Houston station takes over for flooded Beaumont ‘sister’

By MixDex Article may include affiliate links

Houston’s Tegna owned CBS affiliate has taken over broadcasting from KBMT in Beaumont, Texas, after its station flooded thanks to high rainfall from Tropical Depression Imelda.

  • KHOU, which itself lost its home due to flooding from Hurricane Harvey in 2017, is handling its little sister station’s programming and coverage.
  • The two cities are about two hours apart.
  • KBMT was forced to evacuate the station and multiple videos posted online by station personnel show at least several inches of the water in many parts of the facility.
  • During its flooding, KHOU briefly moved broadcasting to a higher area of the building before relocating to the local PBS station’s building for about two years.
  • KHOU ultimately made the decision to move to a new facility, which opened in early 2019.
  • There’s no immediate word what KBMT’s plans are or how extensive the damage is — though obviously TV stations are particularly vulnerable to flooding given the amount of expensive electronic gear they contain.
  • The station will likely also have to deal with water damage and the corresponding problems that brings such as mold.