Update as of 6:30 PM: Outbound lanes have opened. One inbound lane open. Utility crews onsite.
Northpark Drive is closed in the worst possible place at the worst possible time – Friday night during rush hour in a construction zone. However, the accident that caused the closure is not related to construction.
A little before 3 PM, I got a tip about an accident at Russell-Palmer Road from Ralph De Leon, the project manager for the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority’s Northpark Drive expansion project. He said that a truck had clipped a power pole and wires were down.
By the time I got there with my drone, police and fire trucks had Northpark closed off in both directions between Woodridge Drive and Russell-Palmer. However, I got my drone up from the parking lot of St. Martha’s Catholic Church to get the shots below. That was the easy part.
Getting home (about 2 miles away) took almost 45 minutes.
Bob Rehak
If you have a family member coming into Kingwood during the Friday evening rush hour, warn them to pack their patience. Utility lines are down across the road in BOTH directions.
According to De Leon, Northpark will be closed until the utility company can assess and repair the problem. That could take hours. It will be difficult just to get to the area. Avoid it at all costs.
Photos Taken at 3PM
Looking east along Northpark over Russell-Palmer.Note emergency vehicles blocking inbound traffic.One utility pole has snapped and another one across Northpark appears to be leaning. However, that could be a shadow.
It’s not clear whether the utility lines carry communications or electricity. The downed line in the photo below is next to a power pole; you can tell by the transformer. So it may be a communications line.
The utility line appears to be caught on an eighteen wheeler blocking the inbound lanes.The downed lines stretch from the truck to a snapped pole, across the ditch and then across the outbound lanes.
The inbound traffic was being funneled south on Russell-Palmer toward Kingwood Drive. See below.
The utility pole is snapped in half.Here you can see the lines tangled on the truck.It’s unclear whether the truck struck the pole.West of Russell-Palmer Traffic is backed up to 59 and maybe beyond.
People trying to enter Kingwood through back streets will find the slogging tough. Everyone who normally uses Northpark is trying to squeeze through stop signs not designed to handle this volume of traffic.
Stay away. If you simply can’t, pack your patience.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4:30pm on 8/18/23
2180 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20230818-DJI_0355.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2023-08-18 16:45:182023-08-18 18:59:58Pack Your Patience: Accident Closes Northpark in Both Directions
Still three weeks from the peak of hurricane season (September 10), the tropical forecast has suddenly become more active. The latest seven-day outlook from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) shows four areas of concern. Two will not affect the Texas Gulf Coast. Eventually, the other two could get close.
The red area at the right currently has a 70% chance of tropical formation in the next seven days.
The orange area has a 40% chance. Environmental conditions are only marginally conducive for further development of this system, but a tropical depression could still form during the next couple of days while it moves west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph across the central tropical Atlantic.
Neither of those systems poses a threat to Texas.
The yellow area in the middle approaching the Lesser Antilles has a 30% chance of formation.
The yellow area on the left will move toward the Gulf of Mexico by early next week. It also has a 30% chance of tropical formation.
The NHC updates its website several times a day during hurricane season. So bookmark it and check back often for the latest forecasts.
Local Impact Felt by Next Tuesday
Jeff Lindner, Harris County’s meteorologist, has been sending out updates all week long on the last system. Here’s what he had to say on Friday morning, 8/18/23. “A low chance of tropical cyclone formation remains possible over the western Gulf early to mid next week.”
“A tropical wave will reach the eastern Gulf of Mexico late this weekend. As high pressure over Texas lifts northward and centers over the Midwest early next week, this wave will continue westward and approach the Texas coast by Tuesday or Wednesday,” said Lindner.
Possibilities include a tropical wave, tropical depression, or weak tropical storm moving inland along the lower or middle Texas coast. Conditions appear to be generally favorable for some slow development, but dry air is lurking along the U.S. Gulf coast that could wrap into any developing system. Also any developing system could encounter wind shear over the western Gulf from the outflow of powerful Hurricane Hilary in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Any Development Most Likely Near Coast
“With that said, the system will be moving over warm sea surface temperatures and systems, especially in the NW Gulf under the right conditions can tighten up just prior to landfall. This may be a situation where whatever is going to happen with any development occurs very near the coast,” said Lindner.
