Last week, I posted about Texas Hurricane History, a study by David Roth of the National Weather Service. One of the more interesting stories in the study was about Indianola, a port on Matagorda Bay that once rivaled Galveston as a center of commerce on the Gulf coast. Back in the middle 1800s, people called it “The Queen City of the West.” But two savage hurricanes killed it. The town officially died a little more than 40 years after it was founded.
In 1875, the town had a population of 5,000. Today, Indianola is a small collection of fishing shacks and trailer homes. The courthouse where many residents took refuge in the 1875 storm is now underwater out in the Gulf.
Century before FEMA
Hurricanes hit Indianola in 1875 and 1886. The first killed 270 people; the second 20. People rebuilt after the first storm. They fled after the second. A 15-foot storm surge carried boats miles inland. One of the storms even blew over a railroad train and ripped up miles of track. After that, investors became skittish.
The economic decline of the once burgeoning center of commerce forms a cautionary tale. About building in places vulnerable to flooding. And about the need for outside help recovering from major storms. There was no Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the late 1800s. President Jimmy Carter established FEMA by executive order in 1979, roughly a hundred years after the Indianola disaster.
A Reader’s Connection to Indianola
A reader, Sally Geis, read my post about Texas Hurricane History and Indianola, then emailed me. It seems her family owned land there which she and her brother eventually inherited generations later. Part of the property remains wetlands and part was used as an artillery practice range by the Army.
First called Karlshaven by German immigrants, Indianola became on the two largest ports in Texas, but died in 1886.
Sally’s husband, JG points to a well, all that’s left of the original town.
Wetlands near Indianola.
Indianola was the terminus of the Chihauhua Road. Scores of towns were established in West Texas along the road as a result of trade between Indianola and Chihauhua.
Army Takes Over Queen City of the West
During World War II, the Army used Indianola as an artillery range. Reportedly, the Army also had a POW camp for Germans near here, too.
During World War II, the United States Army constructed an anti-aircraft firing range along the Indianola shoreline to train gunners and the facility was used primarily by military personnel from Camp Hulen.
Posted by Bob Rehak based on information and photos provided by Sally Geis
1469 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/ArtilleryonBeach3.jpg?fit=788%2C490&ssl=1490788adminadmin2021-09-06 15:32:492021-09-06 19:03:32The Short, Tragic Life of the Queen City of the West – Indianola
I came across a fascinating, though slightly dated study by David Roth of the National Weather Service called “Texas Hurricane History”. The 80-page document is filled with trivia that will let you astound friends and family.
Texas Hurricane History From 1527 to 2008
It starts with a section on climatology, then has a list of Texas hurricanes dating back to 1527. The list goes up through Ike in 2008.
Next, there’s a section on hurricane records. It shows dates, wind speeds, deaths, minimum central pressures, origins, tracks and more. Finally, there are numerous chapters devoted to hurricanes by century that contain historical narratives on each major storm.
The Last Indianola Hurricane: A Prequel to the Great Galveston Hurricane
Most people in Houston have heard the story of the Galveston hurricane of 1900. And there’s a lengthy discussion of it in Roth’s history. The storm changed the course of this region’s economic development.
The city of Indianola was founded on the west shore of Matagorda Bay in 1844 by immigrants from Germany, Switzerland, and France. It quickly grew to handle the business west of there, but fell prey to frequent hurricanes including one in 1875 that killed 176 people.
Image from Calhoun County Museum: Debris from the 1875 hurricane that hit Indianola, Texas. The town rebuilt after the storm only to destroyed 11 years later.
On August 18-20th, 1886, Indianola suffered a fatal calamity in another hurricane. Says Roth, “Winds increased throughout the night of the 19th. Matagorda Bay began to invade the city by daylight on the 20th. The wind increased to 72 mph before the Signal Office building collapsed; the observer was killed by a falling timber during his attempt at escape. A lamp in the office burned down the building, along with more than a block of neighboring buildings on both sides of the street, despite the heavy rain. Although the storm was of shorter duration than the one in 1875, winds were considered higher. A storm surge of 15 feet inundated the region, covering the base of the Matagorda Island lighthouse with four feet of water. A large schooner was carried five miles inland.”
“The town was a universal wreck; not a house that was left standing was safe to dwell in,” says Roth. “Most people in town left for the greener pastures of Victoria and San Antonio.”
