8/22/24 – If you still have storm debris from Hurricane Beryl, what you do by when depends on where you live and what you need picked up. Procedures and deadlines differ for:
Harris County Precinct 3 Unincorporated Areas
City of Houston
Montgomery County
This post describes what people in those areas need to do to ensure their debris gets removed. Read thoroughly and act swiftly. Some deadlines are only days away.
Beryl debris. Scenes like this were reported throughout the Houston Areaand not all have been removed.
The City of Humble has completed its cleanup effort and so is not included in this post.
Harris County Precinct 3 Unincorporated Areas
The final deadline for reporting storm debris is Monday, September 2. If you still have storm debris in your yard, please be sure to place it at the curb and report it for final pickup. You can do so online or by phone.
Select “Road & Bridge Maintenance” in the service menu
Type “Hurricane Beryl Debris” in the comments section
To report by phone:
Call 713-274-3100 during business hours, Monday – Friday, 7 AM – 4:30 PM.
Instructions:
Please remember to separate your debris for efficient pickup! Visit www.pct3.com or see below for separation guidelines.
From Harris County Precinct 3 Newsletteron 8/22/24.
City of Houston
The City’s Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) collected more than 2.1 million cubic yards of Beryl-related storm debris by August 15. The Department expects to conclude the first pass of storm collections by Saturday, August 31.
In preparation for the next phase of debris collections, SWMD requests residents to place all remaining storm debris at the curbside no later than Sunday, August 25. The department will begin the second pass in earnest on Monday, September 2.
“Residents do not need to report their storm debris to 3-1-1.”
“Storm debris contractors will drive down every street and collect storm debris piles in all public rights of way,” explained this Solid Waste webpage.
SWMD urges residents to:
Separate storm debris from bulk waste, and demolition and construction debris at the curbside. Contaminated debris piles might delay collection until the next bulk waste month.
Ensure that tree trunks are 3 feet or less in diameter and 3 feet or less in length and tree branches are 6 feet or less in length.
Place debris piles within 10 feet onto private property lines as crews cannot encroach beyond that limit.
Beryl struck before the Derecho cleanup finished. Beryl alone created an estimated 4 million cubic yards of storm debris – enough to fill NRG Stadium. So please be patient.
Montgomery County
To have Beryl storm debris picked up, Montgomery County residents must register by August 30. Click this link to begin registration.
If you are still waiting on the first or second passes, make sure you RE-REGISTER and upload a debris photo.
Property owners must fill out a debris removal survey to ensure your vegetative debris will be picked up— tree branches, trees stumps, tree trunks, and branches.
Place vegetative debris as close to road/curb as possible. But do not block ditches or the roadway.
Montgomery County is only picking up vegetative debris. The county is not removing appliances, demolition debris or construction waste.
DO:
Ensure debris is easily accessible
Place it away from obstacles like trees, poles, fire hydrants, meters, mailboxes, or any other structure that could hinder removal
Place it in a county or city right of way.
DON’T:
Block roadways or ditches. Avoid blocking water flow.
Include non-storm-related debris: Only storm-related vegetative debris will be collected.
Use trash bags for tree debris.
Place debris on private property: Collection is limited to the County/City right-of-way.
Place debris in gated communities: Collection does not occur in gated communities.
Obstruct traffic: Avoid placing debris in a way that could pose hazards for drivers.
Residents who live on cul-de-sacs or dead end streets require special equipment to maneuver in tighter areas. That may take longer, so please have patience.
Montgomery County’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (OHSEM) is handling the Beryl response. The information provided when you register will enhance their ability to allocate resources appropriately and expedite the debris removal process.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/22/2024
2550 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 45 since Beryl
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240806-RJR_3763.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2024-08-22 14:38:132024-08-22 20:12:08Still Have Storm Debris?
For everyone else, I’ve posted a brief summary below. It covers key provisions, including those that affect lake lowering to help reduce flood risk. Spoiler alert: I made a startling discovery at the end of the contract doc.
But let’s start from the top of the Lake Conroe contract.
Key Definition
The first few pages lay out the customary recitals and definitions found in all contracts. The key definition is that of a 1987 Certificate of Adjudication (Number 10-4963, shown in Appendix A) that governs the impoundment, use, diversion, and priorities of water in Lake Conroe.