Most Moisture Near Coast and West of Houston
Lindner concludes, “Regardless of development, tropical moisture will surge into the Texas coast as early as late Monday, but more likely Tuesday or Wednesday. For now, the greatest moisture looks to remain along and south of the I-10 corridor with areas north of I-10 still under the influence of the high pressure ridge over the Midwest. There will likely be a strong gradient in rain chances from south to north over the area next week with the potential for some desperately needed rainfall across the coastal locations.”
Subsiding air from the high to the north will determine how far inland the moisture and rain/bands reach. This map from the National Weather Service (NWS) helps visualize what the situation will look like by Monday, August 21.
Flood Risk Less than 5%
The risk of excessive rainfall that could cause flash flooding is less than 5% according to the NWS.
It’s pretty sad when you start wishing for a tropical storm. But we sure could use something to break the drought and cool us off. Yesterday’s high of 105 was the highest temp recorded in Houston since 1909, according to ABC13. And it could get close to that again today.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/18/23
2180 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/two_atl_7d0.png?fit=900%2C665&ssl=1665900adminadmin2023-08-18 09:58:232023-08-18 10:12:04Tropical Forecast Suddenly More Active
The drainage project currently underway down the median of Northpark Drive represents only part of the drainage improvements for the expansion project. Another parallel drainage system about 250 yards north of Northpark will carry additional stormwater all the way from U.S. 59 to the Kingwood Diversion Ditch and Bens Branch. Project engineers call it “Ditch One.”
Additional Parallel Drainage Route North of Northpark
In the satellite image below, the two triangles at 59 surround the wooded areas at the Northpark entrance to Kingwood. Detention ponds similar to those at the Kingwood Drive entry will replace those wooded areas.
Northpark Drive cuts left to right through the frame just above the center. Red line shows route for supplementary drainageand where flow splits in twoat Diversion Ditch.
The water surface elevation of the Northpark ponds will be several feet below grade, as you can see in this video.
The difference between the surface of the ponds and ground level will provide storage capacity to offset the increase in impervious cover created by the expansion of the roadway.
When the south pond fills up, it will overflow to the north pond. And when the north pond fills up, it will drain to the east via an eight-foot culvert. The eight-foot culvert by itself provides additional underground water storage before it reaches the eastbound ditch.
That culvert will go under Loop 494 and the UnionPacific railroad tracks, then turn left (north) until it gets past the businesses on the north side of Northpark. From there, it will empty into a ditch that heads back east again. See below.
Looking East from over 494 toward St. Martha Catholic Church. Arrows in distance show where Diversion Ditch splits off from Bens Branch.Note part of Northpark Drive in upper right.
Ditch One is barely visible in the photo above for two reasons.
The tree canopy is dense this time of year.
Due to lack of maintenance over the years, trees have grown up in the ditch. Contractors will have to clear them out to restore conveyance before completion of the project.
The Big Split
Once water in the ditch reaches the detention basins south of St. Martha Catholic Church, part of the water will enter the Kingwood Diversion Ditch and head south along the western edge of Woodland Hills. The rest will continue east and go down Bens Branch which angles diagonally toward Town Center and eventually empties into Lake Houston near Kings Harbor.
Looking N toward St. Martha in upper left at where flow in Ditch One splits into Diversion Ditch (foreground) and Bens Branch (right)
Why Diversion Ditch is Called Diversion Ditch
The split you see in the red line below is why the Diversion Ditch is called the Diversion Ditch. It is a man-made channel designed to take stormwater out of the natural channel (Bens Branch) to reduce flood risk for homes in the center of Kingwood.
Reverse angle looking Stoward Diversion Ditch.