In this part of Texas, that’s a lesser known prequel to the Galveston hurricane of 1900 that killed more than 8,000 people. But the effect was the same. It led to the rapid growth of safer cities farther inland.
Amazing Facts from Texas Hurricane History
For those who think only recent hurricane have high winds, Roth points to Hurricane Celia that hit Aransas pass in 1970 with 180 mph winds.
And before Harvey, four storms dumped 40″ or more of rain on Texas (in 1921, 1978, 1979, 2001).
Roth’s Texas Hurricane History is a work of scholarship. It contains an eight-page bibliography containing hundreds of references to books and newspaper articles, some of which date back more than 125 years – long before the digital age made such research easy.
As Roth says in his preface, “More hurricanes will strike Texas over the coming years. Learning what happened in past storms can help to prepare you for the future. If the past is ignored, mistakes made in previous storms are likely to occur again.”
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/4/2021
1467 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/1875-Indianola-Hurricane.jpg?fit=1200%2C902&ssl=19021200adminadmin2021-09-04 12:28:132021-09-04 12:45:15Texas Hurricane History
This morning, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), notified me that they again cited the controversial Colony Ridge development in Liberty County for lack of pollution controls.
On June 15, 2021, the investigator found active construction along Long Branch Creek. He noted that the slopes of the creek were not stabilized. He also found un-stabilized sediment piles along the banks of the creek, a damaged silt fence, and an unstabilized drainage channel. Additionally, the slopes of Long Branch Creek were also un-stabilized.
Continuing north intoSection 12, the investigator noted more un-stabilized sediment piles on the edges of un-stabilized drainage ditches connected to Long Branch Creek. The slopes of Long Branch Creek were also un-stabilized in Section 12. While documenting active land clearing, the investigator noted an unprotected tributary that flows into Tarkington Bayou.
After reviewing the site’s stormwater pollution prevention plan, the investigator determined that Section 12 did not have erosion control measures installed as prescribed.
TCEQ Investigation #1736609
The investigation confirmed lack of best management practices at the construction site. One alleged violation was issued: Failure to install minimum controls.
From Attachment 4, “Unstabilized slopes in Long Branch Creek. Unstabilized sediment piles on the banks of Long Branch Creek.”
More unstabilized slopes and unstabilized sediment piles leading to Long Branch Creek from Attachment 4.
As per the Construction General Permit (CGP), D. Burton Construction LLC was required to “design install and maintain effective erosion controls and sediment controls to minimize the discharge of pollutants” and to document compliance with the stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP).
That part of the document takes up the first four pages.
Supporting Documentation
A series of attachments make up the the next 181 pages.
Attachment 1: Vicinity Map
Attachment 2: TCEQExit Interview sent on June 24, 2021
Attachment 3: Permit Information
Attachment 4: Investigation Photographs
Attachment 5: Photo Locations Map
Attachment 6: Flyover Photographs
Attachment 7: Records Request Sent on June 16, 2021
Attachment 8: Response to Records Request
Purpose of SWPPP and Control Measures
The primary purpose of erosion control is to protect surface waters. To do that, TCEQ says contractors should protect slopes and channels.
“Convey concentrated storm water runoff around the top of slopes and stabilize slopes as soon as possible. This can be accomplished using pipe slope drains or earthen berms or other flow controls that will convey runoff around the exposed slope.”
“Avoid disturbing natural channels and the vegetation along natural channels, if possible.”
TCEQ
The SWPPP also contains a lengthy discussion of erosion and sediment controls beginning on page 78. I recommend it for anyone who thinks he/she may be receiving eroded sediment from a construction site.
Soil Report Largely Consistent with Earlier Findings Showing Need for Detention Ponds
Starting on page 128, you can also read an extensive custom soil report from the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service.
They suggest this area will have a high amount of runoff after development. Little water will sink into the soils. And that could increase downstream flooding, unless the developer installs sufficient detention pond capacity.
Colony Ridge is in Liberty County. But if Harris County guidelines applied, they call for .55 acre feet of detention capacity per acre (for developments greater than 640 acres). Thus, if the area under development is 1200 acres, that would call for 660 acre feet of detention ponds (or 100 acres – six and a half feet deep). I saw nothing that large during my last flyover at the end of May.