Ownership Interests
The meat of the contract starts in Article II on page 5: Interests of the Parties. Key points:
SJRA owns the land that constitutes the Lake.
The City owns two-thirds of the water in it.
SJRA owns the remaining one-third.
Each party has the right to sell its share of the water.
Other revenues from the operation of Lake Conroe, such as income from marina leases, go toward operating and maintaining the lake.
Operational Responsibilities
Article III on Page 6 of the Lake Conroe contract lays out operational responsibilities.
SJRA:
Operates and maintains the lake and dam.
Handles all the accounting and reporting for water impounded and released.
Maintains metering devices and monitors withdrawals (must be accurate within ±5% or better)
Lets lakefront homeowners pump water directly from the lake for $150/year to water their lawns
Joint Responsibilities:
Annual reports to public and TCEQ of withdrawals.
Annual withdrawals by their respective customers.
Release of Water and Reservoir Levels (Section 3.04, )age 8)
SJRA must release water when requested by City (subject to restrictions in the Certificate). But it must do so in a way that maximizes the operational yield of the lake.
Liability and Indemnification (Section 3.05, Page 9)
Both parties are jointly liable for damages when the lake is operated according to established procedures.
If one side is negligent, that party assumes sole responsibility for any damages.
Other sections in Article III cover:
Defense of claims
Regulatory compliance
Water Quality
Annual budget and what happens if City Council fails to approve the annual budget
Monthly payments by the City to SJRA for capital, operations and maintenance expenses
Flood mitigation (Section 3.16 (c), Page 17)
Reports and Inspections; Incidental Matters
Article IV, starting on Page 17 covers:
Annual audits
Inspection of records
Disposal of surplus property
Length of Contract
This contract replaces the original 1968 Lake Conroe contract between the City and SJRA. It will remain in effect until terminated by mutual agreement during the useful life of Lake Conroe.
Default and Notice; Remedies; Mediation
Article V covers how the parties will handle disputes. It starts on page 18 and goes through page 23. Basically, it covers procedures leading up to mediation in the event of disagreements.
Force Majeure
Article VII covers force-majeure events. In law, “Force Majeure” means “unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract.” This section defines what happens during Acts of God, such as hurricanes, storms, floods, droughts, etc.
This Article allows the temporary suspension of normal rules, except those regarding payments. However, it requires resumption of the normal rules after the event.
Other Provisions
Article VIII contains addresses and contact information for each party and approval procedures.
Article IX includes provisions concerning applicable law (State of Texas), procedures for amendments, etc.
Exhibit A
The Certificate of Adjudication from the Texas Water Commission, dated February 25, 1987, limits total withdrawals from Lake Conroe to 100,000 acre feet per year. It lists the maximum withdrawal rate as 700 cubic feet per second.
Note: Some at the SJRA and City have chafed at this limitation. It restricts pre-release rates that could lower Lake Conroe in advance of approaching storms. Some want to raise the limit so that more water could be released earlier and reduce flood peaks.
The TCEQ amended the Certificate in 2010. It keeps the total withdrawals and max withdrawal rate above constant. But it added an additional use for the water. To the original municipal, industrial and mining categories, they added agriculture. It says they did that because they had not received any complaints about the previous limits within each category.
This is, in essence, a permit to release/sell water. And the permit comes with an obligation – to implement water conservation plans, which the TCEQ letter also spells out.
Exhibit B
This 2016 letter from SJRA’s management to the City explains a residential-lawn-watering permit program for lakefront homeowners. The program lets them pump water directly from the lake for a permit fee of $150 per year (as of 2016). That’s 41 cents per day.
They saved the best part for last. This was a real eye opener.
The permits mandate a “drought contingency plan” that impose watering restrictions when the level of the lake gets to 199 feet above mean sea level. Astute readers may remember that SJRA’s seasonal lake lowering plan took the lake down to 199 for large parts of the year.
Editorial Comment
Hmmmmm. Could that be why the Lake Conroe Association (LCA) fought seasonal lake lowering so vigorously?
People protesting the seasonal lake lowering policy wore red shirts saying “Stop the Drop,” and packed SJRA board meetings.
