5/24/25 – Contractors for the Northpark expansion project have completed the first of two pits that will let them bore under the UnionPacific Railroad tracks. They call the first pit the “launching pit” and the second the “receiving pit.” Each pit is 40 feet long and 20 feet wide. They should start work on the receiving pit after Memorial Day.
A boring machine will be anchored in the launching pit and force 20-foot sections of 5-foot steel pipe through the dirt under the tracks toward the receiving pit. Welds between sections will take an estimated three hours each. Work will continue 24/7 until complete.
When complete, two parallel 6-foot sections of pipe will carry stormwater from west to east. Before the pits are sealed back up, contractors will place huge junction boxes in them to connect the rest of the drainage system.
Safety First
Throughout the operation, crews will aim a laser at the track surface that can detect minute movements as trains pass over.
Ralph De Leon, project manager for the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority said, “If there is any shift, it will send a report back to the observers and they’ll be able to conduct another test 20 minutes later, half an hour later, an hour later, to see if it was just a fluctuation or if there’s really a problem inside the bore pit.”
He continued. “Every time a train goes over, work will stop anywhere from three to about 20 minutes. They will check everything all over again and then they’ll resume their work.”
Constant Checks
De Leon emphasized that, “every time they push in a piece of pipe, they take out the auger and they check the elevations and the flow lines to make sure that they’re still within the limits to get the slope they need for drainage.”
“If it looks like they’re doing nothing, it’s because they’re checking their work,” he said. The operation will continue 24/7 until complete, weather permitting.
Preparing the Pit
You can’t see into the pit from the road. But LHRA supplied these pictures of its construction. The steel frame, I-beams, and steel plates form the sides of the pit. The boring will take place where the wooden sections currently sit.
Contractors constructed a grid of steel rebar along the base of the pit. They will stand it up off the ground by placing the gray blocks at the intersections.Then they pour and spread concrete under, around and over the rebar. The red stakes indicate where they will later anchor the boring machine.Next, they spread and level the concrete.Finished bore pit. Red circles indicate where workers will anchor boring machine.Red box indicates approximate location for receiving pit.Construction of that starts next week.
A CenterPoint pole currently blocks the left bore. However, UnionPacific and CenterPoint have reached an agreement. The railroad has agreed to let CenterPoint enter its right of way and remove the pole. Until that happens, contractors will work on the right bore.
The dual bores should take approximately 4 weeks. Contractors will work under the supervision of both RailPros and UPRR inspectors until the work is completed.
New Development: Northpark Enclave
Lennar Homes of Texas is clearing land for a new subdivision called Northpark Enclave at Loop 494 and Northpark. It will contain 100 single family homes on approximately 11 acres. But one acre will go to stormwater detention. That means the homes will be built ten to an acre. That’s about as dense as the nearby Preserve at Woodridge.
Clearing for the Northpark Enclave is already underway south of Dunkin’ Donuts and Public Storage.
Looking east from over 494. Northpark Drive on left. Land for Northpark Enclave being cleared.
De Leon believes the drainage from the Enclave will go through Kings Mill into the Kingwood Diversion Ditch.
Montgomery County has not yet updated its Drainage Criteria Manual. So, it appears this development will squeak through under the old regulations developed in the 1980s which had a minor update in 2019.
Traffic Changeover Coming
The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority posted a new 3-week lookahead schedule. In addition to work on driveways, drainage and curbs, it shows a major traffic change coming next week.
The switch is scheduled for Wednesday night, June 4th. Westbound traffic will shift to new pavement from approximately Culver’s westward to I-69. Once traffic is switched, a subcontractor will begin demolition of the old westbound lanes through that same area.
The paving crew will also continue roadway construction on westbound Northpark from the Kolache Factory to Public Storage.
Paving crew will focus on the stretch on the left.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/24/2025
2825 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250523-DJI_20250523074912_0537_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2025-05-23 15:30:032025-05-24 12:23:25Northpark Update: Drainage, New Subdivision, Traffic Changeover
5/23/25 – NOAA’s National Weather Service forecasters predict an above-average 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season with 13-19 named storms with winds of 39 mph or greater. Of those, NWS forecasts 6-10 to become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 3-5 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher).
