Floods at Rancho Banquete Colonia, Frequent and Devastating

On Tues. Jan 19, Andrew Barbaro and I visited Rancho Banquete colonia, just outside of Banquete, Texas. Like most of Nueces County's more than 100 colonias, the whole area lies within a flood zone. Torrential thunderstorms had poured down the weekend before, so the damage was readily apparent.

Because of frequent flooding, many of the homes are on stilts. But this does not prevent significant property damage, including cracked roofs and walls, and sliding bases. One house approached the problem with a medieval solution, building a bridge over the "mote" that passed underneath the house. Even then, the end just below the porch was buried under a foot of water. The problem is so widespread that entire neighborhoods have become unlivable, with homes that it may be impossible to salvage.

Although we did not get the chance on this trip to talk to the residents (something we hope to do much more of in the future) we made two valuable connections at Banquete High School, Assistant Principal Richard Moore and Secretary Veronica Lira. Miss Lira especially, who lives near Rancho Banquete colonia, proved to be a wealth of information. She recalled with regret how during the last flood, a young man had been trapped with his family in his house for a week, unable to attend classes because his neighborhood was covered with several feet of water.

The contamination of the water, especially after it floods, makes the need for clean water (such as we hope to provide on "Sandwich Day") all the more apparent. Beyond that however, the solution becomes less clear. For this, we welcome your ideas.