We may never know with certainty whether the loss of lawn watering was the sole or a contributing reason. But either way, unlimited watering of giant lawns for only 41 cents per day certainly helps explain at least some of the pushback from the LCA.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/21/24
2549 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.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/LC-Dam-e1719277556742.jpg?fit=1200%2C549&ssl=15491200adminadmin2024-08-21 20:00:532024-08-22 10:37:16Details of Lake Conroe Contract between SJRA, City
Improving building codes to mandate higher home elevations
Requiring greater setbacks from rivers, streams and bayous
De-snagging to prevent log-jams from backing water up
Preserving wetlands, grasslands and forests to absorb and slow runoff, and to create recreational opportunities for nearby homeowners
Bio-swales and ditches to create more stormwater storage and positive drainage around homes
Buying out flood-prone homes and converting the property to recreational or flood-mitigation space.
I’m sure more techniques exist. But those represent the big categories.
Complex Decisions Involving Many Factors
No one tool works for all situations. And many of the tools that reduce flood risk fly in the face of other human values. They may conflict with other values beyond safety, that we hold dear. Consider, for instance, property rights, individual freedom, job formation, expanding the tax base, a desire to live near water, and risk-taking.
So how do professionals decide which tools to apply where and when?
Again, it depends on a number of factors. To name a few:
Is State or Federal disaster-mitigation aid available?
Is Disaster Relief aid available?
Homeowner Inquiry Prompted Exploration
A homeowner reacted to one of my posts today. She lives in a low-lying area near FM1485 and the San Jacinto East Fork. It flooded badly on May2, 2024. She was certain that dredging and tree removal from the East Fork would help. But after investigating the area online, then from the ground and air, I wasn’t sure.
The normal river elevation in that area is 47.25 feet.
But on May 2, the river rose to 77.4 feet – 17 feet above the top of the river banks and 30 feet above normal!
Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist, had this to say about the May flood. “Since 1994, this was the second highest crest of the river at FM 1485. It exceeded Tropical Storm Imelda by 4.0 ft and the October 1994 flood by 1.0 ft.”
Lindner continued, “The flood of record remains Harvey which was 4.0 ft higher than the May 2024 event. The river exceeded the .2% (500-yr) exceedance probability elevation at the FM 1485 bridge by 1.5 ft. The table below shows the top five highest peaks on the East Fork of the San Jacinto River since 1994 at that location.”
Residents in this neighborhood experienced five 100-year-or-greater floods in 20 years. That’s one every four years. Is the risk 1% or 25% per year?
See the FEMA floodplain map below for the area in question.
It shows you how difficult flood prediction can be. It also shows you why even nature lovers should give water in Texas a wide berth unless they are prepared to lose everything. The May flood wasn’t even related to a tropical event!
Yellow/green diagonal line is the Harris/Montgomery County line. Image shows neighborhood S of FM1485 near East Fork. Crosshatch=floodway, Aqua=100-year and Tan=500 year floodplain.
Unfortunately, most of the homes in this neighborhood didn’t look like people could afford to lose everything. And I saw several that had been totally obliterated along with two roads that washed out.
I’m not sure what this was. But it was the only structure semi-standing for blocks around.
Professionals Say Buyouts Best Option In This Case, But…
In an area like this, flood-mitigation professionals have few good options. Given the depth of flooding, three professionals told me that intervention would have to be on a massive and costly scale to make a difference. As a result, each suggested buyouts as the best, most cost-effective alternative in this area.
Shortly after the May event, I interviewed a young couple named Daniel and Kathleen Moore. They lived on some of the highest land in the subdivision, but had flooded three times in the seven years that they owned their home (Harvey, Imelda, and May 2024).
They were hoping for a buyout. I called again today to see if they succeeded, but they were selling their property and moving out of state with their new baby. Why?
While Daniel was restoring the home, someone burned it to the ground on July 28th. Nothing stands there now but a charred chimney.
This was a heartbreaking story that deeply affected me personally. I once lived in a home near a creek that flooded frequently when I had two young babies.
While buyouts may sometimes be the most cost-effective option, they are not easy, according to a County Emergency Management Director that I interviewed. Counties must apply for FEMA buyout money and then it can take years to evaluate and rank all the applications and distribute the money.
Forest Cove buyouts took five years after Harvey to complete.