NOAA believes this 2025 hurricane season forecast has a 60% probability.
In a typical Atlantic hurricane season, there are an average of 14 named storms, with 7 of those developing into hurricanes, and 3 of those becoming major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher).
Potential for higher activity from the West African Monsoon,, a primary starting point for Atlantic hurricanes.
ForMay 21, 2025. 2 – 4 degrees C above normal =- 3.5 – 7 degrees F. For current anomalies, click here.
All of these elements tend to favor tropical storm formation. The higher-heat content in the ocean provides more energy to fuel storm development, while weaker winds allow the storms to develop without disruption.
“This hurricane season also features the potential for a northward shift of the West African monsoon, producing tropical waves that seed some of the strongest and most long-lived Atlantic storms,” said NOAA.
National Weather Service Director Ken Graham said, “This outlook is a call to action: be prepared. Take proactive steps now to make a plan and gather supplies to ensure you’re ready before a storm threatens.”
Forecast Improvements
NOAA also says it will improve its forecast communications, decision support, and storm recovery efforts this season. These include:
NOAA’s National Hurricane Center will provide tropical cyclone advisories up to 72 hours before the arrival of storm surge or tropical-storm-force winds on land, giving communities more time to prepare.
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center’s Global Tropical Hazards Outlook will provide advance notice of potential tropical cyclone risks three weeks in advance (instead of two) to provide additional preparation time.
Enhanced Communication
The National Hurricane Center will also step up its communication efforts with:
Spanish language Tropical Weather Outlooks, Public Advisories, Tropical Cyclone Discussions, Tropical Cyclone Updates and Key Messages.
An experimental version of the forecast cone graphic that includes a depiction of inland tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings that highlights where a hurricane watch and tropical storm warning are simultaneously in effect.
A rip-current risk map that will show wells from distant hurricanes.
New Tools
NOAA also points to new tools that will provide better information. They include:
A new, experimental electronically scanning radar system called ROARS on NOAA’s P-3 hurricane hunter research aircraft. The system will scan beneath the plane to collect data on the ocean waves and the wind structure of the hurricane.
NOAA Weather Prediction Center’s experimental Probabilistic Precipitation Portal will show rain and flash flooding forecasts up to three days in advance.
2025 Names and Analog Seasons
NOAA cautions that these predictions are not a landfall forecast. NOAA will update the 2025 Atlantic seasonal outlook in early August, prior to the historical peak of the season.
In the meantime, here are the names for the 2025 hurricane season.
NOAA’s forecast is largely consistent with the forecast issued by Colorado State University (CSU) earlier this year. CSU researchers pointed to several years where the same conditions influencing the forecast were present: 1996, 1999, 2006, 2008, 2011, and 2017.
For anyone who needs a reminder, Ike struck in 2008 and Harvey struck in 2017. The season officially begins in eight days. Here is a list of links to preparedness checklists for everything from kids to seniors and pets to vehicles.
Posted by Bob Rehak on May 23, 2025
2824 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250522-2025-Hurricane-Outlook-PIE-Chart-Final-01.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2025-05-22 23:07:402025-05-23 06:46:45NOAA Predicts Above-Average 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season
5/22/25 – The Harris-Galveston Subsidence District released its 2024 Annual Groundwater Report last week. The document represents a sort of scientifically graded report card for the District.
It shows that serious subsidence problems remain in fast growing areas where regulations have yet to be fully phased in. But it also shows that subsidence has decreased dramatically where regulations have been in place the longest.
Finally, it explains what the region’s leaders are doing to get people off groundwater in those fast-growing areas. Groundwater is the major cause of subsidence or sinking of the land and can damage infrastructure such as streets, sewers, and pipelines. It can even trigger geologic faults.
Subsidence has also been linked to flooding in several ways. The effect is obvious near the coast in areas susceptible to storm surge. But it’s less intuitive farther inland at higher elevations. It has to do with creating bowls in the landscape that alter the gradient of rivers and streams. But I’ll save that discussion for a subsequent post.
Each affects the next. Let’s look at these topics briefly, then look at what the District is doing to get fast-growing areas off groundwater.