It’s not clear at this time whether the developer has improved his erosion-control measures. Two calls to the TCEQ have not yet been returned.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/3/2021 based on TCEQ Investigation #1736609
1466 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/2021/09/20210903-Screen-Shot-2021-09-03-at-2.03.57-PM.jpg?fit=1200%2C912&ssl=19121200adminadmin2021-09-03 15:34:322021-09-03 16:04:38TCEQ Again Cites Colony Ridge for Lack of Pollution Controls
The Short, Tragic Life of the Queen City of the West – Indianola
Last week, I posted about Texas Hurricane History, a study by David Roth of the National Weather Service. One of the more interesting stories in the study was about Indianola, a port on Matagorda Bay that once rivaled Galveston as a center of commerce on the Gulf coast. Back in the middle 1800s, people called it “The Queen City of the West.” But two savage hurricanes killed it. The town officially died a little more than 40 years after it was founded.
In 1875, the town had a population of 5,000. Today, Indianola is a small collection of fishing shacks and trailer homes. The courthouse where many residents took refuge in the 1875 storm is now underwater out in the Gulf.
Century before FEMA
Hurricanes hit Indianola in 1875 and 1886. The first killed 270 people; the second 20. People rebuilt after the first storm. They fled after the second. A 15-foot storm surge carried boats miles inland. One of the storms even blew over a railroad train and ripped up miles of track. After that, investors became skittish.
The economic decline of the once burgeoning center of commerce forms a cautionary tale. About building in places vulnerable to flooding. And about the need for outside help recovering from major storms. There was no Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the late 1800s. President Jimmy Carter established FEMA by executive order in 1979, roughly a hundred years after the Indianola disaster.
A Reader’s Connection to Indianola
A reader, Sally Geis, read my post about Texas Hurricane History and Indianola, then emailed me. It seems her family owned land there which she and her brother eventually inherited generations later. Part of the property remains wetlands and part was used as an artillery practice range by the Army.
She sent me pictures of what used to be Indianola and some links to a website dedicated to keeping the town’s history alive.
Army Takes Over Queen City of the West
During World War II, the Army used Indianola as an artillery range. Reportedly, the Army also had a POW camp for Germans near here, too.
Early French Influence
“Out on that fairly barren coastline of Indianola.. in the middle of nowhere…”, wrote Geis, “there’s this huge, pink-granite statue of the famous French explorer, La Salle, who was trying to find the mouth of the Mississippi and got lost.”
For more about the history of Indianola, click here or here.
Where to Find the Queen City of the West
Indianola was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1963.
Posted by Bob Rehak based on information and photos provided by Sally Geis
1469 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Texas Hurricane History
I came across a fascinating, though slightly dated study by David Roth of the National Weather Service called “Texas Hurricane History”. The 80-page document is filled with trivia that will let you astound friends and family.
Texas Hurricane History From 1527 to 2008
It starts with a section on climatology, then has a list of Texas hurricanes dating back to 1527. The list goes up through Ike in 2008.
Next, there’s a section on hurricane records. It shows dates, wind speeds, deaths, minimum central pressures, origins, tracks and more. Finally, there are numerous chapters devoted to hurricanes by century that contain historical narratives on each major storm.
The Last Indianola Hurricane: A Prequel to the Great Galveston Hurricane
Most people in Houston have heard the story of the Galveston hurricane of 1900. And there’s a lengthy discussion of it in Roth’s history. The storm changed the course of this region’s economic development.
But I had never before heard of the “Last Indianola Hurricane.” Long before Galveston, a Category 4 storm changed the history and economic development of another part of Texas by wiping out another of Texas’ major ports.
The city of Indianola was founded on the west shore of Matagorda Bay in 1844 by immigrants from Germany, Switzerland, and France. It quickly grew to handle the business west of there, but fell prey to frequent hurricanes including one in 1875 that killed 176 people.
On August 18-20th, 1886, Indianola suffered a fatal calamity in another hurricane. Says Roth, “Winds increased throughout the night of the 19th. Matagorda Bay began to invade the city by daylight on the 20th. The wind increased to 72 mph before the Signal Office building collapsed; the observer was killed by a falling timber during his attempt at escape. A lamp in the office burned down the building, along with more than a block of neighboring buildings on both sides of the street, despite the heavy rain. Although the storm was of shorter duration than the one in 1875, winds were considered higher. A storm surge of 15 feet inundated the region, covering the base of the Matagorda Island lighthouse with four feet of water. A large schooner was carried five miles inland.”
“The town was a universal wreck; not a house that was left standing was safe to dwell in,” says Roth. “Most people in town left for the greener pastures of Victoria and San Antonio.”