Ironically, the fact that the Moore’s were in a 500-year floodplain may have hurt their buyout chances. FEMA likes money to go to homes that are insured but which flood frequently.
So What About Dredging and Tree Removal?
The Moore’s lived in Montgomery County. But the other family that contacted me lived on the Harris side of the county line in the same neighborhood.
Typical scene in East Fork south of FM1485Area has trees down everywhere.
Experts I talked to suggested dredging wouldn’t make an appreciable difference given the narrow width of the river channel and the height of flooding. Plus, it could undermine more trees along the heavily wooded banks.
Removing trees that have already fallen, they say, is a good idea. They could float downstream, form log dams that flood other homes, and/or harm boaters in Lake Houston. But who is responsible for removing them?
I asked Matt Barrett, head of SJRA’s Flood Management Division. Said Barrett, “SJRA’s jurisdiction does not include Harris County, so projects constructed in Harris County would have to be led by HCFCD.”
Distant Chances for Other Flood Mitigation
That said, Barrett also volunteered that SJRA has partnerships with both HCFCD and the City of Houston. The entities work together on multiple projects from the San Jacinto River Basin Master Drainage Plan. But finding funding remains a challenge. And large scale projects are not quick to implement.
That brings us full circle to the original question in the headline. What was or is the best thing(s) homeowners can do to reduce their flooding chances? In my opinion:
Avoid buying property near water if you have a flooding concern
I’m not a professional engineer and I do not render professional engineering opinions. But I have interviewed a lot of flood victims who wish they could turn back the hands of time and build on higher ground.
Foundation being endangered by riverbank erosion.
If you have the slightest qualms about flooding when purchasing property, make sure you consult a professional engineer to evaluate your risk and mitigation options.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/20/24
2548 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.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240820-DJI_20240820122419_0652_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2024-08-20 19:27:412024-08-20 20:02:13What Can Be Done to Reduce Flood Risk?
Still Have Storm Debris?
8/22/24 – If you still have storm debris from Hurricane Beryl, what you do by when depends on where you live and what you need picked up. Procedures and deadlines differ for:
This post describes what people in those areas need to do to ensure their debris gets removed. Read thoroughly and act swiftly. Some deadlines are only days away.
The City of Humble has completed its cleanup effort and so is not included in this post.
Harris County Precinct 3 Unincorporated Areas
The final deadline for reporting storm debris is Monday, September 2. If you still have storm debris in your yard, please be sure to place it at the curb and report it for final pickup. You can do so online or by phone.
To report online:
To report by phone:
Call 713-274-3100 during business hours, Monday – Friday, 7 AM – 4:30 PM.
Instructions:
Please remember to separate your debris for efficient pickup! Visit www.pct3.com or see below for separation guidelines.
City of Houston
The City’s Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) collected more than 2.1 million cubic yards of Beryl-related storm debris by August 15. The Department expects to conclude the first pass of storm collections by Saturday, August 31.
In preparation for the next phase of debris collections, SWMD requests residents to place all remaining storm debris at the curbside no later than Sunday, August 25. The department will begin the second pass in earnest on Monday, September 2.
“Storm debris contractors will drive down every street and collect storm debris piles in all public rights of way,” explained this Solid Waste webpage.
SWMD urges residents to:
Beryl struck before the Derecho cleanup finished. Beryl alone created an estimated 4 million cubic yards of storm debris – enough to fill NRG Stadium. So please be patient.
Montgomery County
To have Beryl storm debris picked up, Montgomery County residents must register by August 30. Click this link to begin registration.
If you are still waiting on the first or second passes, make sure you RE-REGISTER and upload a debris photo.
Montgomery County is only picking up vegetative debris. The county is not removing appliances, demolition debris or construction waste.
DO:
DON’T:
Make sure you follow FEMA debris removal guidelines.
Residents who live on cul-de-sacs or dead end streets require special equipment to maneuver in tighter areas. That may take longer, so please have patience.
Montgomery County’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (OHSEM) is handling the Beryl response. The information provided when you register will enhance their ability to allocate resources appropriately and expedite the debris removal process.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/22/2024
2550 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 45 since Beryl
Details of Lake Conroe Contract between SJRA, City
8/21/24 – The City of Houston approved a new Lake Conroe contract with the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) last September.
