7/25/24 Noon – A flood watch and warning continue for the Lake Houston Area with more heavy rain expected. The San Jacinto East Fork and West Fork, Caney Creek and Lake Creek are all at or near flood stage due to even heavier rains earlier in the week.
Flood watches and warnings have been extended until late tonight and “may need be extended into Friday,” according Harris County Meteorologist Jeff Lindner.
Both Lake Conroe and Lake Houston remain well above normal levels and are discharging water.
It’s been a wet year so far. Rainfall year to date is 57% higher than normal at Bush Intercontinental Airport. And while the tropics are currently quiet, sea surface temperatures remain well above average for this time of year.
See more details below.
San Jacinto East Fork
The worst flooding seems to be along the East Fork where water is into the moderate flood stage and still rising. NOAA predicts it will crest at 63.7 feet tomorrow.
Farther upstream at Cleveland, the Fire Department has warned of flooded low-water areas. But the river appears to be cresting.
Caney Creek near Splendora
Caney Creek near Splendora has peaked inches below the moderate flood stage and should start decreasing today.
Lake Creek Above the Woodlands
Lake Creek above The Woodlands is also flirting with flooding due to more than 10 inches of rain in the last three days. However, barring more heavy rainfall, the creek should now recede.
West Fork at US59
All the water that fell near The Woodlands is now working its way downstream to the Lake Houston Area. Minor lowland flooding last night is now receding.
Lake Conroe
The level in Lake Conroe is finally going down, but the SJRA continues to release more than 5,000 Cubic Feet per Second (CFS).
The SJRA reported a level of 201.88 earlier this morning.
Lake Houston
Lake Houston is 1.6 feet higher than normal and discharging 32,435 CFS. Ten thousand CFS can go through the existing flood gates. The rest is going over the spillway.
Rainfall Prediction
The National Weather Service predicts 3-6 inches of rain along the coastline, 2-4″ inches up to I-10, and up to 1.5 inches farther inland.
I’ve already received more than an inch in my rain gage so far today.
Flood Watch Remains in Effect
As a result of more rain falling on ground saturated by heavier rainfall earlier in the week, a Flood Watch remains in effect for Harris, Liberty, Galveston, Chambers and Fort Bend counties.
Rainfall Year-to-Date
So, how does all this rainfall compare to a normal year? The National Weather Service shows this graph for Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Normally, by this day in July, we get around 28 inches of rain. But year to date, we have received 44.27 – 57% more than normal – quite a change from last year’s drought.
Tropical Outlook
The National Hurricane Center currently shows no areas of interest in the Atlantic, Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico. That’s good news. And they expect none for the next seven days – even better news.
However, forecasters warn that that could turn around in early August. Sea surface temperatures remain well above normal for this time of year.
The main development region between West Africa and the Caribbean remains 1-3 degrees Celsius above average. That translates to 1.8 to 5.4 degrees on the Fahrenheit scale.
So remember to keep those storm drains clear of debris from Beryl! And keep those floaties handy!
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/25/24
2522 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Rainfall-YTD-at-IAH.png?fit=1700%2C662&ssl=16621700adminadmin2024-07-25 13:19:352024-07-25 13:19:36Flood Watch, Warning Continue; May Be Extended
7/24/24 – Note: This guest editorial by Kingwood resident Tony Lanson is timely. The Lake Houston Area is currently under yet another flood watch.
Why are the promised Lake Houston flood gates not completed? Why has the schedule slipped repeatedly? Will they really be constructed by 2028 – the latest target date? That’s 11 years after Harvey and five years later than originally promised. We need them to reduce flood risk.
The threat to our community’s sense of peace and wellbeing has eroded the value proposition for current and prospective Lake Houston residents and businesses.
Repeated Delays
Our elected officials did their job. They responded to an urgent mandate to act. They:
Persevered through years of consultant reports and 11 engineering alternatives.
However, the project now seems stuck in a low gear. Project-level leadership seems to lack urgency to deliver.
Has the Lake Houston Flood Gates project team been challenged to simplify the process and accelerate the schedule? Urgency seems to be missing – even after the May 2024 flood and Hurricane Beryl rekindled old fears and anxieties.