Climate Impact Negligible Last Year
Last year, precipitation was above normal for all National Weather Service reporting stations throughout the region except for Katy. Above-normal precipitation typically reduces the demand for groundwater to irrigate lawns and crops. However, irrigation usually comprises only a small percentage of total demand.
Groundwater Use Increased in Fast Growing Areas
The District monitored groundwater use in its three different regulatory areas and then averaged all three.
Regulatory Area:
#1 is closest to the coast where the District first implemented groundwater regulations 50 years ago.
#2 is farther inland. Think of Central Harris County.
#3 is the most recently regulated and the farthest inland. Regulations won’t fully phase in until 2035 there.
Here’s what happened to groundwater demand in each:
#1 showed a small uptick compared to recent years, linked primarily to industrial use.
#2 showed a drop compared to the previous two years.
#3 also showed a drop compared to the previous two years, but an increase compared to the previous 10 years. The District attributed this to rapid population growth in Area #3.
Regulatory Area #3 accounted for a whopping 82% of all groundwater used in all three areas combined.
Looking at all three areas combined, the average declined compared to the previous two years. But growth in Area #3 water demand pulled the average up compared to the previous 10 years.
The gradual phase in of groundwater restrictions in Area #3 gives new developments time to migrate to water from alternative sources.
Groundwater Usage Decreasing as Alternative Water Usage Increases
The District defines “alternative sources” as anything other than groundwater. It usually refers to surface water from various sources such as the Trinity, San Jacinto or Brazos Rivers.
Overall, the use of alternative water is growing and reached a new high last year. Conversely, groundwater use declined despite growth in total water demand.
But growth in surface water supplies met that demand and then some.
Growth in surface water
All things considered, that’s good news.
Impact on Groundwater Levels
Restricting groundwater use reduces subsidence. To see its impact, the District measured increases and decreases in water well levels. The District can provide comparisons of hundreds of well levels today with the previous year, five years and 48 years. Predictably, the highest decreases clustered within the fastest growing areas to the north and west.
But well levels also actually rose in some areas. Where that happened, aquifers are recharging faster than they are depleting – another good sign that the regulatory regime is working.
Impact on Subsidence
The Subsidence District maintains an extensive network of GPS stations that monitor subsidence across 12 counties.
Two things stood out:
The fast-growing Area #3 subsided much faster than the other areas that already reduced their use of groundwater.
Katy showed the greatest subsidence. It received the least rain and is also among the fastest growing areas in the region.
Filling Observational Gaps Between Wells
The District also used “interferograms” to render high-resolution subsidence maps. Radio waves bounced off earth form the basis for interferograms. By measuring the timing of return signals as the satellite circles the globe endlessly, and comparing the differences, the technique can achieve an accuracy of millimeters.
Interferograms produced by the Subsidence District clearly show bands of subsidence that correspond to the length of time regulations have been in effect.
But there’s even better hope for the future.
Projects Enabling Groundwater Conversion
Area leaders have collaborated on four large projects to move people off groundwater.
Northeast Transmission Line Project, which will pipe treated surface water from Lake Houston into central and northern Harris County. (Purple line below.)
Surface Water Supply Project which will take water from the new plant to western Harris and northeastern Fort Bend Counties. (Orange Line Below)
In addition, the City and several water authorities are working on their own local distribution systems to move water to customers.
It’s comforting to see people of the region coming together to provide for the security of the next generation.
Northpark Update: Drainage, New Subdivision, Traffic Changeover
5/24/25 – Contractors for the Northpark expansion project have completed the first of two pits that will let them bore under the UnionPacific Railroad tracks. They call the first pit the “launching pit” and the second the “receiving pit.” Each pit is 40 feet long and 20 feet wide. They should start work on the receiving pit after Memorial Day.
A boring machine will be anchored in the launching pit and force 20-foot sections of 5-foot steel pipe through the dirt under the tracks toward the receiving pit. Welds between sections will take an estimated three hours each. Work will continue 24/7 until complete.
When complete, two parallel 6-foot sections of pipe will carry stormwater from west to east. Before the pits are sealed back up, contractors will place huge junction boxes in them to connect the rest of the drainage system.
