Saturday night, Northpark flooded at the intersection of Russell Palmer and it remained flooded this morning.
On Saturday, 4/21/24 at 4:46 PM, Harris County Meteorologist Jeff Lindner communicated a flash flood advisory. He also warned of street flooding. And it happened. But the amount of rain at this location should not have caused flooding that lasted more than 12 hours.
1.72 Inches of Rain in About 12 Hours
According to the Harris County Flood Control Gage at the San Jacinto West Fork and US59, the western Kingwood area received 1.72 inches last night and this morning. The peak was 1.12 inches between 5 and 6 PM on Saturday, just minutes after Lindner’s warning.
Rainfall 4.20.24 to 4.21.24
Most streets handled the volume with only temporary ponding near storm drain inlets. But Northpark flooded near the construction zone at Russell Palmer Road. Saturday night, police had barricaded the westbound lanes.
Photo Courtesy of Eric Hayes, taken Saturday night after the 1.12 inches in an hour.
Looking West At Intersection Sunday Morning
As of this morning at 9 AM, Northpark remained flooded and police had erected barricades. But cars were running around them and plowing through water over their bumpers.
Looking W along Northpark at Russell Palmer intersection, Sunday, 4/21/24 at 9AM.
What happened?
Closer shot looking E shows depth of water where cars snaked around barriers.
Motorists, especially young ones, should know that if water gets over a car’s tailpipe, it will cause the engine to stall. And it could lead to expensive repairs.
Looking W again at vehicles evading barricades
Why Northpark Flooded
It’s not unusual for water to collect like this during intense storms. But it is unusual for it to stand like this for 15 hours.
Water in the Diversion Ditch and Bens Branch was slightly elevated this morning, but not very high. And there was barely a trickle of water entering the Diversion Ditch from the new Northpark culvert. That makes me suspect a drain was blocked somewhere.
Looking E at extent of culvert placement.
Before arriving at the scene this morning, I feared that the blockage might have been farther west. I saw contractors working on a junction box Friday afternoon about a hundred yards west of where Northpark flooded.
However, it appears that water in the ditch was flowing into the culvert.
Looking E. Water flowing through area where contractors were installing junction box.
So I suspect the trouble may be at the intersection itself. I reviewed the pictures I took Friday afternoon before the rain. It shows that the intersection is serviced by at least three drains.
Location of three drains circled in red at flooded intersection. Photo taken before rain.
This seems like a logical place to start looking for an explanation as to why Northpark flooded. This was the first test for the new drainage at this intersection. I’m sure Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority (LHRA) and its contractors will be out there soon diagnosing the problem. In the meantime, take alternate routes out of Kingwood.
This whole intersection will eventually be raised to the height of the manhole cover in the very first photo above. That should eliminate Northpark flooding problems at this location. But that will also take some time.
I will let you know what the contractors and LHRA find.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240421-DJI_20240421090314_0393_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C825&ssl=18251100adminadmin2024-04-21 12:21:162024-04-21 16:37:51Northpark Flooded at Russell Palmer
Entergy has made more progress on the Northpark Drive expansion project in the last two weeks than in the previous four years. But despite what you see in the photos below, significant issues remain to clear the way for the first all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood.
Some Progress, But…
Last week, Entergy, a $4 billion company in Texas, erected nine new power poles outside of the City’s right of way. This week, their contractor, Primoris Services, started the process of stringing wire. That’s good news. Really!
But unseen obstacles could still delay the project significantly. For instance:
Who will pay for moving Entergy’s ground-mounted transformer and associated power lines near the Exxon Station at US59? Entergy reportedly still wants the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority (LHRA) to pay for upgrading and moving the transformer and buried cables. LHRA insists that’s an illegal ask because it would constitute a gift of public funds.
More power poles remain near Loop 494 that will be difficult to move because of conflicts with new storm drains.
Entergy must tunnel under rail tracks.
Entergy reportedly still refuses to commit to completion dates for moving its equipment.
Will Entergy Beat Union Pacific?
If Entergy does not resolve issues near the railroad tracks before Union Pacific crews arrive to install new signals and improve the road bed, the project could be delayed years.
Union Pacific reportedly has two crews that rotate through 27 states handling such issues. If we miss them this year, the Northpark project goes to the back of a very long line, according to Ralph De Leon, Northpark project manager for LHRA.
