11/13/24 – Four years of persistence by flood activist Chris Bloch are finally paying off. HCFCD is clearing a drainage ditch blocked by silt and vegetation.
Bloch, who does not live near the ditch, has no financial stake in the clean-out effort. Yet he has stayed on top of the project and gently pushed it along out of concern for Kingwood. His persistence should be an example for everyone everywhere.
Blocked culverts before clean-out began
Effort Began in 2020
Concerned about how flooding could affect the future of his community, Bloch, a retired engineer, began exploring local drainage issues after Harvey and quickly became a flood activist. In 2020, he reported problems related to G-103-36-02.1 to Harris County Flood Control. The unnamed ditch runs from Kingwood Drive to Lake Kingwood, a couple blocks east of Woodland Hills Drive.
The ditch is only about 1,500 feet long, but helps drain a much larger area around it, including the major intersection of Kingwood Drive and Woodland Hills. The intersection often floods in heavy rains when water backs up in storm sewers because they are blocked by sediment and silt in the ditch.
Extent of clean-out effort on 11/12/24Same area from ground level. Note dirt piled up on left bank.
The two thoroughfares are important evacuation routes during major floods. The flooded intersection also causes major inconvenience at other times. In addition, homes, yards and streets along the ditch have flooded multiple times in recent years as it has become increasingly blocked.
Bloch worked with the Kingwood Lakes Community Association to grant access, so that Flood Control could cross Kingwood Lakes Property.
Overcoming One Obstacle After Another
Finally, in 2021, Bloch received an email indicating the Flood Control District was finally going to start a clean-out project in June of that year.
But a railing installed by the City of Houston along a Kingwood Drive sidewalk still blocked access to the site.
It took several months for HCFCD to get permission from the City to remove the railing.
June 2021 came and went, and the project never started. When Bloch inquired about the delay, he was told they would start in September. That did not happen.
In November, HCFCD told him it had cancelled the project because it did not have “property rights” to the channel. This was despite the fact that HCFCD had posted its signs on the channel.
Bloch persisted. After investigation, he found the City of Houston originally inherited the channel from the MUD District as a result of annexation. The City agreed to transfer the property to the Flood Control District, but somehow the paperwork was never finalized.
So Bloch approached former District E City Council Member Dave Martin. Martin got the paperwork finalized.
Confusion and Nature Lay Down More Obstacles
Finally, in March 2024, HCFCD admitted they had property rights to the ditch and would reinstate the project.
But HCFCD indicated it would have to clear vegetation before the project could start. According to Bloch, crews came out to Kingwood, but mistakenly cleared vegetation on a different tributary of the Bear Branch channel.
Before they could straighten that out, Hurricane Beryl further obstructed the proper channel. Several trees and limbs fell into it.
Bloch worked with a FEMA contractor to make sure they cleared the channel of all tree debris. As a result, HCFCD could finally initiate sediment removal and the project began several weeks ago.
Bloch Remains Vigilant
But Bloch has not let up. He continues to watch the contractor like a hawk. His concern: that sediment piled along the channel’s edge could back water up into yards and homes if we get a heavy rain.
Few people would take on a project like this unless it affected them personally. I find Bloch’s persistence amazing, inspiring and refreshing. I see him popping up at projects I follow all over Kingwood. His activism is a shining example of what it takes to get things done when dealing with multiple entities and overworked bureaucracies. It’s just too easy for things to get lost in the shuffle.
Thank you, Chris Bloch! We need more flood activists like you.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/13/24
2633 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/20241113-Kings-Creek-1.jpg?fit=1100%2C613&ssl=16131100adminadmin2024-11-13 14:30:492024-11-13 14:30:50Four Years of Persistence by Flood Activist Finally Paying Off
11/12/24 – On the Harris County Commissioners Court agenda for today, Harris County Engineering has 71 items. Harris County Flood Control (HCFCD) has seven. HCFCD used to battle Engineering each meeting for the title of “most projects on the agenda.” But not these days.
The disparity raises questions about HCFCD. Like “What’s going on?”
The seven HCFCD items include:
Two hike-and-bike trail agreements
Two engineering contracts
Three condemnation proceedings
But no construction that would actually reduce flooding.
Other Flood-Control Items Not Listed Under Flood Control
To be fair, HCFCD also has the following items on the agenda under different department names/headings:
Under the County Attorney, a settlement agreement
Under Grants, two requests to accept money (from FEMA and Homeland Security)
Under Purchasing, one request to advertise a project for bid
Also under Purchasing, approval of one contract each for:
Mowing
Floating, vegetated islands in a detention basin
Recycling surplus tires
Seed-mix development at Texas A&M
Lawn care
Under Emergency Items:
An engineering contract to design a Friendswood Regional Stormwater Detention Basin
Purchase of additional property at the Armand Bayou Nature Preserve
But that’s not all.
$30,000 for an Employee-Engagement Event?
