Geologists use the term “mouth bar” to describe a sand bar that forms at the mouth of a stream. Where moving water meets standing water, the velocity slows and sediment drops out of suspension, forming a mouth bar. Mouth bars reduce the conveyance of a stream, forcing water up and out during floods. Removal of mouth bars reduces flood risk.
After Harvey, Rogers Gully had the largest mouth bar on the perimeter of Lake Houston with the exception of the West and East Forks of the San Jacinto. Jessica Beemer with Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin’s office said they do not yet know where the dredgers will go next.
Before Picture
Mouth bar in February of 2020. Note HCFCD excavating channel further upstream in upper left of photo. The City of Houston owns the portion of the channel in foreground.
Looking west, upstream on mRogers Gully. 6/2/22.No more mouth bar!Wider shot from farther back, looking upstream from over Lake Houston. 6/2/22.Shot taken looking east on 6/2/22.Hauling the spoils to the east side of the Lake. 6/2/22.
Neither storm will threaten the Houston area. But this should serve as a wake up call. If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to prepare your family and home for hurricanes and their impacts.
It’s not just the rain that threatens us as it did in Harvey. Wind can knock down trees on houses and power lines. Power outages can last weeks, as they did during Hurricane Ike in 2008.
The eye of Ike passed right over the Lake Houston Area and knocked down so many trees that my business lost power for 19 days. At the start of that hurricane season, Butch Standerfer, a State Farm insurance agent in Kingwood, had alerted me to something called “Business Interruption Insurance.” We purchased it and thank God we did. Had it not been for that, the loss of income would have forced my company out of business.
Ike taught me many valuable lessons about planning before the storm, maintaining situational awareness during the storm, and recovery after the storm. Please share this post with your people and those new to the area.
Preparedness Is Key
“Hurricanes are one of nature’s most powerful and destructive natural disasters that we face. It only takes one to change your life,” said Tina Petersen, Harris County Flood Control District Executive Director.
Preparedness can help minimize damages if a hurricane threatens the area. Here are some tips I’ve gathered from interviewing hundreds of storm victims.
Purchase Flood Insurance:
Harris County Flood Control District recommends that all Harris County residents become informed about their flood risk and have flood insurance no matter where they reside in the county. Flood insurance accelerates the rebuilding and replacement of personal property and fosters community resiliency as a whole.
The Harris County Flood Warning System offers an alert feature that lets you subscribe to email and/or text alerts that report near real-time rainfall and water levels. Customize alerts and notifications for bayous and tributaries in your area. The Alert Notification System will tell you how much water is headed your way and when/if flooding is likely.
You can also learn more about different types of flooding (street, coastal, riverine, flash, etc.) with Harris County Flood Control’s Flood Education Mapping Tool. This site has interactive features that let you view different types of flood threats in your neighborhood. For instance, clicking on the “ponding” button shows you where streets are likely to flood. It’s useful for planning evacuation routes and also when buying homes.
Bookmark trusted sources of weather information. In addition to the sources above, bookmark the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service. Traffic to these sites is likely to be so heavy during a hurricane that they will bog down. So know the exact pages you want.
ReduceFlooding.com has dozens of links that can help you prepare for hurricanes, including special checklists for senior citizens and pets.
Count on Life Without Electricity for Awhile
Even if you don’t flood, the likely loss of electricity for an extended period will create hardships. Imagine not being able to store food, cook, watch TV, recharge your cell phone, access your Internet service, fill your vehicle with gasoline, use air conditioning, take a hot shower, turn on the lights, or use power tools to make repairs.
Plan for all those contingencies now and you should survive.
Posted by Bob Rehak on June 1, 2022
1737 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/two_atl_5d0.png?fit=900%2C665&ssl=1665900adminadmin2022-06-01 12:26:152022-06-01 12:47:34Hurricane Season Starts Today, Plan Now
The controversial Laurel Springs RV Resort appears to have another problem with permit violations. The resort’s detention pond falls within the FAA regulatory limit and should remain “completely dry between storms.” But it’s not.