Entergy has already blown a City deadline to move its equipment by March 8. So they have already missed a 30-day deadline by 42 days. But according De Leon, Entergy still refuses to commit to any completion dates.
Ray of Hope
According to Houston Public Works (HPW), Entergy has assigned a new project manager and team to the project. This could be a sign of good things to come.
HPW Senior Division Manager Patrick Nguyen says the City is working with Entergy to resolve easement issues that could result in construction delays and cost escalation. Mayor John Whitmire, who is committed to seeing the project through, has reportedly asked Nguyen to act as an arbitrator.
In an email received today, Nguyen said that “Entergy has assigned a new project manager along with a team to the project.” While diplomatically expressing hope, he did not elaborate further.
Progress Last Week
All nine poles erected last week had pulleys and rope or cables threaded through them when I took these photos today. According to one expert I talked to, crews will use the rope or cables to “pull wire.”
Close up (top left) of cables/ropes and pulleys that will be used to pull new electrical wires from pole to pole.
Compare old and new poles in lower left. Once wire is pulled to a pole, it will be attached to the tip of the insulator.
Moving the poles farther from the street will create room for a six lane bridge plus two turn lanes on each side of the bridge (to meet TXDoT requirements).
LHRA first notified Entergy to move its equipment in 2020. Entergy still won’t commit to a completion date.
The mess at 494
Other Northpark News
Contractors are smoothing out the dirt placed over the culverts between the Kingwood Diversion Ditch and Russell Palmer Road.
Looking west toward Kingwood Diversion Ditch from over Russell Palmer Road
Northpark will expand inwards. Contractors will pour two lanes of concrete in the dirt-covered area above. If I read the schedule correctly, paving in the area above could start within the next two weeks.
West of Russell Palmer (below), contractors buried almost another hundred yards of 6’x8′ culvert last week. Weather permitting, and if they can keep up that same rate of progress, they should be to the railroad tracks in another three months or so.
Looking west along Northpark. Last week, culvert crews were barely past the Shipleys Donut sign the lower right.
However, the culvert will not go all the way to the tracks down the median. As it approaches the point where the bridge starts to rise, it will veer to the right and go under the turn lanes where Entergy is moving back its poles.
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240419-DJI_20240419123758_0355_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C825&ssl=18251100adminadmin2024-04-19 18:46:412024-04-21 12:18:52Entergy Makes Some Northpark Progress, but Significant Issues Remain
Below is a digest of seven flood-related items in the news lately.
Dubai Floods
On April 18, 2024, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates saw the heaviest flooding in 75 years. That’s as far back as their records go. Dubai began data collection efforts in 1949. The floods followed several cloud-seeding flights. They probably did not cause the heavy rain, but many believe they contributed to it. Highways, the airport and large parts of the city were under water.
“By the end of Tuesday, more than 142 millimeters (5.59 inches) of rainfall had soaked Dubai over 24 hours. An average year sees 94.7 millimeters (3.73 inches) of rain at Dubai International Airport,” said the AP. Wave after wave of thunderstorms from a strong low-pressure system triggered heavy rains in neighboring Oman that killed 19 people.
Sally Geiss, a former Kingwood resident, sent me a link to a dramatic collection of videos of the flooding on NotTheBee.com.
Regional Flood Planning Group Recommendations
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has approved amendments to the first-ever regional flood plans. They recommend additional solutions to reduce the risk and impact of flooding across the state. The amendments bring the total estimated cost of flood-risk-reduction solutions for all 15 planning regions to more than $54 billion.
Significantly, 30 of the flood-mitigation projects could provide water-supply solutions if implemented.
All of the flood-risk-reduction solutions recommended in the amended regional flood plans should be included in the 2024 State Flood Plan. That will make them eligible for funding through the State’s Flood Infrastructure Fund.
San Jacinto Regional Flood Planning Group
The San Jacinto Regional Flood Planning Group – Region 6 is currently underway to solicit a technical consultant for the second planning cycle.
Harris County will advertise a request for qualifications (RFQ) within the coming weeks. The RFQ selection and process will follow standard Harris County procurement procedures.
County Judge Lina Hidalgo held a press conference last week in which she blasted Harris County purchasing procedures. She wants to change them. According to Hidalgo, RFQs for Flood Control, Engineering and the Toll Road Authority are approved without bidding or documentation.
