Today, Jeff Lindner, Harris County’s meteorologist issued a report on last weekend’s (1/8/22 – 1/9/22) storm. One of the more interesting findings: According to the National Weather Service, the Kingwood tornado was the widest, strongest and longest of five that touched down in Harris County. See below.
EF stands for Enhanced Fujita Rating Scale, a table used to compare tornado winds. All these tornadoes ranked on the low end of the scale which goes up to EF-5. The scale considers 0 and 1 as weak tornadoes.
Wealth of Detail Beyond ReduceFlooding Reports
Lindner’s report confirms my “after-action” reports, but adds a wealth of details.
For instance:
Rainfall rates of 2-3 inches/hour were common in the slow-moving training thunderstorms.
That led to rapid and significant street flooding, and rises on area creeks and bayous.
The highest measured discharge (streamflow) rate was in Greens Bayou at Mount Houston Parkway – 7,067 cubic feet per second.
Lindner found that certain areas experienced 2- to 10-year rains based on Atlas-14 exceedance probabilities. Based on 1- to 3-hour rainfall rates, those included middle Buffalo Bayou, Luce Bayou, middle and upper Halls Bayou, middle Greens Bayou, middle and lower White Oak Bayou, and the lower portion of the East Fork of the San Jacinto River. However, based on 12- to 24-hour rates, all impacted watersheds experience 2- to 5-year rains.
Because the storms trained perpendicular to the direction of most bayous, the rainfall within their watersheds varied greatly. For instance:
Greens Bayou received on 0.9 inches at Mount Houston Parkway, but 6.2 inches at US59.
Buffalo Bayou received 5.2 inches in places and 0.2 in others – a 26X difference.
Like all of the work that comes out of Lindner’s department, the documentation is meticulous.
House Flooding Estimates
Contrary to previous reports, some house flooding did occur. It happened along Brickhouse Gully on the west side of Bingle Rd. Approximately 6-8 structures experienced flooding to depths of 4.0-6.0 inches.
Says Lindner, “Other isolated structures may have flooded in portions of Spring Branch due to the intense rainfall rates overwhelming street and local drainage systems. A few houses also flooded along Valley Stream downstream (east) of I-45 along Halls Bayou.”
Alarms Triggered
Unfortunately, Lindner doesn’t offer much more information about the Kingwood tornado at this time. Nor does he cover flooding in surrounding areas, such as Liberty County. However, the storm did set off a number of alarms.
The storm triggered 26 rainfall alarms when gages received more than an inch of rain in 15-minutes.
Rising water triggered 14 flood warnings when streams reached 3 feet below bankfull.
For detailed maps, rainfall rates, and exceedance statistics at dozens of locations, see Lindner’s full report. Note: on major storms, Lindner often issues an immediate report and a final report several weeks later. This report falls into the “immediate” category. For future reference, you can also find this report under the Major Storms tab on the reports page.
Houston Public Work’s Emergency Operations and District E staff are working with the Solid Waste Management Department to identify locations and the scope of debris pickup needed. But in case they miss something…
Report the need for residential debris pickup by calling (713) 837-0311. Make sure you report the issue as “STORM DEBRIS.”
And if you see any trees blocking roadways or if any street lights need to be reset again, call Houston 311 or (713) 837-0311.
Redbud Lane in Forest Cove
Instructions
Crews began debris pickup Tuesday.
Residents should separate piles when placing debris at the curb.
Please keep roadways clear, so crews can maneuver in and around affected areas more easily.
Have contractors haul off materials from their repairs.
Palmetto Lane in Forest Cove is narrowed to one lane making it difficult for crews to work as residents try to maneuver around them.
Numbers to Call, How to Follow Up
Please continue to utilize Houston 311 to make your initial report for “storm debris” and follow up by sending your service request number to districte@houstontx.gov. Put “Storm Debris” in the subject line. This will let the District E office track cases to make sure they are handled expeditiously.