For those interested in a deep dive, I’ve posted the entire 48-page document on my Reports Page under the San Jacinto River Authority tab.
For everyone else, I’ve posted a brief summary below. It covers key provisions, including those that affect lake lowering to help reduce flood risk. Spoiler alert: I made a startling discovery at the end of the contract doc.
But let’s start from the top of the Lake Conroe contract.
Key Definition
The first few pages lay out the customary recitals and definitions found in all contracts. The key definition is that of a 1987 Certificate of Adjudication (Number 10-4963, shown in Appendix A) that governs the impoundment, use, diversion, and priorities of water in Lake Conroe.
Ownership Interests
The meat of the contract starts in Article II on page 5: Interests of the Parties. Key points:
Operational Responsibilities
Article III on Page 6 of the Lake Conroe contract lays out operational responsibilities.
SJRA:
Joint Responsibilities:
Release of Water and Reservoir Levels (Section 3.04, )age 8)
Liability and Indemnification (Section 3.05, Page 9)
Other sections in Article III cover:
Reports and Inspections; Incidental Matters
Article IV, starting on Page 17 covers:
Length of Contract
This contract replaces the original 1968 Lake Conroe contract between the City and SJRA. It will remain in effect until terminated by mutual agreement during the useful life of Lake Conroe.
Default and Notice; Remedies; Mediation
Article V covers how the parties will handle disputes. It starts on page 18 and goes through page 23. Basically, it covers procedures leading up to mediation in the event of disagreements.
Force Majeure
Article VII covers force-majeure events. In law, “Force Majeure” means “unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract.” This section defines what happens during Acts of God, such as hurricanes, storms, floods, droughts, etc.
This Article allows the temporary suspension of normal rules, except those regarding payments. However, it requires resumption of the normal rules after the event.
Other Provisions
Article VIII contains addresses and contact information for each party and approval procedures.
Article IX includes provisions concerning applicable law (State of Texas), procedures for amendments, etc.
Exhibit A
The Certificate of Adjudication from the Texas Water Commission, dated February 25, 1987, limits total withdrawals from Lake Conroe to 100,000 acre feet per year. It lists the maximum withdrawal rate as 700 cubic feet per second.
Note: Some at the SJRA and City have chafed at this limitation. It restricts pre-release rates that could lower Lake Conroe in advance of approaching storms. Some want to raise the limit so that more water could be released earlier and reduce flood peaks.
The TCEQ amended the Certificate in 2010. It keeps the total withdrawals and max withdrawal rate above constant. But it added an additional use for the water. To the original municipal, industrial and mining categories, they added agriculture. It says they did that because they had not received any complaints about the previous limits within each category.
This is, in essence, a permit to release/sell water. And the permit comes with an obligation – to implement water conservation plans, which the TCEQ letter also spells out.
Exhibit B
This 2016 letter from SJRA’s management to the City explains a residential-lawn-watering permit program for lakefront homeowners. The program lets them pump water directly from the lake for a permit fee of $150 per year (as of 2016). That’s 41 cents per day.
They saved the best part for last. This was a real eye opener.
The permits mandate a “drought contingency plan” that impose watering restrictions when the level of the lake gets to 199 feet above mean sea level. Astute readers may remember that SJRA’s seasonal lake lowering plan took the lake down to 199 for large parts of the year.
Editorial Comment
Hmmmmm. Could that be why the Lake Conroe Association (LCA) fought seasonal lake lowering so vigorously?
We may never know with certainty whether the loss of lawn watering was the sole or a contributing reason. But either way, unlimited watering of giant lawns for only 41 cents per day certainly helps explain at least some of the pushback from the LCA.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/21/24
2549 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.
What Can Be Done to Reduce Flood Risk?
Flood-control experts have many tools in their tool chests to reduce flood risk. They include:
I’m sure more techniques exist. But those represent the big categories.
Complex Decisions Involving Many Factors
No one tool works for all situations. And many of the tools that reduce flood risk fly in the face of other human values. They may conflict with other values beyond safety, that we hold dear. Consider, for instance, property rights, individual freedom, job formation, expanding the tax base, a desire to live near water, and risk-taking.
So how do professionals decide which tools to apply where and when?