In virtually all cases, Purchasing rubber stamps the recommendations of Commissioners, according to Hidalgo. And she says that 93% of those approved contributed heavily to commissioners.
She starts about 15-20 minutes into the video, and there’s a Spanish translation at the end. So it’s not as long as it looks.
Hidalgo based her allegations on a series of audit reports of the purchasing department, which were previously publicized by the Houston Chronicle.
Hidalgo never mentioned her own legal troubles re: the Elevate Strategies contract.
Kingwood Open House
Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey’s office is hosting a Kingwood Open House on Thursday, April 25, 2024 between 6:30 and 8 PM at the Kingwood High School, 2701 Kingwood Drive.
The focus will be on infrastructure improvements and include representatives from Precinct 3, City of Houston, San Jacinto River Authority, and Harris County Flood Control District.
The Woodlands MUD Elections
In Texas, Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs) have the legal authority to partner with other governmental agencies such as the Texas Water Development Board and Harris County Flood Control District for flood-mitigation projects.
Early voting for The Woodlands Municipal Utility District directors begins on April 22 at the Shenandoah Municipal Complex.
In preparation, The Woodlands Township Future Group will sponsor an informative talk by Robert Leilich, Director of the Board of The Woodlands MUD #1 and Erich M Peterson, PE, General Manager of the Woodlands Water Agency.
Their topic: “All You wanted to Know about Municipal Utility Districts.”
Date: Monday, April 22, 2024
Time: 7 pm to 8 pm
Please copy the link below and paste in a browser to join the presentation via Zoom:
The discussion of Municipal Utility Districts will cover:
What is a MUD?
What services do MUDs provide The Woodlands?
Who determines and directs the activities of a MUD?
What is The Woodlands Water Agency (also known as WoodlandsWater) and what is its relationship to MUDs in The Woodlands?
Emergency Habitability Repairs
The City of Houston Planning Department publishes a weekly Permit Activity Report. I usually scan it for development projects in the Lake Houston Area. But in the last few weeks, I have noticed something else that’s highly interesting.
There’s an extremely high correlation between “emergency habitability repairs” and proximity to drainage ditches and bayous with a reputation for flooding, such as Greens Bayou.
In one of the previous reports, I found that 90% of the emergency repairs happened in apartment complexes right on the banks of Greens or within a block of it.
This should underscore the risk of living close to waterways. Even though the permit applications may not have immediately followed a flood, they may have resulted from problems, such as mold that build up after floods.
I intend to follow this trend and report more when I have more data.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/18/24
2424 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Lina-Hidalgo-Press-Conf.jpg?fit=1100%2C614&ssl=16141100adminadmin2024-04-18 14:47:532024-04-18 14:53:22Flood Digest: Flooding, Planning and More
Northpark Flooded at Russell Palmer
Saturday night, Northpark flooded at the intersection of Russell Palmer and it remained flooded this morning.
On Saturday, 4/21/24 at 4:46 PM, Harris County Meteorologist Jeff Lindner communicated a flash flood advisory. He also warned of street flooding. And it happened. But the amount of rain at this location should not have caused flooding that lasted more than 12 hours.
1.72 Inches of Rain in About 12 Hours
According to the Harris County Flood Control Gage at the San Jacinto West Fork and US59, the western Kingwood area received 1.72 inches last night and this morning. The peak was 1.12 inches between 5 and 6 PM on Saturday, just minutes after Lindner’s warning.
Most streets handled the volume with only temporary ponding near storm drain inlets. But Northpark flooded near the construction zone at Russell Palmer Road. Saturday night, police had barricaded the westbound lanes.
Looking West At Intersection Sunday Morning
As of this morning at 9 AM, Northpark remained flooded and police had erected barricades. But cars were running around them and plowing through water over their bumpers.
What happened?
Motorists, especially young ones, should know that if water gets over a car’s tailpipe, it will cause the engine to stall. And it could lead to expensive repairs.
Why Northpark Flooded
It’s not unusual for water to collect like this during intense storms. But it is unusual for it to stand like this for 15 hours.
Water in the Diversion Ditch and Bens Branch was slightly elevated this morning, but not very high. And there was barely a trickle of water entering the Diversion Ditch from the new Northpark culvert. That makes me suspect a drain was blocked somewhere.