Should you have any questions please contact the District E office by emailing districte@houstontx.gov or call (832) 393-3008.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/12/22 Based on Information Provided by District E
1597 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/20220111-IMG_1076.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=19001200adminadmin2022-01-12 11:35:042022-01-12 11:35:07City Starts Tornado Debris Pickup, How to Help
On Sunday morning, Jeff Miller, an Elm Grove resident who lives near Woodridge Village, reported 5.5 inches in his rain gage. That compares to a 6.24 inch rain that fell on Woodridge on May 7, 2019, when hundreds of homes in Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest flooded. Also, Woodridge falls about 40% short of current Atlas-14 standards required to hold back floodwater from a 100-year storm.
Other important factors came into play last weekend that should relieve some of residents’ anxiety and help explain what happened.
First, remember that on May 7, 2019, Perry Homes’ contractors had clearcut 268 acres, but had barely begun work on detention ponds. Only one of five was complete.
Second, the intensity of the May 7, 2019 rain was higher than last weekend’s. On May 7, 6.24 inches fell in 5 hours. Last weekend, 5.5 inches fell in 9 hours.
Third, in 2019, the S2 detention area had been partially excavated but didn’t have any outflow control restrictions installed yet. So it didn’t really function as a detention pond.
Fourth, contractors had destroyed a berm between Elm Grove and Woodridge, and filled in a natural stream on Woodridge. Both have since been replaced.
I took the photos below Sunday morning between periodic sprinkles, several hours after heavy rain stopped. They show how the current Woodridge Village detention handled the storm. All ponds were well within their banks. One was empty.
The triangular pond on the left is N2. N1 is out of sight above it. The two ponds on the right are S1 (foreground) and S2 beyond it. N3 is out of sight at the top of the frame.
S2 was about halfway to two-thirds full.
The tail of S2 is already silting in but had plenty of room to spare.
N3 Pond on eastern edge of property was supposed to have had an outflow control device but never got one.
The Junction where water from all five ponds comes together before flowing into Taylor Gully. N3 is at top of frame.
Reverse angle shot of the Junction with Taylor Gully in the background. Note how high the detention ponds are compared to the gully.The areas that flooded so badly in 2019 are just beyond the ponds.
Water coming from the big trianglar N2 pond now has to go through these twin culverts which were almost completely inundated.
Wider shot shows volume of water backed up in N2.
Only N1 in the NW corner of Woodridge was totally dry. The outflow capacity is much greater than the inflow. So this pond provides no detention benefit whatsoever. Local resident Jeff Miller says he has NEVER seen standing water in this pond.
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/2022/01/20220109-DJI_0370-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-01-11 16:46:412022-01-11 17:14:16Woodridge Village Detention Ponds Passed Sunday Test, But…
HCFCD Report Shows Kingwood Tornado was Widest, Longest, Strongest
Today, Jeff Lindner, Harris County’s meteorologist issued a report on last weekend’s (1/8/22 – 1/9/22) storm. One of the more interesting findings: According to the National Weather Service, the Kingwood tornado was the widest, strongest and longest of five that touched down in Harris County. See below.
Wealth of Detail Beyond ReduceFlooding Reports
Lindner’s report confirms my “after-action” reports, but adds a wealth of details.
For instance:
Lindner found that certain areas experienced 2- to 10-year rains based on Atlas-14 exceedance probabilities. Based on 1- to 3-hour rainfall rates, those included middle Buffalo Bayou, Luce Bayou, middle and upper Halls Bayou, middle Greens Bayou, middle and lower White Oak Bayou, and the lower portion of the East Fork of the San Jacinto River. However, based on 12- to 24-hour rates, all impacted watersheds experience 2- to 5-year rains.
Because the storms trained perpendicular to the direction of most bayous, the rainfall within their watersheds varied greatly. For instance:
Like all of the work that comes out of Lindner’s department, the documentation is meticulous.
House Flooding Estimates
Contrary to previous reports, some house flooding did occur. It happened along Brickhouse Gully on the west side of Bingle Rd. Approximately 6-8 structures experienced flooding to depths of 4.0-6.0 inches.