Screen Capture from C3.4 – Detention and Mitigation Plan – approved by City of Houston.
While FAA regulations give owners two days to drain ponds after storms, the Laurel Springs RV Resort pond has remained wet for more than two months. See a sampling of pictures below.
March 23, 2022March 28, 2022April 30, 2022Photo fromMay 3, 2022May 15, 2022May 25, 2022Photo taken on May 30, 2022. Two months later, still not completely dry.
Purpose of FAA Regulation
I looked up the FAA Advisory above to see exactly what it said. To summarize the relevant portions of the 28-page document, they prohibit the construction of wet-bottom, stormwater-retention ponds within a certain range of airports. The concern: the water could attract ducks and geese that create a hazard for aircraft taking off, landing or circling. The detention pond for the Laurel Springs RV Resort falls within the regulated range of Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport.
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/2022/05/20220530-DJI_0567-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2022-05-31 12:56:162022-05-31 15:31:53RV Resort Detention Pond Should Remain “Completely Dry Between Storms”
Rogers Gully Mouth Bar Gone!
Almost three months to the day since dredgers moved from the East Fork San Jacinto to Rogers Gully, dredgers have totally removed the above-water portion of the stream’s mouth bar. Aerial photos taken on 6/2/22 show dredgers now deepening the channel up to the limit of the HCFCD’s excavation of Rogers Gully in 2020.
Geologists use the term “mouth bar” to describe a sand bar that forms at the mouth of a stream. Where moving water meets standing water, the velocity slows and sediment drops out of suspension, forming a mouth bar. Mouth bars reduce the conveyance of a stream, forcing water up and out during floods. Removal of mouth bars reduces flood risk.
After Harvey, Rogers Gully had the largest mouth bar on the perimeter of Lake Houston with the exception of the West and East Forks of the San Jacinto. Jessica Beemer with Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin’s office said they do not yet know where the dredgers will go next.
Before Picture
It didn’t really take three months to dredge this blockage. Dredgers literally had to dredge their way to the channel, according to State Representative Dan Huberty, who secured funding for additional dredging. The dredging started more than 1,000 feet out into the lake.
Today
A marina on the east side of the lake has been converted to a temporary placement area. From there, truckers haul the dirt out of the floodplain to areas where it’s needed to elevate homes or roadways.
Put another one in the win column. Many people who flooded near Rogers Gully will face less risk this hurricane season as a result of this project.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/2/22
1738 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Hurricane Season Starts Today, Plan Now
The 2022 Hurricane Season begins today – June 1. And as if on cue, the National Hurricane Center has already highlighted two areas to monitor.
Neither storm will threaten the Houston area. But this should serve as a wake up call. If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to prepare your family and home for hurricanes and their impacts.
Above Average Hurricane Season Predicted
If you’ve lived in the Houston area for a while, you know how devastating the effects of just one hurricane can be. And NOAA predicts this will be an above average season.
It’s not just the rain that threatens us as it did in Harvey. Wind can knock down trees on houses and power lines. Power outages can last weeks, as they did during Hurricane Ike in 2008.
The eye of Ike passed right over the Lake Houston Area and knocked down so many trees that my business lost power for 19 days. At the start of that hurricane season, Butch Standerfer, a State Farm insurance agent in Kingwood, had alerted me to something called “Business Interruption Insurance.” We purchased it and thank God we did. Had it not been for that, the loss of income would have forced my company out of business.
Ike taught me many valuable lessons about planning before the storm, maintaining situational awareness during the storm, and recovery after the storm. Please share this post with your people and those new to the area.
Preparedness Is Key
“Hurricanes are one of nature’s most powerful and destructive natural disasters that we face. It only takes one to change your life,” said Tina Petersen, Harris County Flood Control District Executive Director.
Preparedness can help minimize damages if a hurricane threatens the area. Here are some tips I’ve gathered from interviewing hundreds of storm victims.
Purchase Flood Insurance:
Harris County Flood Control District recommends that all Harris County residents become informed about their flood risk and have flood insurance no matter where they reside in the county. Flood insurance accelerates the rebuilding and replacement of personal property and fosters community resiliency as a whole.
