8/6/24 – During Beryl in July, the San Jacinto West Fork continued to run through at least three abandoned sand pits. Mining companies still own two. A third has been sold to a residential developer for unknown purposes. The river captured the pits earlier this year. “River capture” is a term used by geologists when […]
8/5/24 – Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) has released its final report on Hurricane Beryl. The amazingly detailed, fact-filled, 30-page report by Jeff Lindner, Harris County’s meteorologist, covers the storm’s origins, rainfall, storm surge, high-water marks, wind speeds, flooding, and more for locations throughout the County. Every sentence contains nuggets of information that you […]
8/4/24 – Yesterday’s post about power disruptions due to “tree touches” drew of flood of responses from all parts of the Lake Houston Area. Many were eager to meet with CenterPoint face-to-face and discuss grievances going back decades. Among the many responses, one stood out. Chris Bloch, a Bear Branch Trail Association (BBTA) board member, […]
8/3/24 – Yesterday was a start. Kingwood residents and political leaders met in several areas hard hit by Hurricane Beryl to discuss ways to improve recovery efforts. The idea: to start a dialog about steps that Houston Public Works, CenterPoint, community leaders, and residents can take together to reduce disruptions from future flooding and power […]
8/2/24 5PM – The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued an advisory about Potential Tropical Cyclone 4. It affects people on the west coast of Florida for now. Since yesterday, models have come into closer alignment. There is now a higher degree of certainty that the PTC4 will track up the west coast of Florida, […]
8/1/24 – 7PM Update – Since posting this story earlier today, NHC has shifted its predictions even farther west and increased development chances to 40% in two cays and 70% in 7 days. 8/1/24, 9 AM – According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), a well-defined tropical wave is now moving toward the Gulf. This […]
Here’s how to report storm debris blocking Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) ditches and streams. After a storm, it’s crucial to keep HCFCD channels clear of fallen trees and debris to reduce future flood risk. One tree down across a stream can catch other trees that create a log dam, backing water up into […]
7/29/24 – Yesterday, I reviewed a thought-provoking, academic study co-authored by Dr. Samuel Brody of Texas A&M about the relative effectiveness of three different forms of flood mitigation. Today, I would like to discuss a related topic – the costs of not preserving floodplains. Land in a floodplain is cheap. But the initial cost to […]
7/28/24 – A 2020 academic study in the journal “Cities” quantifies the relative effectiveness of three different ways to mitigate flood losses. They include storage, conveyance and measures designed to promote infiltration. Best Ways to Mitigate Flood Losses The study, called “How Effective are Drainage Systems in Mitigating Flood Losses?” found that storage was the […]
7/26/24 – The National Weather Service (NWS) has produced a must-read publication called “The 2024 Official SE Texas Hurricane, Severe Weather Guide.” It puts everything you need to know about dealing with hurricanes and other forms of severe weather that strike this area – into one place. It’s a concise, well-written, easy-to-understand compilation of essential […]