Says Lindner, “Other isolated structures may have flooded in portions of Spring Branch due to the intense rainfall rates overwhelming street and local drainage systems. A few houses also flooded along Valley Stream downstream (east) of I-45 along Halls Bayou.”
Alarms Triggered
Unfortunately, Lindner doesn’t offer much more information about the Kingwood tornado at this time. Nor does he cover flooding in surrounding areas, such as Liberty County. However, the storm did set off a number of alarms.
The storm triggered 26 rainfall alarms when gages received more than an inch of rain in 15-minutes.
Rising water triggered 14 flood warnings when streams reached 3 feet below bankfull.
For detailed maps, rainfall rates, and exceedance statistics at dozens of locations, see Lindner’s full report. Note: on major storms, Lindner often issues an immediate report and a final report several weeks later. This report falls into the “immediate” category. For future reference, you can also find this report under the Major Storms tab on the reports page.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/13/22
1598 Days since Hurricane Harvey
City Starts Tornado Debris Pickup, How to Help
Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin announced debris pickup has started for the tornado that struck Kingwood and Forest Cove Sunday morning, 1/9/22. Here’s how you can help.
Help Requested
Houston Public Work’s Emergency Operations and District E staff are working with the Solid Waste Management Department to identify locations and the scope of debris pickup needed. But in case they miss something…
Report the need for residential debris pickup by calling (713) 837-0311. Make sure you report the issue as “STORM DEBRIS.”
And if you see any trees blocking roadways or if any street lights need to be reset again, call Houston 311 or (713) 837-0311.
Instructions
Crews began debris pickup Tuesday.
Numbers to Call, How to Follow Up
Please continue to utilize Houston 311 to make your initial report for “storm debris” and follow up by sending your service request number to districte@houstontx.gov. Put “Storm Debris” in the subject line. This will let the District E office track cases to make sure they are handled expeditiously.
Should you have any questions please contact the District E office by emailing districte@houstontx.gov or call (832) 393-3008.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/12/22 Based on Information Provided by District E
1597 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Woodridge Village Detention Ponds Passed Sunday Test, But…
On Sunday morning, Jeff Miller, an Elm Grove resident who lives near Woodridge Village, reported 5.5 inches in his rain gage. That compares to a 6.24 inch rain that fell on Woodridge on May 7, 2019, when hundreds of homes in Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest flooded. Also, Woodridge falls about 40% short of current Atlas-14 standards required to hold back floodwater from a 100-year storm.
So you can understand how nervous Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest residents felt, especially considering that excavation of additional detention ponds on Woodridge Village has not yet started. Regardless, Woodridge did not flood homes across the county line this time. Here’s why.
Important Factors to Consider
Other important factors came into play last weekend that should relieve some of residents’ anxiety and help explain what happened.
First, remember that on May 7, 2019, Perry Homes’ contractors had clearcut 268 acres, but had barely begun work on detention ponds. Only one of five was complete.
Second, the intensity of the May 7, 2019 rain was higher than last weekend’s. On May 7, 6.24 inches fell in 5 hours. Last weekend, 5.5 inches fell in 9 hours.
Third, in 2019, the S2 detention area had been partially excavated but didn’t have any outflow control restrictions installed yet. So it didn’t really function as a detention pond.
Fourth, contractors had destroyed a berm between Elm Grove and Woodridge, and filled in a natural stream on Woodridge. Both have since been replaced.
Fifth, by current standards, last weekend we had a 5-year storm. But the detention ponds were designed to hold what today would be classified as a 25-year storm.
Photos Taken Sunday Morning
I took the photos below Sunday morning between periodic sprinkles, several hours after heavy rain stopped. They show how the current Woodridge Village detention handled the storm. All ponds were well within their banks. One was empty.
Big Test and Additional Excavation Yet to Come
So the Perry-installed detention passed another test. But it was far from what college students would call a final exam.
Flood Control purchased this site last year and plans to turn it into a regional detention basin by more than doubling the detention capacity. However, the excavation contract lets the contractor take the dirt when it can be sold, while only meeting minimum monthly requirements which have not yet kicked in.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/11/2022
1596 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.