In the photo above, Bens Branch flows R to L. The Diversion Ditch flows south toward Kingwood Drive and Lake Houston. The blue water towers in background are near the firehouse on Kingwood Drive and Deer Ridge Park.
Looking north at recent CoH excavation under North Park at Diversion Ditch.
Eventually, the Diversion Ditch itself will expand to match the increased conveyance you see under the bridges. Some engineers feel that constrictions like you see above contributed more to flooding than lack of capacity in the ditch itself.
The route that Bens Branch will take to get under Northpark Drive east of the diversion ditch has yet to be determined. However, that phase of the project is still at least three years away. TxDoT is currently evaluating multiple alternatives suggested by engineers for the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority. For more videos of the project, drainage studies and construction plans, see the LHRA website.
Pack Your Patience: Accident Closes Northpark in Both Directions
Update as of 6:30 PM: Outbound lanes have opened. One inbound lane open. Utility crews onsite.
Northpark Drive is closed in the worst possible place at the worst possible time – Friday night during rush hour in a construction zone. However, the accident that caused the closure is not related to construction.
A little before 3 PM, I got a tip about an accident at Russell-Palmer Road from Ralph De Leon, the project manager for the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority’s Northpark Drive expansion project. He said that a truck had clipped a power pole and wires were down.
By the time I got there with my drone, police and fire trucks had Northpark closed off in both directions between Woodridge Drive and Russell-Palmer. However, I got my drone up from the parking lot of St. Martha’s Catholic Church to get the shots below. That was the easy part.
If you have a family member coming into Kingwood during the Friday evening rush hour, warn them to pack their patience. Utility lines are down across the road in BOTH directions.
According to De Leon, Northpark will be closed until the utility company can assess and repair the problem. That could take hours. It will be difficult just to get to the area. Avoid it at all costs.
Photos Taken at 3PM
It’s not clear whether the utility lines carry communications or electricity. The downed line in the photo below is next to a power pole; you can tell by the transformer. So it may be a communications line.
The inbound traffic was being funneled south on Russell-Palmer toward Kingwood Drive. See below.
People trying to enter Kingwood through back streets will find the slogging tough. Everyone who normally uses Northpark is trying to squeeze through stop signs not designed to handle this volume of traffic.
Stay away. If you simply can’t, pack your patience.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4:30pm on 8/18/23
2180 Days after Hurricane Harvey
Tropical Forecast Suddenly More Active
Still three weeks from the peak of hurricane season (September 10), the tropical forecast has suddenly become more active. The latest seven-day outlook from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) shows four areas of concern. Two will not affect the Texas Gulf Coast. Eventually, the other two could get close.
Chances of Tropical Formation
According to the NHC 8 a.m. update:
The NHC updates its website several times a day during hurricane season. So bookmark it and check back often for the latest forecasts.
Local Impact Felt by Next Tuesday
Jeff Lindner, Harris County’s meteorologist, has been sending out updates all week long on the last system. Here’s what he had to say on Friday morning, 8/18/23. “A low chance of tropical cyclone formation remains possible over the western Gulf early to mid next week.”
“A tropical wave will reach the eastern Gulf of Mexico late this weekend. As high pressure over Texas lifts northward and centers over the Midwest early next week, this wave will continue westward and approach the Texas coast by Tuesday or Wednesday,” said Lindner.
Possibilities include a tropical wave, tropical depression, or weak tropical storm moving inland along the lower or middle Texas coast. Conditions appear to be generally favorable for some slow development, but dry air is lurking along the U.S. Gulf coast that could wrap into any developing system. Also any developing system could encounter wind shear over the western Gulf from the outflow of powerful Hurricane Hilary in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Any Development Most Likely Near Coast
“With that said, the system will be moving over warm sea surface temperatures and systems, especially in the NW Gulf under the right conditions can tighten up just prior to landfall. This may be a situation where whatever is going to happen with any development occurs very near the coast,” said Lindner.