Safety First
Throughout the operation, crews will aim a laser at the track surface that can detect minute movements as trains pass over.
Ralph De Leon, project manager for the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority said, “If there is any shift, it will send a report back to the observers and they’ll be able to conduct another test 20 minutes later, half an hour later, an hour later, to see if it was just a fluctuation or if there’s really a problem inside the bore pit.”
He continued. “Every time a train goes over, work will stop anywhere from three to about 20 minutes. They will check everything all over again and then they’ll resume their work.”
Constant Checks
De Leon emphasized that, “every time they push in a piece of pipe, they take out the auger and they check the elevations and the flow lines to make sure that they’re still within the limits to get the slope they need for drainage.”
“If it looks like they’re doing nothing, it’s because they’re checking their work,” he said. The operation will continue 24/7 until complete, weather permitting.
Preparing the Pit
You can’t see into the pit from the road. But LHRA supplied these pictures of its construction. The steel frame, I-beams, and steel plates form the sides of the pit. The boring will take place where the wooden sections currently sit.
A CenterPoint pole currently blocks the left bore. However, UnionPacific and CenterPoint have reached an agreement. The railroad has agreed to let CenterPoint enter its right of way and remove the pole. Until that happens, contractors will work on the right bore.
The dual bores should take approximately 4 weeks. Contractors will work under the supervision of both RailPros and UPRR inspectors until the work is completed.
New Development: Northpark Enclave
Lennar Homes of Texas is clearing land for a new subdivision called Northpark Enclave at Loop 494 and Northpark. It will contain 100 single family homes on approximately 11 acres. But one acre will go to stormwater detention. That means the homes will be built ten to an acre. That’s about as dense as the nearby Preserve at Woodridge.
Clearing for the Northpark Enclave is already underway south of Dunkin’ Donuts and Public Storage.
De Leon believes the drainage from the Enclave will go through Kings Mill into the Kingwood Diversion Ditch.
Montgomery County has not yet updated its Drainage Criteria Manual. So, it appears this development will squeak through under the old regulations developed in the 1980s which had a minor update in 2019.
Traffic Changeover Coming
The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority posted a new 3-week lookahead schedule. In addition to work on driveways, drainage and curbs, it shows a major traffic change coming next week.
The switch is scheduled for Wednesday night, June 4th. Westbound traffic will shift to new pavement from approximately Culver’s westward to I-69. Once traffic is switched, a subcontractor will begin demolition of the old westbound lanes through that same area.
The paving crew will also continue roadway construction on westbound Northpark from the Kolache Factory to Public Storage.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/24/2025
2825 Days since Hurricane Harvey
NOAA Predicts Above-Average 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season
5/23/25 – NOAA’s National Weather Service forecasters predict an above-average 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season with 13-19 named storms with winds of 39 mph or greater. Of those, NWS forecasts 6-10 to become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 3-5 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher).
In a typical Atlantic hurricane season, there are an average of 14 named storms, with 7 of those developing into hurricanes, and 3 of those becoming major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher).
Factors Influencing NOAA’s Predictions
NOAA cites a confluence of factors, including:
All of these elements tend to favor tropical storm formation. The higher-heat content in the ocean provides more energy to fuel storm development, while weaker winds allow the storms to develop without disruption.
“This hurricane season also features the potential for a northward shift of the West African monsoon, producing tropical waves that seed some of the strongest and most long-lived Atlantic storms,” said NOAA.
National Weather Service Director Ken Graham said, “This outlook is a call to action: be prepared. Take proactive steps now to make a plan and gather supplies to ensure you’re ready before a storm threatens.”
Forecast Improvements
NOAA also says it will improve its forecast communications, decision support, and storm recovery efforts this season. These include:
Enhanced Communication
The National Hurricane Center will also step up its communication efforts with:
New Tools
NOAA also points to new tools that will provide better information. They include:
2025 Names and Analog Seasons
NOAA cautions that these predictions are not a landfall forecast. NOAA will update the 2025 Atlantic seasonal outlook in early August, prior to the historical peak of the season.
In the meantime, here are the names for the 2025 hurricane season.