Last but not least, under Travel and Training, for those who care to read the fine print, there’s another item on the agenda: $30,000 for an “Employee engagement event.” See Item 191, Line Item 5 on Page 24.
An HCFCD spokesperson says, “That item refers to funding for employee recognition opportunities, including a lunch event in December for the team.”
As a former business owner, I understand the need for employee recognition. But I never spent that much money on lunch. Nor did my company’s money come from public taxes after a 63% tax increase that squeaked by with a 2% margin of victory.
Regardless of the $30,000 lunch’s merits, the optics don’t look good.
HCFCD said the tax increase would fund increased maintenance needed, in large part, because of increased capital-improvement spending. But there’s not one capital-improvement construction contract on today’s agenda that will actually reduce flooding.
It’s unclear why HCFCD has slowed down. But it has.
In the third quarter of this year, spending slowed to pre-bond levels, according to HCFCD data obtained by a FOIA request.
With about 60% the 2018 Flood Bond still unspent, construction companies say they have capacity available. Money and availability are not the issues.
Neither is staffing. The lunch is for 360 people. That’s more than under the previous administration.
So, maybe it is time to boost employee engagement! But please. The manager of the local Denny’s told me they would cater the event for half the price.
11/10/24 – Rafael, the up/down, on/off, east/west, north/south storm that defied prediction while stalking the Caribbean and Gulf for the past week, has lost its punch.
Rafael, a Rarity
Rafael reached Category 3 hurricane strength twice on its sojourn. By 9AM this morning, it was barely a tropical storm. And the National Hurricane Center believes it could turn into a remnant low…without making landfall in the U.S. or Mexico.
According to Harris County Meteorologist Jeff Lindner, “It is fairly rare for a tropical system in the Gulf to dissipate without reaching land somewhere, but it does happen. The last time something like this occurred this time of year was Hurricane Jeanne in 1980 (Nov 12-15).”
So Rafael will be the second in 45 years!
Rafael’s track across the Gulf of Mexico looked like a loop-de-loop on a roller coaster ride. A Facebook posted proclaimed, “someone should give that storm a DUI.”
Rafael Now a Post Tropical Depression
NHC posted this morning that it expected Rafael to become a post-tropical depression later tonight or tomorrow. It happened by 3 PM Houston CST when winds were measured at 35MPH. And with that, NHC issued its last advisory on Rafael.
“Surface circulation has become poorly defined and very elongated in the north-south direction. Since Rafael does not possess a well-defined center or organized convection, it no longer meets the definition of a tropical cyclone. This will be the final NHC advisory on Rafael,” said NHC.
Will Not Reform Given Amount of Dry Air
This isn’t just a case of a storm stalling while it gathers strength. Lindner says, “Given the large amounts of dry air in place over the Gulf, there is little hope for any regeneration once the system becomes a remnant low later today or Monday.”
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/10/24
2630 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/1000x1000.jpg?fit=1000%2C1000&ssl=110001000adminadmin2024-11-10 15:14:242024-11-11 08:01:11Rafael Fades into History Books
Four Years of Persistence by Flood Activist Finally Paying Off
11/13/24 – Four years of persistence by flood activist Chris Bloch are finally paying off. HCFCD is clearing a drainage ditch blocked by silt and vegetation.
Bloch, who does not live near the ditch, has no financial stake in the clean-out effort. Yet he has stayed on top of the project and gently pushed it along out of concern for Kingwood. His persistence should be an example for everyone everywhere.
Effort Began in 2020
Concerned about how flooding could affect the future of his community, Bloch, a retired engineer, began exploring local drainage issues after Harvey and quickly became a flood activist. In 2020, he reported problems related to G-103-36-02.1 to Harris County Flood Control. The unnamed ditch runs from Kingwood Drive to Lake Kingwood, a couple blocks east of Woodland Hills Drive.
The ditch is only about 1,500 feet long, but helps drain a much larger area around it, including the major intersection of Kingwood Drive and Woodland Hills. The intersection often floods in heavy rains when water backs up in storm sewers because they are blocked by sediment and silt in the ditch.
The two thoroughfares are important evacuation routes during major floods. The flooded intersection also causes major inconvenience at other times. In addition, homes, yards and streets along the ditch have flooded multiple times in recent years as it has become increasingly blocked.
Bloch worked with the Kingwood Lakes Community Association to grant access, so that Flood Control could cross Kingwood Lakes Property.
Overcoming One Obstacle After Another
Finally, in 2021, Bloch received an email indicating the Flood Control District was finally going to start a clean-out project in June of that year.
But a railing installed by the City of Houston along a Kingwood Drive sidewalk still blocked access to the site.
It took several months for HCFCD to get permission from the City to remove the railing.
June 2021 came and went, and the project never started. When Bloch inquired about the delay, he was told they would start in September. That did not happen.
In November, HCFCD told him it had cancelled the project because it did not have “property rights” to the channel. This was despite the fact that HCFCD had posted its signs on the channel.