Again, it depends on a number of factors. To name a few:
Homeowner Inquiry Prompted Exploration
A homeowner reacted to one of my posts today. She lives in a low-lying area near FM1485 and the San Jacinto East Fork. It flooded badly on May2, 2024. She was certain that dredging and tree removal from the East Fork would help. But after investigating the area online, then from the ground and air, I wasn’t sure.
The normal river elevation in that area is 47.25 feet.
But on May 2, the river rose to 77.4 feet – 17 feet above the top of the river banks and 30 feet above normal!
Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist, had this to say about the May flood. “Since 1994, this was the second highest crest of the river at FM 1485. It exceeded Tropical Storm Imelda by 4.0 ft and the October 1994 flood by 1.0 ft.”
Lindner continued, “The flood of record remains Harvey which was 4.0 ft higher than the May 2024 event. The river exceeded the .2% (500-yr) exceedance probability elevation at the FM 1485 bridge by 1.5 ft. The table below shows the top five highest peaks on the East Fork of the San Jacinto River since 1994 at that location.”
Date Peak Elevation
HCFCD calculates the elevation of a 100-year flood is 70.6 feet.
So…
See the FEMA floodplain map below for the area in question.
It shows you how difficult flood prediction can be. It also shows you why even nature lovers should give water in Texas a wide berth unless they are prepared to lose everything. The May flood wasn’t even related to a tropical event!
Unfortunately, most of the homes in this neighborhood didn’t look like people could afford to lose everything. And I saw several that had been totally obliterated along with two roads that washed out.
Professionals Say Buyouts Best Option In This Case, But…
In an area like this, flood-mitigation professionals have few good options. Given the depth of flooding, three professionals told me that intervention would have to be on a massive and costly scale to make a difference. As a result, each suggested buyouts as the best, most cost-effective alternative in this area.
Shortly after the May event, I interviewed a young couple named Daniel and Kathleen Moore. They lived on some of the highest land in the subdivision, but had flooded three times in the seven years that they owned their home (Harvey, Imelda, and May 2024).
They were hoping for a buyout. I called again today to see if they succeeded, but they were selling their property and moving out of state with their new baby. Why?
While Daniel was restoring the home, someone burned it to the ground on July 28th. Nothing stands there now but a charred chimney.
This was a heartbreaking story that deeply affected me personally. I once lived in a home near a creek that flooded frequently when I had two young babies.
While buyouts may sometimes be the most cost-effective option, they are not easy, according to a County Emergency Management Director that I interviewed. Counties must apply for FEMA buyout money and then it can take years to evaluate and rank all the applications and distribute the money.
Forest Cove buyouts took five years after Harvey to complete.
Ironically, the fact that the Moore’s were in a 500-year floodplain may have hurt their buyout chances. FEMA likes money to go to homes that are insured but which flood frequently.
So What About Dredging and Tree Removal?
The Moore’s lived in Montgomery County. But the other family that contacted me lived on the Harris side of the county line in the same neighborhood.
Experts I talked to suggested dredging wouldn’t make an appreciable difference given the narrow width of the river channel and the height of flooding. Plus, it could undermine more trees along the heavily wooded banks.
Removing trees that have already fallen, they say, is a good idea. They could float downstream, form log dams that flood other homes, and/or harm boaters in Lake Houston. But who is responsible for removing them?
I asked Matt Barrett, head of SJRA’s Flood Management Division. Said Barrett, “SJRA’s jurisdiction does not include Harris County, so projects constructed in Harris County would have to be led by HCFCD.”
Distant Chances for Other Flood Mitigation
That said, Barrett also volunteered that SJRA has partnerships with both HCFCD and the City of Houston. The entities work together on multiple projects from the San Jacinto River Basin Master Drainage Plan. But finding funding remains a challenge. And large scale projects are not quick to implement.
That brings us full circle to the original question in the headline. What was or is the best thing(s) homeowners can do to reduce their flooding chances? In my opinion:
I’m not a professional engineer and I do not render professional engineering opinions. But I have interviewed a lot of flood victims who wish they could turn back the hands of time and build on higher ground.
If you have the slightest qualms about flooding when purchasing property, make sure you consult a professional engineer to evaluate your risk and mitigation options.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/20/24
2548 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.