Before arriving at the scene this morning, I feared that the blockage might have been farther west. I saw contractors working on a junction box Friday afternoon about a hundred yards west of where Northpark flooded.
However, it appears that water in the ditch was flowing into the culvert.
So I suspect the trouble may be at the intersection itself. I reviewed the pictures I took Friday afternoon before the rain. It shows that the intersection is serviced by at least three drains.
This seems like a logical place to start looking for an explanation as to why Northpark flooded. This was the first test for the new drainage at this intersection. I’m sure Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority (LHRA) and its contractors will be out there soon diagnosing the problem. In the meantime, take alternate routes out of Kingwood.
This whole intersection will eventually be raised to the height of the manhole cover in the very first photo above. That should eliminate Northpark flooding problems at this location. But that will also take some time.
I will let you know what the contractors and LHRA find.
For More Information
For more information about Northpark expansion, visit the project pages of the LHRA/Tirz 10 website. Or see these posts on ReduceFlooding:
Posted by Bob Rehak on Sunday, 4/21/24 at noon
2427 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Entergy Makes Some Northpark Progress, but Significant Issues Remain
Entergy has made more progress on the Northpark Drive expansion project in the last two weeks than in the previous four years. But despite what you see in the photos below, significant issues remain to clear the way for the first all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood.
Some Progress, But…
Last week, Entergy, a $4 billion company in Texas, erected nine new power poles outside of the City’s right of way. This week, their contractor, Primoris Services, started the process of stringing wire. That’s good news. Really!
But unseen obstacles could still delay the project significantly. For instance:
Will Entergy Beat Union Pacific?
If Entergy does not resolve issues near the railroad tracks before Union Pacific crews arrive to install new signals and improve the road bed, the project could be delayed years.
Union Pacific reportedly has two crews that rotate through 27 states handling such issues. If we miss them this year, the Northpark project goes to the back of a very long line, according to Ralph De Leon, Northpark project manager for LHRA.
Entergy has already blown a City deadline to move its equipment by March 8. So they have already missed a 30-day deadline by 42 days. But according De Leon, Entergy still refuses to commit to any completion dates.
Ray of Hope
According to Houston Public Works (HPW), Entergy has assigned a new project manager and team to the project. This could be a sign of good things to come.
HPW Senior Division Manager Patrick Nguyen says the City is working with Entergy to resolve easement issues that could result in construction delays and cost escalation. Mayor John Whitmire, who is committed to seeing the project through, has reportedly asked Nguyen to act as an arbitrator.
In an email received today, Nguyen said that “Entergy has assigned a new project manager along with a team to the project.” While diplomatically expressing hope, he did not elaborate further.
Progress Last Week
All nine poles erected last week had pulleys and rope or cables threaded through them when I took these photos today. According to one expert I talked to, crews will use the rope or cables to “pull wire.”
Compare old and new poles in lower left. Once wire is pulled to a pole, it will be attached to the tip of the insulator.
Moving the poles farther from the street will create room for a six lane bridge plus two turn lanes on each side of the bridge (to meet TXDoT requirements).
LHRA first notified Entergy to move its equipment in 2020. Entergy still won’t commit to a completion date.
Other Northpark News
Contractors are smoothing out the dirt placed over the culverts between the Kingwood Diversion Ditch and Russell Palmer Road.
Northpark will expand inwards. Contractors will pour two lanes of concrete in the dirt-covered area above. If I read the schedule correctly, paving in the area above could start within the next two weeks.
West of Russell Palmer (below), contractors buried almost another hundred yards of 6’x8′ culvert last week. Weather permitting, and if they can keep up that same rate of progress, they should be to the railroad tracks in another three months or so.
However, the culvert will not go all the way to the tracks down the median. As it approaches the point where the bridge starts to rise, it will veer to the right and go under the turn lanes where Entergy is moving back its poles.
For More Information
For more information about Northpark expansion, visit the project pages of the LHRA/Tirz 10 website. Or see these posts on ReduceFlooding:
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/19/24
2425 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
Flood Digest: Flooding, Planning and More
Below is a digest of seven flood-related items in the news lately.
Dubai Floods
On April 18, 2024, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates saw the heaviest flooding in 75 years. That’s as far back as their records go. Dubai began data collection efforts in 1949. The floods followed several cloud-seeding flights. They probably did not cause the heavy rain, but many believe they contributed to it. Highways, the airport and large parts of the city were under water.
