooms. There are things on the third and fourth floor, like, my brother is no longer around, so there are things that she wants of him," Jennifer Rizzi said. "All her family has passed away, and she just wants those things."

"As the days go by, we find a little piece here and a little of this and a little of that," Joy said. "It’s all lost, and it's all gone, and I don't have a house anymore."

There has been some luck though. Joy found the only picture of her and her dad.

"It was that picture -- and of my grandmother -- that was on the top floor,” Joy said.

 

The work was physically and emotionally overwhelming. Joy said when it's only a matter of time until everything is gone, the little things become everything you have.


About the Authors
Dawn Jorgenson headshot

Dawn Jorgenson, Graham Media Group Branded Content Managing Editor, began working with the group in April 2013. She graduated from Texas State University with a degree in electronic media.

Nick Monacelli headshot

Nick joined the Local 4 team in February of 2015. Prior to that he spent 6 years in Sacramento covering a long list of big stories including wildfires and earthquakes. Raised in Sterling Heights, he is no stranger to the deep history and pride Detroit has to offer.

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