Early Missteps
From 2018 to 2023 the City of Houston and the CWA presided over contract firms, project scoping, design, costing, permitting, bidding and reviews.
However, the City of Houston could find no contractors to bid on the project because of “constructability risk.” Was there no constructability review during five years of engineering?
Thus, engineering and design for the project turned into a “start over.”
The Latest Plan
The new Lake Houston Flood Gates project has 11 tainter gates in the eastern, earthen portion of the dam instead of crest gates on the western portion. But the project’s cost tripled.
Looking N at Lake Houston Dam. New plan would place 11 Tainter gates near red circle.
On May 25, 2024, we learned the project could hopefully begin construction in 2025. Officials hinted at possible completion in 2028.
Each dam project alone was larger than the addition of 11 gates to the Lake Houston Dam. And both dams were completed in two years.
Now, focus on changes to the Wirtz Dam flood gates. In 2023, the LCRA announced it would replace the nine original gates plus one that was added in 1974. That makes 10 gates in total. And each gate is larger than those proposed for Lake Houston. LCRA estimates completion in 2025.
Again, they are doing it in two years compared to Lake Houston’s current 11-year schedule. That should give everyone reason for pause – especially considering that the Wirtz gates are twice as big as the Lake Houston gates.
Each gate will be fabricated on site. The old gates will be replaced individually, requiring coffer dams for each. Yet the Wirtz project will cost half as much as the Lake Houston project.
Need to Improve Project Management
Can’t we do 10 smaller gates in less than three years? Especially when it’s the same gate replicated 10 times. Replication and standardization usually increase efficiency, reduce time, and cut costs.
Is an optimization review or constructability review with prospective contractors planned this time to avoid another “no bid” situation?
Is it time to ask if the Lake Houston Flood Gates project is being managed prudently with best project management practices?
Good project management assures all stakeholders that the best effort is occurring. It sets reasonable expectations. And project transparency with the public goes a long way in generating trust.
More gates on the Lake Houston dam will not make everyone safe in the event of another Harvey. But the gates will prevent people from flooding in smaller storms, which are much more frequent.
Consider, for instance, the early May storm this year. It was a small fraction of Harvey. Yet thousands of homes had floodwater lapping at their foundations.
Expeditious completion of the project would support peace of mind, well-being and prosperity in our community. We need that right now as the community still reels from Hurricane Beryl and contemplates the start of what experts predict will be an abnormally active hurricane season.
Shouldn’t we have gotten ahead of this by now? Who will enforce the urgency to act?
By Tony Lanson, Kingwood Resident
2521 Days since Hurricane Harvey
ReduceFlooding.com will be happy to publish the City’s or Coastal Water Authority’s point of view on this important topic.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/20230812-RJR_2237.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2024-07-24 08:50:562024-07-24 09:54:06Guest Editorial: Where are the New Lake Houston Flood Gates?
7/23/24 at 7PM – The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a flood watch for much of southeast Texas until at least Wednesday evening. They warn to keep storm drains clear of debris from Hurricane Beryl.
From National Weather Service/Houston as of 7PM 7/3/24
NWS already predicts the East Fork San Jacinto to reach the moderate flood stage. Other bayous and channels could follow, according to Jeff Lindner, Harris County’s meteorologist.
Perfect Setup for Heavy Rains, Flooding
Heavy storms have pummeled the area north of Lake Houston and Lake Conroe for most of the day and are continuing.
A combination of increasing Gulf moisture, lift from an upper level trough over the region, and slow/training storm motions will produce a threat for heavy to excessive rainfall tonight into Wednesday.
RadarScope Pro Image from 6:38PM on 7/23/24.
Lakes Rapidly Rising
As a result, as of 7 PM, the level of:
Lake Houston has increased almost a foot
Lake Conroe has risen a half foot.
The Coastal Water Authority is discharging 18,613 cubic feet per second (CFS) from Lake Houston. And the SJRA is releasing 4801 CFS from Lake Conroe.
SJRA warns that heavy rainfall potential remains in place for the next two to three days. The Lake Conroe outflow amount could possibly increase overnight if additional rain occurs in the watershed, they say.
