Two daredevil sand mining companies, Triple PG Sand Development, LLC and Texas Concrete, have stepped up their efforts to mine sand between pipelines that carry natural gas and highly volatile liquids. AG Lawsuit Filed in 2019 In October of last year, the Texas Attorney General sued the Triple PG mine in Porter for up to […]
To prevent erosion that sends sediment downstream, current Liberty County Drainage Regulations specify that developers must: Plant grass on the banks of ditches Construct backslope interceptor swales But aerial photos taken this week show that drainage ditches in the massive Colony Ridge development rarely have grass on their banks. And while criss-crossing the development in […]
This morning, Houston City Council unanimously approved the purchase of Perry Homes’ 268-acre Woodridge Village tract in Montgomery County. The ordinance that passed also included approval of an Interlocal Agreement between the City and Harris County Flood Control (HCFCD) that will govern the use and maintenance of the property as well as the terms of […]
Houston City Council will consider two items Wednesday that could ultimately pave the way for the purchase of Woodridge Village from Perry Homes. Woodridge Village twice contributed to the flooding of hundreds of homes in Kingwood’s Elm Grove Village last year. For more than a year, the City, Harris County Flood Control and Perry Homes’ […]
In my lifetime, I’ve taken more than half a million pictures. I spent four years photographing in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, which was the poorest neighborhood in that city at the time. I’ve also photographed in Appalachia and the poorest parts of Central America. But in the heartbreak department, nothing compares to a photo I took […]
Drainage ditches in Colony Ridge appear to violate Liberty County drainage standards from both 2004 and 2019. Both 2004 and 2019 regulations require developers to plant the slopes of ditches with grass to control erosion. In addition, 2019 regulations require backslope interceptor swales, another erosion-control measure. These prevent stormwater from running down the sides of […]
Twelve years ago, Hurricane Ike leveled the Bolivar Peninsula as it roared into Galveston Bay. Had Ike come onshore 10-20 miles west, Houston would be a very different place today. Most of Houston’s industrial might would have been on the dirty side of the storm instead of the dry side. Refineries, tank farms, and ships […]
In October, I reported on the Army Corps’ 210-page Buffalo Bayou and Tributaries Resiliency Study (BBTRS) Interim Report. Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) provided eight pages of detailed comments on it. HCFCD shared concerns expressed by the public about certain alternatives such as the widening of Buffalo Bayou. HCFCD also expressed that they hoped […]
When last I checked on the lawsuits brought by Elm Grove residents against Perry Homes, et. al., it was early August. The plaintiff’s lawyers had added Concourse Development to the lawsuits and the defendants’ lawyers were blaming everyone in sight, including the flood victims, for their problems. Since August, both defendants and plaintiffs have filed […]
Although tropical storms and hurricanes can develop outside the June 1 to November 30 period, yesterday was the “official” end of the 2020 hurricane season. The 2020 season tied or set an astounding number of records. The following compilation comes from Harris County Meteorologist Jeff Lindner. 2020 By the Numbers The 2020 season was the […]