NOAA’s forecast is largely consistent with the forecast issued by Colorado State University (CSU) earlier this year. CSU researchers pointed to several years where the same conditions influencing the forecast were present: 1996, 1999, 2006, 2008, 2011, and 2017.
For anyone who needs a reminder, Ike struck in 2008 and Harvey struck in 2017. The season officially begins in eight days. Here is a list of links to preparedness checklists for everything from kids to seniors and pets to vehicles.
Posted by Bob Rehak on May 23, 2025
2824 Days since Hurricane Harvey
New Subsidence District Report Shows Improvements, Challenges
5/22/25 – The Harris-Galveston Subsidence District released its 2024 Annual Groundwater Report last week. The document represents a sort of scientifically graded report card for the District.
It shows that serious subsidence problems remain in fast growing areas where regulations have yet to be fully phased in. But it also shows that subsidence has decreased dramatically where regulations have been in place the longest.
Finally, it explains what the region’s leaders are doing to get people off groundwater in those fast-growing areas. Groundwater is the major cause of subsidence or sinking of the land and can damage infrastructure such as streets, sewers, and pipelines. It can even trigger geologic faults.
Subsidence has also been linked to flooding in several ways. The effect is obvious near the coast in areas susceptible to storm surge. But it’s less intuitive farther inland at higher elevations. It has to do with creating bowls in the landscape that alter the gradient of rivers and streams. But I’ll save that discussion for a subsequent post.
The 2024 report starts with four main topics:
Each affects the next. Let’s look at these topics briefly, then look at what the District is doing to get fast-growing areas off groundwater.
Climate Impact Negligible Last Year
Last year, precipitation was above normal for all National Weather Service reporting stations throughout the region except for Katy. Above-normal precipitation typically reduces the demand for groundwater to irrigate lawns and crops. However, irrigation usually comprises only a small percentage of total demand.
Groundwater Use Increased in Fast Growing Areas
The District monitored groundwater use in its three different regulatory areas and then averaged all three.
Regulatory Area:
Here’s what happened to groundwater demand in each:
Regulatory Area #3 accounted for a whopping 82% of all groundwater used in all three areas combined.
Looking at all three areas combined, the average declined compared to the previous two years. But growth in Area #3 water demand pulled the average up compared to the previous 10 years.
The gradual phase in of groundwater restrictions in Area #3 gives new developments time to migrate to water from alternative sources.
Groundwater Usage Decreasing as Alternative Water Usage Increases
The District defines “alternative sources” as anything other than groundwater. It usually refers to surface water from various sources such as the Trinity, San Jacinto or Brazos Rivers.
Overall, the use of alternative water is growing and reached a new high last year. Conversely, groundwater use declined despite growth in total water demand.
But growth in surface water supplies met that demand and then some.
All things considered, that’s good news.
Impact on Groundwater Levels
Restricting groundwater use reduces subsidence. To see its impact, the District measured increases and decreases in water well levels. The District can provide comparisons of hundreds of well levels today with the previous year, five years and 48 years. Predictably, the highest decreases clustered within the fastest growing areas to the north and west.
But well levels also actually rose in some areas. Where that happened, aquifers are recharging faster than they are depleting – another good sign that the regulatory regime is working.
Impact on Subsidence
The Subsidence District maintains an extensive network of GPS stations that monitor subsidence across 12 counties.
Two things stood out:
Filling Observational Gaps Between Wells
The District also used “interferograms” to render high-resolution subsidence maps. Radio waves bounced off earth form the basis for interferograms. By measuring the timing of return signals as the satellite circles the globe endlessly, and comparing the differences, the technique can achieve an accuracy of millimeters.
Interferograms produced by the Subsidence District clearly show bands of subsidence that correspond to the length of time regulations have been in effect.
But there’s even better hope for the future.
Projects Enabling Groundwater Conversion
Area leaders have collaborated on four large projects to move people off groundwater.
In addition, the City and several water authorities are working on their own local distribution systems to move water to customers.
It’s comforting to see people of the region coming together to provide for the security of the next generation.
Click below to see the:
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/22/25
2823 days since Hurricane Harvey