Lake Conroe will continue to pass through storm water and runoff received in the Upper San Jacinto River Basin until Lake Conroe returns to normal conservation lake level of 201 feet.
Where to Find the Most Current Information
Monitor:
Real-time information on Lake Conroe at www.sjra.net.
Jeff Lindner, Harris County’s meteorologist had this to say about the flood watch: “Heavy rainfall is currently ongoing over portions of Montgomery County with scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms developing over much of the area west of I-45 and north of I-10.”
Ongoing activity should begin to weaken later this evening. However, rainfall amounts over the next 3-5 hours of 2-4 inches in an hour or less will be possible with the heavier storms.
He also expects that we will see thunderstorms that slowly progress inland from the Gulf. These storms will have the potential to produce rainfall rates of 3-5 inches per hour which is raising the flash flood risk for early Wednesday along and south of the I-10 corridor.
“It is possible that much of this activity could remain near the coast or just offshore, but it is close enough to warrant a close watch,” cautions Lindner. “Additional rainfall amounts of 2-4 inches can be expected over much of the area with amounts of 4-6 inches south of I-10.”
Lindner says he would not be surprised to see an isolated 10-inch amount somewhere given the air mass in place.
Monitor the Harris County Flood Warning System for the most current river/bayou flood conditions near you.
Flash flooding will be possible under the heavy rain cores as well as quick rises on area creeks and bayous.
Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist
East Fork of the San Jacinto River
Heavy rainfall yesterday and again today will produce a significant rise along the river from above Cleveland to Lake Houston starting on Wednesday and lasting into late this week.
The river will rise above flood stage late Wednesday at FM 1485 and above moderate flood levels on Thursday.
Low lying roads near the river will be impacted and FM 1485 will potentially be overtopped. However, the current forecast for the river is well below levels experienced in May of this year, according to Lindner.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/23/24
2520 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Approaching-storms.jpg?fit=1100%2C679&ssl=16791100adminadmin2024-07-23 19:56:002024-07-23 20:23:16Flood Watch Issued for Much of SE Texas Until Wednesday Evening
Flood Watch, Warning Continue; May Be Extended
7/25/24 Noon – A flood watch and warning continue for the Lake Houston Area with more heavy rain expected. The San Jacinto East Fork and West Fork, Caney Creek and Lake Creek are all at or near flood stage due to even heavier rains earlier in the week.
Flood watches and warnings have been extended until late tonight and “may need be extended into Friday,” according Harris County Meteorologist Jeff Lindner.
Both Lake Conroe and Lake Houston remain well above normal levels and are discharging water.
It’s been a wet year so far. Rainfall year to date is 57% higher than normal at Bush Intercontinental Airport. And while the tropics are currently quiet, sea surface temperatures remain well above average for this time of year.
See more details below.
San Jacinto East Fork
The worst flooding seems to be along the East Fork where water is into the moderate flood stage and still rising. NOAA predicts it will crest at 63.7 feet tomorrow.
Farther upstream at Cleveland, the Fire Department has warned of flooded low-water areas. But the river appears to be cresting.
Caney Creek near Splendora
Caney Creek near Splendora has peaked inches below the moderate flood stage and should start decreasing today.
Lake Creek Above the Woodlands
Lake Creek above The Woodlands is also flirting with flooding due to more than 10 inches of rain in the last three days. However, barring more heavy rainfall, the creek should now recede.
West Fork at US59
All the water that fell near The Woodlands is now working its way downstream to the Lake Houston Area. Minor lowland flooding last night is now receding.
Lake Conroe
The level in Lake Conroe is finally going down, but the SJRA continues to release more than 5,000 Cubic Feet per Second (CFS).
The SJRA reported a level of 201.88 earlier this morning.
Lake Houston
Lake Houston is 1.6 feet higher than normal and discharging 32,435 CFS. Ten thousand CFS can go through the existing flood gates. The rest is going over the spillway.
Rainfall Prediction
The National Weather Service predicts 3-6 inches of rain along the coastline, 2-4″ inches up to I-10, and up to 1.5 inches farther inland.
I’ve already received more than an inch in my rain gage so far today.