Most Moisture Near Coast and West of Houston
Lindner concludes, “Regardless of development, tropical moisture will surge into the Texas coast as early as late Monday, but more likely Tuesday or Wednesday. For now, the greatest moisture looks to remain along and south of the I-10 corridor with areas north of I-10 still under the influence of the high pressure ridge over the Midwest. There will likely be a strong gradient in rain chances from south to north over the area next week with the potential for some desperately needed rainfall across the coastal locations.”
Subsiding air from the high to the north will determine how far inland the moisture and rain/bands reach. This map from the National Weather Service (NWS) helps visualize what the situation will look like by Monday, August 21.
Flood Risk Less than 5%
The risk of excessive rainfall that could cause flash flooding is less than 5% according to the NWS.
It’s pretty sad when you start wishing for a tropical storm. But we sure could use something to break the drought and cool us off. Yesterday’s high of 105 was the highest temp recorded in Houston since 1909, according to ABC13. And it could get close to that again today.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/18/23
2180 Days since Hurricane Harvey
More Drainage for Northpark Drive Expansion Project
The drainage project currently underway down the median of Northpark Drive represents only part of the drainage improvements for the expansion project. Another parallel drainage system about 250 yards north of Northpark will carry additional stormwater all the way from U.S. 59 to the Kingwood Diversion Ditch and Bens Branch. Project engineers call it “Ditch One.”
Additional Parallel Drainage Route North of Northpark
In the satellite image below, the two triangles at 59 surround the wooded areas at the Northpark entrance to Kingwood. Detention ponds similar to those at the Kingwood Drive entry will replace those wooded areas.
The water surface elevation of the Northpark ponds will be several feet below grade, as you can see in this video.
When the south pond fills up, it will overflow to the north pond. And when the north pond fills up, it will drain to the east via an eight-foot culvert. The eight-foot culvert by itself provides additional underground water storage before it reaches the eastbound ditch.
That culvert will go under Loop 494 and the UnionPacific railroad tracks, then turn left (north) until it gets past the businesses on the north side of Northpark. From there, it will empty into a ditch that heads back east again. See below.
Ditch One is barely visible in the photo above for two reasons.
The Big Split
Once water in the ditch reaches the detention basins south of St. Martha Catholic Church, part of the water will enter the Kingwood Diversion Ditch and head south along the western edge of Woodland Hills. The rest will continue east and go down Bens Branch which angles diagonally toward Town Center and eventually empties into Lake Houston near Kings Harbor.
Why Diversion Ditch is Called Diversion Ditch
The split you see in the red line below is why the Diversion Ditch is called the Diversion Ditch. It is a man-made channel designed to take stormwater out of the natural channel (Bens Branch) to reduce flood risk for homes in the center of Kingwood.
In the photo above, Bens Branch flows R to L. The Diversion Ditch flows south toward Kingwood Drive and Lake Houston. The blue water towers in background are near the firehouse on Kingwood Drive and Deer Ridge Park.
The City just finished cleaning out under the Northpark bridges at the Diversion Ditch. See results below.
Eventually, the Diversion Ditch itself will expand to match the increased conveyance you see under the bridges. Some engineers feel that constrictions like you see above contributed more to flooding than lack of capacity in the ditch itself.
Kingwood Drainage Priorities
Regardless, expansion of the Diversion Ditch was one of the top two priorities of the Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis. That project has not yet started.
Bens Branch has already gone through four phases of de-silting and de-snagging to help restore its conveyance. That was part of a major maintenance program by HCFCD after Harvey.
The route that Bens Branch will take to get under Northpark Drive east of the diversion ditch has yet to be determined. However, that phase of the project is still at least three years away. TxDoT is currently evaluating multiple alternatives suggested by engineers for the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority. For more videos of the project, drainage studies and construction plans, see the LHRA website.
To see how ALL the ditches and streams in Kingwood connect, visit the Harris County Flood Education Mapping Tool. If you see a blockage in a Harris County Ditch, you can request service at HCFCD.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/17/2023
2189 Days since Hurricane Harvey