For information on flood insurance, call your agent, visit the National Flood Insurance Program website, or call 1-888-379-9531.
If you need help finding an insurance provider go to FloodSmart.gov/flood-insurance-provider or call the NFIP at 877-336-2627.
Insurance is the only thing you can count on. I know people who lived or worked so far from flood threats that they didn’t think they needed insurance. Almost five years after Harvey, they bitterly regret that decision.
Sign Up for Flood Warning System Alerts:
The Harris County Flood Warning System offers an alert feature that lets you subscribe to email and/or text alerts that report near real-time rainfall and water levels. Customize alerts and notifications for bayous and tributaries in your area. The Alert Notification System will tell you how much water is headed your way and when/if flooding is likely.
Know Your Flood Risk:
View Flood Insurance Rate Maps and floodplain maps at FEMA’s National Flood Hazard Layer Viewer.
You can also learn more about different types of flooding (street, coastal, riverine, flash, etc.) with Harris County Flood Control’s Flood Education Mapping Tool. This site has interactive features that let you view different types of flood threats in your neighborhood. For instance, clicking on the “ponding” button shows you where streets are likely to flood. It’s useful for planning evacuation routes and also when buying homes.
Study the Advice of Experts
Visit the Harris County Flood Control District Storm Center webpage or Resource Page to view the District Hurricane Guide, information on Flood Insurance and more.
Bookmark Trusted Weather Pages:
Bookmark trusted sources of weather information. In addition to the sources above, bookmark the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service. Traffic to these sites is likely to be so heavy during a hurricane that they will bog down. So know the exact pages you want.
Make Your Plan:
USAA maintains a Natural Disaster Preparation Site for hurricane preparedness checklists. They advise:
ReduceFlooding.com has dozens of links that can help you prepare for hurricanes, including special checklists for senior citizens and pets.
Count on Life Without Electricity for Awhile
Even if you don’t flood, the likely loss of electricity for an extended period will create hardships. Imagine not being able to store food, cook, watch TV, recharge your cell phone, access your Internet service, fill your vehicle with gasoline, use air conditioning, take a hot shower, turn on the lights, or use power tools to make repairs.
Plan for all those contingencies now and you should survive.
Posted by Bob Rehak on June 1, 2022
1737 Days after Hurricane Harvey
RV Resort Detention Pond Should Remain “Completely Dry Between Storms”
The controversial Laurel Springs RV Resort appears to have another problem with permit violations. The resort’s detention pond falls within the FAA regulatory limit and should remain “completely dry between storms.” But it’s not.
How Building Permit Reads
This notation is clearly marked on the resort’s detention and mitigation plan approved by the City of Houston on 12/2/2020.
While FAA regulations give owners two days to drain ponds after storms, the Laurel Springs RV Resort pond has remained wet for more than two months. See a sampling of pictures below.
Purpose of FAA Regulation
I looked up the FAA Advisory above to see exactly what it said. To summarize the relevant portions of the 28-page document, they prohibit the construction of wet-bottom, stormwater-retention ponds within a certain range of airports. The concern: the water could attract ducks and geese that create a hazard for aircraft taking off, landing or circling. The detention pond for the Laurel Springs RV Resort falls within the regulated range of Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Note the regulation above was revised about the time that the City of Houston approved the Laurel Springs RV Resort plans. While the wording in the replacement varies somewhat, the key point remains.
The updated report also states that 90% of bird strikes on aircraft happen under 3,000 feet.
History of Troubles
At first, contractors seemed to be doing everything they could to keep the Laurel Springs RV Resort pond dry. In January, they even opened up a trench in the southern wall of the pond to drain it into Harris County’s Edgewater Park, violating their TCEQ Construction General Permit. After they finally installed the permanent drainage, mysterious black spots started appearing on the floor of the pond.
Now it appears they’re just letting the water evaporate and leak out through the wall of the pond, running afoul of the FAA regulations.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/31/2022
1736 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.