Flood Watch Remains in Effect
As a result of more rain falling on ground saturated by heavier rainfall earlier in the week, a Flood Watch remains in effect for Harris, Liberty, Galveston, Chambers and Fort Bend counties.
Rainfall Year-to-Date
So, how does all this rainfall compare to a normal year? The National Weather Service shows this graph for Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Normally, by this day in July, we get around 28 inches of rain. But year to date, we have received 44.27 – 57% more than normal – quite a change from last year’s drought.
Tropical Outlook
The National Hurricane Center currently shows no areas of interest in the Atlantic, Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico. That’s good news. And they expect none for the next seven days – even better news.
However, forecasters warn that that could turn around in early August. Sea surface temperatures remain well above normal for this time of year.
The main development region between West Africa and the Caribbean remains 1-3 degrees Celsius above average. That translates to 1.8 to 5.4 degrees on the Fahrenheit scale.
So remember to keep those storm drains clear of debris from Beryl! And keep those floaties handy!
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/25/24
2522 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Guest Editorial: Where are the New Lake Houston Flood Gates?
7/24/24 – Note: This guest editorial by Kingwood resident Tony Lanson is timely. The Lake Houston Area is currently under yet another flood watch.
Why are the promised Lake Houston flood gates not completed? Why has the schedule slipped repeatedly? Will they really be constructed by 2028 – the latest target date? That’s 11 years after Harvey and five years later than originally promised. We need them to reduce flood risk.
The Need
Harvey devastated Lake Houston communities in 2017. It damaged more than 16,000 homes and 3,300 businesses. It also took more than a dozen lives in Kingwood alone.
The threat to our community’s sense of peace and wellbeing has eroded the value proposition for current and prospective Lake Houston residents and businesses.
Repeated Delays
Our elected officials did their job. They responded to an urgent mandate to act. They:
However, the project now seems stuck in a low gear. Project-level leadership seems to lack urgency to deliver.
Has the Lake Houston Flood Gates project team been challenged to simplify the process and accelerate the schedule? Urgency seems to be missing – even after the May 2024 flood and Hurricane Beryl rekindled old fears and anxieties.
Early Missteps
From 2018 to 2023 the City of Houston and the CWA presided over contract firms, project scoping, design, costing, permitting, bidding and reviews.
During that time the Lake Houston Flood Gates project was reduced to half the orginal scope when it was “found that the cost of the proposed gates exceeded the project’s budget” after factoring in reinforcement of the existing dam. In 2022, City officials said they planned to start the project “later this year and complete construction within 18 months.”
However, the City of Houston could find no contractors to bid on the project because of “constructability risk.” Was there no constructability review during five years of engineering?
Thus, engineering and design for the project turned into a “start over.”
The Latest Plan
The new Lake Houston Flood Gates project has 11 tainter gates in the eastern, earthen portion of the dam instead of crest gates on the western portion. But the project’s cost tripled.
On May 25, 2024, we learned the project could hopefully begin construction in 2025. Officials hinted at possible completion in 2028.
Dave Martin, Dan Crenshaw, Charles Cunningham, Dan Huberty, Brandon Creighton and a host of others went back to the well and secured the money. But at best, construction will finish 11 years after Harvey. Palpable frustration exists in the Lake Houston community.
The frustration is reasonable. We should challenge the explanations. Why is this project taking so long compared to similar projects?
Larger Projects Completed in Less Time at Lower Costs
Consider the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) project to construct the Wirtz and Starcke Dams simultaneously in 1949.
Each dam project alone was larger than the addition of 11 gates to the Lake Houston Dam. And both dams were completed in two years.
Now, focus on changes to the Wirtz Dam flood gates. In 2023, the LCRA announced it would replace the nine original gates plus one that was added in 1974. That makes 10 gates in total. And each gate is larger than those proposed for Lake Houston. LCRA estimates completion in 2025.
Again, they are doing it in two years compared to Lake Houston’s current 11-year schedule. That should give everyone reason for pause – especially considering that the Wirtz gates are twice as big as the Lake Houston gates.
Each gate will be fabricated on site. The old gates will be replaced individually, requiring coffer dams for each. Yet the Wirtz project will cost half as much as the Lake Houston project.
