Hurricane Beryl news

Beware of high water on these Houston roads due to Hurricane Beryl

A man had to be rescued from a truck in floodwaters on SH-288 northbound at the 610 South Loop.

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Drivers, keep an eye on high-water locations on Houston-area roads if you absolutely must drive as Hurricane Beryl moves through southeast Texas. Officials urge people to stay home and shelter in place.

High water spots reported by Houston Transtar (updated at 3 pm Monday, July 8) include:

IH-10 East Westbound At Holland Ave/John Ralston Rd -- Left Shoulder,Left Lane, Center Lane
SH-288 Managed Lane Northbound At Southmore Blvd -- Left Lane, Right Lane
SH-288 Northbound At Holcombe Blvd -- Entrance Ramp
SH-288 Northbound At IH-610 South Loop -- Right Shoulder, Right Lane, Center Lane
SH-288 Southbound At IH-610 South Loop --Left Shoulder, Left Lane, Right Lane, Center Lane
SH-288 Southbound At Mac Gregor Dr -- Left Lane, Right Lane
Washburn Tunnel Northbound At Clinton Dr -- All Mainlanes, Left Shoulder, Right Shoulder
IH-10 East Eastbound At Sheldon Rd -- 3 Frontage Lane(s)
FM-3005 Westbound At 61st St/ Spur 342 to Bluewater Highway -- All Mainlanes
IH-45 Southbound At Harborside to 61st/Broadway -- 3 Mainlanes
SH-87/ Broadway Northbound At 51st St to 30th St --3 Mainlanes, Left Shoulder, Right Shoulder
SH 275 / Harborside Eastbound At 51st (Pelican Island Causeway) to SH 87/ 2nd St -- 2 Mainlanes, Right Shoulder
IH-45 Southbound Between Tiki Dr to Galveston Causeway Bridge -- 2 Mainlanes
SH-146 Northbound At IH-45 -- 3 Mainlanes
SH-146 Northbound At IH-45 -- 3 Mainlanes
IH-45 Northbound Between Bayou Rd to FM-1764/Emmett F Lowry Expy --3 Frontage Lane(s)
IH-45 Southbound At FM-1765/Texas Ave. -- 3 Frontage Lane(s)
FM-1462 Eastbound At Rowan Burton Rd CR 178 -- 1 Mainlane, Right Shoulder
IH-45 Southbound Between FM-1764/Emmett F Lowry Expy to Bayou Rd -- 3 Frontage Lane(s)
SH-35 Eastbound At SH-6 -- 2 Mainlanes
IH-45 Southbound At FM-517 to Hughes -- 3 Frontage Lane(s)
IH-69 Southbound At FM-360/Spur 540 -- 2 Mainlanes, Right Shoulder
SH-288 Southbound At Rodeo Palms Pkwy -- All Mainlanes
SH-87/ Broadway Northbound Between Yacht Basin to 4th St -- All Mainlanes
SH-6 Westbound Between FM-521 to Mckeever Rd -- All Mainlanes
SH-6 Eastbound Between Mckeever Rd to FM-521 -- All Mainlanes
SH-6 Eastbound At Sienna Parkway -- All Mainlanes
SH-6 Westbound At Sienna Parkway -- All Mainlanes
Beltway 8-South Westbound Before Almeda/ FM 521 -- 3 Frontage Lane(s), Frontage Road U-turn
US-90 Alternate Eastbound At SH-99 Lanier Pkwy -- 2 Mainlanes, Right Shoulder
SH-288 Southbound Between Holly Hall St to IH-610 South Loop -- All Mainlanes
SH-225 Eastbound At Richey St -- All Mainlanes
SH-288 Northbound At Mac Gregor Dr -- All Mainlanes
Washburn Tunnel Northbound At Red Bluff Rd -- All Mainlanes
SH-288 Northbound At Southmore Blvd -- All Mainlanes
SH-99 Lanier Pkwy - West Northbound At Harris-Fort Bend County Line to Katy Gap -- All Mainlanes
IH-10 East Westbound Between IH-45 North to N. Main - 4 Mainlanes, Left Shoulder, Right Shoulder
IH-10 East Westbound At Federal Rd -- 1 Frontage Lane(s)
IH-10 East Westbound At Westmont/Greens Bayou -- Frontage Road U-turn
IH-10 Katy Eastbound Between Yale St to IH-45 Gulf/ Hogan St -- 4 Mainlanes, Left Shoulder, Right Shoulder
IH-45 North Southbound At IH-10 Katy -- Exit Ramp, Right Interchange Ramp
IH-45 North Northbound Between Quitman St to Cavalcade St -- 4 Mainlanes, Left Shoulder, Right Shoulder
IH-45 North Southbound At Cavalcade St to Quitman St -- 4 Mainlanes, Left Shoulder, Right Shoulder
IH-45 North Northbound At West Rd -- All Mainlanes
US-290 Northwest Eastbound At Becker to Eldridge Parkway -- All Mainlanes
FM-1960 Eastbound At Hardy Toll Rd -- All Mainlanes
FM-1960 Westbound At Hardy Toll Rd -- All Mainlanes

Other Houston-area high water spots:

Will Clayton Parkway near Bush Intercontinental Airport
Fred Hartman Bridge/SH-146
18700 block of Wallisville Rd.
Aldine Mail Rte. Rd. and Burtclitf St.
Sweetwater Ln. and W. Mt. Houston Rd.
Clay Rd., west of Pine Forest Greenhouse Rd.
Saums Rd. and Greenhouse Rd.
9300 block of I-45 North Fwy and W. Mt. Houston Rd.
I-45 North Freeway and Blue Bell Rd.
2700 E. Cedar Bayou Lynchburg Rd.
2039 S. Sam Houston Pkwy W.
1300 block of Clear Lake Rd.
290/NW Fwy and Mueschke Rd.
I-45 North Freeway at FM-1960
TC. Jester Blvd and Bammel North Houston Rd.
1300 block of Westgreen Blvd
Mason Rd. SB between Provincial Blvd. and Kingsland Blvd.
600 block of S Fry. Rd. NB
Katy Hockley Rd. and Clay Rd.
Keith Harrow Boulevard and Cairnway Drive
Beamer Rd. and W. Bay Area Blvd.
2300 block of W. Bay Area Blvd. WB
23800 block of Tomball Pkwy
Aldine Mail Rte. Rd. at I-69 Eastex Fwy
Wallisville Road at Uvalde Road
Cypresswood Dr. between Champion Forest Dr.and Cutten Rd.
Uvalde Rd. and Freeport St.
Morton Rd. and Fry Rd. going westbound on Morton Rd. to Westgreen Blvd.
Fallbrook Dr. between Veterans Memorial Dr. and Ella Blvd.
100 block of Normandy

Because of the dangerous road conditions, METRO has suspended all services until further notice.

Remember, if you come across high water, don't attempt to drive through it. Turn around, don't drown. Here are more top safety tips and resources that FEMA has issued.

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This is a developing story. Read the full coverage and watch the video at ABC13.com.

transportation weather

Astrodome's new vision

New proposal to save the Astrodome calls for shops, restaurants, and more

Rendering courtesy of Gensler

A new plan for renovating the Astrodome has emerged.

The Houston Astrodome is both the city’s crown jewel and a rotting albatross depending on which direction you view it from. To address the ongoing problem of what to do with the facility, the Astrodome Conservancy has unveiled Vision: Astrodome, the latest bold plan to repurpose the dome by turning it into a small city-within-a-city with four inner buildings and walkable green spaces.

“Our 8th Wonder of the World is as Houston as it gets,” says Abbie J. Kamin, Houston City Councilmember from District C. “This historic protected landmark, filled with generations of memories and a legacy of iconic sports and music, is woven deeply into our hearts and our heritage. I am grateful that the Astrodome Conservancy has found a path forward to not only save the Dome but provide an economic asset Houstonians can enjoy year-round.”

Here's the vision. There will be a central event space on the dome floor. Four building will surround it, offering restaurants, retail shopping, and offices. The plan should result in 450,000 square feet of revenue generating space, all within the confines of the dome itself.

In addition, a connecting boulevard will move visitors throughout the area. This plan is based on New York City’s Highline, a raised walkway built on an old viaduct that opened in 2009 and has become a template for repurposed city architecture across the nation. Not only will the dome boulevard connect the various structures inside the dome, but also lead to the other buildings in NRG Park.

Built in 1965, the Astrodome is one of the most iconic sports stadiums still standing in the world. It was the first domed stadium, ushering in a new era of air-conditioned sports entertainment that earned it the nickname 8^th Wonder of the World. Muhammad Ali fought in the dome, it hosted Wrestlemania, the famous “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match took place there, and it was of course the longtime home of the Houston Oilers, Houston Astros, and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

When it closed in 2008 (and failed to meet fire code the next year), no one quite knew what to do with it. Ken Hoffman, writing in 2019, called it “puny and old, an embarrassing, dingy public eyesore” next to the shiny new NRG Stadium. In 2013, the city held a referendum on spending $217 million to renovate the dome, which failed and seemed to doom the dome to the wrecking ball.

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett started a campaign to save the dome, leading to a long and protracted discussion on what was best for the city. On the one hand, the Astrodome is a fully paid-for asset of Harris County and an iconic landmark to boot. On the other hand, no one could agree on what to do or how to pay for it. The dome waited.

In 2016, the Astrodome Conservancy was formed as a private nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing the dome. To date, they have raised $3 million toward the project, which is still a drop in the bucket when it comes to remodeling the space. Two years later, Harris County Commissioners court approved $105 million to raise the floor and turn the dome back into an event space. Progress was again halted under Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who questioned whether renovating the dome was a wise use of the county’s money. The county currently spends $150,000 to $400,000 to maintain the empty dome.

So, what will Vision: Astrodome cost and where will the conservancy get it? The answer to the first question is currently: don’t know. The answer to the second question is: don’t know, but . . .

Vision Astrodome is meant to be a “conversation starter” between the major stakeholders in NRG Park according to official press documents. That likely means the conservancy is hoping to leverage economic interest and city pride to raise the money from the Houston Texans and the rodeo. Both have a contract with the county that gives them priority at NRG Park until 2032 and are unlikely to approve anything that threatens the parking situation in the complex.

The rest will likely come from Harris County itself, paid for through taxes and hotel fees. Houston refused to foot the bill in 2013, but nostalgia may have turned the hearts of the populace since then, especially if Houston can get a first-class facility out of the deal. Until then, the dome sits as it has for 15 years, watching the city pass it by.

Rendering courtesy of Gensler

A new plan for renovating the Astrodome has emerged.

Hurricane Beryl news

Beware of high water on these Houston roads due to Hurricane Beryl

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Astrodome's new vision

New proposal to save the Astrodome calls for shops, restaurants, and more

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome
Get Houston intel delivered daily.