“By the end of Tuesday, more than 142 millimeters (5.59 inches) of rainfall had soaked Dubai over 24 hours. An average year sees 94.7 millimeters (3.73 inches) of rain at Dubai International Airport,” said the AP. Wave after wave of thunderstorms from a strong low-pressure system triggered heavy rains in neighboring Oman that killed 19 people.
Sally Geiss, a former Kingwood resident, sent me a link to a dramatic collection of videos of the flooding on NotTheBee.com.
Regional Flood Planning Group Recommendations
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has approved amendments to the first-ever regional flood plans. They recommend additional solutions to reduce the risk and impact of flooding across the state. The amendments bring the total estimated cost of flood-risk-reduction solutions for all 15 planning regions to more than $54 billion.
Significantly, 30 of the flood-mitigation projects could provide water-supply solutions if implemented.
All of the flood-risk-reduction solutions recommended in the amended regional flood plans should be included in the 2024 State Flood Plan. That will make them eligible for funding through the State’s Flood Infrastructure Fund.
San Jacinto Regional Flood Planning Group
The San Jacinto Regional Flood Planning Group – Region 6 is currently underway to solicit a technical consultant for the second planning cycle.
Harris County will advertise a request for qualifications (RFQ) within the coming weeks. The RFQ selection and process will follow standard Harris County procurement procedures.
Interested? The flood planning group provided this link to monitor opportunities:
https://purchasing.harriscountytx.gov/Services/Online-Solicitation-Opportunities.
Harris County Purchasing
County Judge Lina Hidalgo held a press conference last week in which she blasted Harris County purchasing procedures. She wants to change them. According to Hidalgo, RFQs for Flood Control, Engineering and the Toll Road Authority are approved without bidding or documentation.
In virtually all cases, Purchasing rubber stamps the recommendations of Commissioners, according to Hidalgo. And she says that 93% of those approved contributed heavily to commissioners.
Here’s a link to her press conference video.
She starts about 15-20 minutes into the video, and there’s a Spanish translation at the end. So it’s not as long as it looks.
Hidalgo based her allegations on a series of audit reports of the purchasing department, which were previously publicized by the Houston Chronicle.
Hidalgo never mentioned her own legal troubles re: the Elevate Strategies contract.
Kingwood Open House
Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey’s office is hosting a Kingwood Open House on Thursday, April 25, 2024 between 6:30 and 8 PM at the Kingwood High School, 2701 Kingwood Drive.
The focus will be on infrastructure improvements and include representatives from Precinct 3, City of Houston, San Jacinto River Authority, and Harris County Flood Control District.
The Woodlands MUD Elections
In Texas, Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs) have the legal authority to partner with other governmental agencies such as the Texas Water Development Board and Harris County Flood Control District for flood-mitigation projects.
Early voting for The Woodlands Municipal Utility District directors begins on April 22 at the Shenandoah Municipal Complex.
In preparation, The Woodlands Township Future Group will sponsor an informative talk by Robert Leilich, Director of the Board of The Woodlands MUD #1 and Erich M Peterson, PE, General Manager of the Woodlands Water Agency.
Their topic: “All You wanted to Know about Municipal Utility Districts.”
Date: Monday, April 22, 2024
Time: 7 pm to 8 pm
Please copy the link below and paste in a browser to join the presentation via Zoom:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82866382552?pwd=IB2JnUwSD96Tq68oZLygYaNPRTbWT4.1
Passcode: 346862
The discussion of Municipal Utility Districts will cover:
What is a MUD?
Emergency Habitability Repairs
The City of Houston Planning Department publishes a weekly Permit Activity Report. I usually scan it for development projects in the Lake Houston Area. But in the last few weeks, I have noticed something else that’s highly interesting.
There’s an extremely high correlation between “emergency habitability repairs” and proximity to drainage ditches and bayous with a reputation for flooding, such as Greens Bayou.
In one of the previous reports, I found that 90% of the emergency repairs happened in apartment complexes right on the banks of Greens or within a block of it.
This should underscore the risk of living close to waterways. Even though the permit applications may not have immediately followed a flood, they may have resulted from problems, such as mold that build up after floods.
I intend to follow this trend and report more when I have more data.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/18/24
2424 Days since Hurricane Harvey