Need to Improve Project Management
Can’t we do 10 smaller gates in less than three years? Especially when it’s the same gate replicated 10 times. Replication and standardization usually increase efficiency, reduce time, and cut costs.
Is an optimization review or constructability review with prospective contractors planned this time to avoid another “no bid” situation?
Is it time to ask if the Lake Houston Flood Gates project is being managed prudently with best project management practices?
Good project management assures all stakeholders that the best effort is occurring. It sets reasonable expectations. And project transparency with the public goes a long way in generating trust.
More gates on the Lake Houston dam will not make everyone safe in the event of another Harvey. But the gates will prevent people from flooding in smaller storms, which are much more frequent.
Consider, for instance, the early May storm this year. It was a small fraction of Harvey. Yet thousands of homes had floodwater lapping at their foundations.
Expeditious completion of the project would support peace of mind, well-being and prosperity in our community. We need that right now as the community still reels from Hurricane Beryl and contemplates the start of what experts predict will be an abnormally active hurricane season.
Shouldn’t we have gotten ahead of this by now? Who will enforce the urgency to act?
By Tony Lanson, Kingwood Resident
2521 Days since Hurricane Harvey
ReduceFlooding.com will be happy to publish the City’s or Coastal Water Authority’s point of view on this important topic.
Flood Watch Issued for Much of SE Texas Until Wednesday Evening
7/23/24 at 7PM – The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a flood watch for much of southeast Texas until at least Wednesday evening. They warn to keep storm drains clear of debris from Hurricane Beryl.
NWS already predicts the East Fork San Jacinto to reach the moderate flood stage. Other bayous and channels could follow, according to Jeff Lindner, Harris County’s meteorologist.
Perfect Setup for Heavy Rains, Flooding
Heavy storms have pummeled the area north of Lake Houston and Lake Conroe for most of the day and are continuing.
A combination of increasing Gulf moisture, lift from an upper level trough over the region, and slow/training storm motions will produce a threat for heavy to excessive rainfall tonight into Wednesday.
Lakes Rapidly Rising
As a result, as of 7 PM, the level of:
The Coastal Water Authority is discharging 18,613 cubic feet per second (CFS) from Lake Houston. And the SJRA is releasing 4801 CFS from Lake Conroe.
SJRA warns that heavy rainfall potential remains in place for the next two to three days. The Lake Conroe outflow amount could possibly increase overnight if additional rain occurs in the watershed, they say.
Lake Conroe will continue to pass through storm water and runoff received in the Upper San Jacinto River Basin until Lake Conroe returns to normal conservation lake level of 201 feet.
Where to Find the Most Current Information
Monitor:
Rainfall Prediction: 3-5 Inches Per Hour Possible
Jeff Lindner, Harris County’s meteorologist had this to say about the flood watch: “Heavy rainfall is currently ongoing over portions of Montgomery County with scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms developing over much of the area west of I-45 and north of I-10.”
Ongoing activity should begin to weaken later this evening. However, rainfall amounts over the next 3-5 hours of 2-4 inches in an hour or less will be possible with the heavier storms.
He also expects that we will see thunderstorms that slowly progress inland from the Gulf. These storms will have the potential to produce rainfall rates of 3-5 inches per hour which is raising the flash flood risk for early Wednesday along and south of the I-10 corridor.
“It is possible that much of this activity could remain near the coast or just offshore, but it is close enough to warrant a close watch,” cautions Lindner. “Additional rainfall amounts of 2-4 inches can be expected over much of the area with amounts of 4-6 inches south of I-10.”
Lindner says he would not be surprised to see an isolated 10-inch amount somewhere given the air mass in place.
Monitor the Harris County Flood Warning System for the most current river/bayou flood conditions near you.
East Fork of the San Jacinto River
Heavy rainfall yesterday and again today will produce a significant rise along the river from above Cleveland to Lake Houston starting on Wednesday and lasting into late this week.
The river will rise above flood stage late Wednesday at FM 1485 and above moderate flood levels on Thursday.
Low lying roads near the river will be impacted and FM 1485 will potentially be overtopped. However, the current forecast for the river is well below levels experienced in May of this year, according to Lindner.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/23/24
2520 Days since Hurricane Harvey