HOUSTON \u2013 For years, W. Bellfort Avenue along the Southwest Freeway has flooded. For one Houston auto shop owner, that\u2019s meant years of headaches \u2014 and hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.<\/p>\n
Bhavesh Patel has owned Orion Car Care on W. Bellfort Avenue for 21 years. After Thursday\u2019s storm, he was mopping out his office and tallying up the damage \u2014 damage he says now totals around $350,000 over the years.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I\u2019ve been to these things almost about 12 or 13 times. So I\u2019m not surprised. But yesterday, there were coming out so fast. See, right here, the level,\u201d Patel said.<\/p>\n
FEMA has helped cover some of those costs, but not all of them.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo the FEMA, yes, they paid me for that,\u201d Patel said.<\/p>\n
Patel estimates he\u2019s still paid roughly $150,000 out of pocket.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would say from my pocket, I would easily say about 150,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
To minimize future damage, Patel replaced the sheetrock inside his office with a brick wall \u2014 a costly but necessary upgrade, he said.<\/p>\n
Patel is still assessing the possible damage left behind from showers tied to tropical storm Bertha.<\/p>\n
City drainage work hasn\u2019t solved problem, owner says<\/p>\n
In 2021, the city of Houston completed $6 million in drainage renovations on W. Bellfort Avenue in an effort to reduce flooding, according to a city of Houston chief of communications. Patel acknowledges the work, but said the results have fallen short.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the result is not 100%. They worked for it, yes, but the result is not 100 percent,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Patel said the project was budgeted at more than $6 million \u2014 and yet water still pours in.<\/p>\n
\u201cStill, we\u2019re getting the water,\u201d Patel said.<\/p>\n
The City of Houston calls the recurring issue \u201ctemporary ponding.\u201d <\/p>\n
The city is working with the Harris County Flood Control District to address flood-prone areas in the region. According to the city, $200 million is planned for improvements to Keegans Bayou \u2014 the city says it should help reduce ponding along W. Bellfort Avenue.<\/p>\n
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