Bloch persisted. After investigation, he found the City of Houston originally inherited the channel from the MUD District as a result of annexation. The City agreed to transfer the property to the Flood Control District, but somehow the paperwork was never finalized.
So Bloch approached former District E City Council Member Dave Martin. Martin got the paperwork finalized.
Confusion and Nature Lay Down More Obstacles
Finally, in March 2024, HCFCD admitted they had property rights to the ditch and would reinstate the project.
But HCFCD indicated it would have to clear vegetation before the project could start. According to Bloch, crews came out to Kingwood, but mistakenly cleared vegetation on a different tributary of the Bear Branch channel.
Before they could straighten that out, Hurricane Beryl further obstructed the proper channel. Several trees and limbs fell into it.
Bloch worked with a FEMA contractor to make sure they cleared the channel of all tree debris. As a result, HCFCD could finally initiate sediment removal and the project began several weeks ago.
Bloch Remains Vigilant
But Bloch has not let up. He continues to watch the contractor like a hawk. His concern: that sediment piled along the channel’s edge could back water up into yards and homes if we get a heavy rain.
Few people would take on a project like this unless it affected them personally. I find Bloch’s persistence amazing, inspiring and refreshing. I see him popping up at projects I follow all over Kingwood. His activism is a shining example of what it takes to get things done when dealing with multiple entities and overworked bureaucracies. It’s just too easy for things to get lost in the shuffle.
Thank you, Chris Bloch! We need more flood activists like you.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/13/24
2633 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Commissioners Court Agenda Raises HCFCD Questions
11/12/24 – On the Harris County Commissioners Court agenda for today, Harris County Engineering has 71 items. Harris County Flood Control (HCFCD) has seven. HCFCD used to battle Engineering each meeting for the title of “most projects on the agenda.” But not these days.
The disparity raises questions about HCFCD. Like “What’s going on?”
The seven HCFCD items include:
But no construction that would actually reduce flooding.
Other Flood-Control Items Not Listed Under Flood Control
To be fair, HCFCD also has the following items on the agenda under different department names/headings:
But that’s not all.
$30,000 for an Employee-Engagement Event?
Last but not least, under Travel and Training, for those who care to read the fine print, there’s another item on the agenda: $30,000 for an “Employee engagement event.” See Item 191, Line Item 5 on Page 24.
An HCFCD spokesperson says, “That item refers to funding for employee recognition opportunities, including a lunch event in December for the team.”
As a former business owner, I understand the need for employee recognition. But I never spent that much money on lunch. Nor did my company’s money come from public taxes after a 63% tax increase that squeaked by with a 2% margin of victory.
HCFCD said the tax increase would fund increased maintenance needed, in large part, because of increased capital-improvement spending. But there’s not one capital-improvement construction contract on today’s agenda that will actually reduce flooding.
It’s unclear why HCFCD has slowed down. But it has.
With about 60% the 2018 Flood Bond still unspent, construction companies say they have capacity available. Money and availability are not the issues.
Neither is staffing. The lunch is for 360 people. That’s more than under the previous administration.
So, maybe it is time to boost employee engagement! But please. The manager of the local Denny’s told me they would cater the event for half the price.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/12/2024
2632 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Rafael Fades into History Books
11/10/24 – Rafael, the up/down, on/off, east/west, north/south storm that defied prediction while stalking the Caribbean and Gulf for the past week, has lost its punch.
Rafael, a Rarity
Rafael reached Category 3 hurricane strength twice on its sojourn. By 9AM this morning, it was barely a tropical storm. And the National Hurricane Center believes it could turn into a remnant low…without making landfall in the U.S. or Mexico.
According to Harris County Meteorologist Jeff Lindner, “It is fairly rare for a tropical system in the Gulf to dissipate without reaching land somewhere, but it does happen. The last time something like this occurred this time of year was Hurricane Jeanne in 1980 (Nov 12-15).”
So Rafael will be the second in 45 years!
Rafael’s track across the Gulf of Mexico looked like a loop-de-loop on a roller coaster ride. A Facebook posted proclaimed, “someone should give that storm a DUI.”
Rafael Now a Post Tropical Depression
NHC posted this morning that it expected Rafael to become a post-tropical depression later tonight or tomorrow. It happened by 3 PM Houston CST when winds were measured at 35MPH. And with that, NHC issued its last advisory on Rafael.
“Surface circulation has become poorly defined and very elongated in the north-south direction. Since Rafael does not possess a well-defined center or organized convection, it no longer meets the definition of a tropical cyclone. This will be the final NHC advisory on Rafael,” said NHC.
Will Not Reform Given Amount of Dry Air
This isn’t just a case of a storm stalling while it gathers strength. Lindner says, “Given the large amounts of dry air in place over the Gulf, there is little hope for any regeneration once the system becomes a remnant low later today or Monday.”
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/10/24
2630 Days since Hurricane Harvey