In this part of Texas, that’s a lesser known prequel to the Galveston hurricane of 1900 that killed more than 8,000 people. But the effect was the same. It led to the rapid growth of safer cities farther inland.
Amazing Facts from Texas Hurricane History
For those who think only recent hurricane have high winds, Roth points to Hurricane Celia that hit Aransas pass in 1970 with 180 mph winds.
Roth’s Texas Hurricane History is a work of scholarship. It contains an eight-page bibliography containing hundreds of references to books and newspaper articles, some of which date back more than 125 years – long before the digital age made such research easy.
For future reference, I will also link Roth’s history to the Reports Page under the Major Storms tab.
As Roth says in his preface, “More hurricanes will strike Texas over the coming years. Learning what happened in past storms can help to prepare you for the future. If the past is ignored, mistakes made in previous storms are likely to occur again.”
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/4/2021
1467 Days since Hurricane Harvey
TCEQ Again Cites Colony Ridge for Lack of Pollution Controls
This morning, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), notified me that they again cited the controversial Colony Ridge development in Liberty County for lack of pollution controls.
In early June, TCEQ reprimanded Colony Ridge after eight separate investigations into its construction practices. Last October, TCEQ said Colony Ridge construction practices had a “reasonable likelihood of endangering human health.” This new investigation showed the developer and its contractor, D. Burton Construction LLC, had still not implemented best management practices as required by regulations and the company’s own stormwater pollution prevention plan. To see aerial photos of that I took of the area under investigation in late May, click here.
For the full 185-page TCEQ report, click here. For a summary of the contents and findings, read below.
Summary of Findings: Investigation #1736609
On June 15, 2021, the investigator found active construction along Long Branch Creek. He noted that the slopes of the creek were not stabilized. He also found un-stabilized sediment piles along the banks of the creek, a damaged silt fence, and an unstabilized drainage channel. Additionally, the slopes of Long Branch Creek were also un-stabilized.
Continuing north into Section 12, the investigator noted more un-stabilized sediment piles on the edges of un-stabilized drainage ditches connected to Long Branch Creek. The slopes of Long Branch Creek were also un-stabilized in Section 12. While documenting active land clearing, the investigator noted an unprotected tributary that flows into Tarkington Bayou.
The investigation confirmed lack of best management practices at the construction site. One alleged violation was issued: Failure to install minimum controls.
As per the Construction General Permit (CGP), D. Burton Construction LLC was required to “design install and maintain effective erosion controls and sediment controls to minimize the discharge of pollutants” and to document compliance with the stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP).
That part of the document takes up the first four pages.
Supporting Documentation
A series of attachments make up the the next 181 pages.
Purpose of SWPPP and Control Measures
The primary purpose of erosion control is to protect surface waters. To do that, TCEQ says contractors should protect slopes and channels.
“Convey concentrated storm water runoff around the top of slopes and stabilize slopes as soon as possible. This can be accomplished using pipe slope drains or earthen berms or other flow controls that will convey runoff around the exposed slope.”
The SWPPP also contains a lengthy discussion of erosion and sediment controls beginning on page 78. I recommend it for anyone who thinks he/she may be receiving eroded sediment from a construction site.
Soil Report Largely Consistent with Earlier Findings Showing Need for Detention Ponds
Starting on page 128, you can also read an extensive custom soil report from the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service.
It shows extensive wetlands in the area under development and low-permeability soils, consistent with the soils I reported on December 20 of last year. The soils are also consistent with all the ponding shown on the map above.
They suggest this area will have a high amount of runoff after development. Little water will sink into the soils. And that could increase downstream flooding, unless the developer installs sufficient detention pond capacity.
Colony Ridge is in Liberty County. But if Harris County guidelines applied, they call for .55 acre feet of detention capacity per acre (for developments greater than 640 acres). Thus, if the area under development is 1200 acres, that would call for 660 acre feet of detention ponds (or 100 acres – six and a half feet deep). I saw nothing that large during my last flyover at the end of May.
Downstream Impacts
The rivers of mud previously documented coming out of Colony Ridge have impacted Tarkington Bayou, Luce Bayou, Rocky Branch, Long Branch, and the East Fork San Jacinto. Eroded sediment from this area is likely contributing to the giant mouth bar now setting up on the East Fork. That will cost the City of Houston tens of millions of dollars to dredge.
It’s not clear at this time whether the developer has improved his erosion-control measures. Two calls to the TCEQ have not yet been returned.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/3/2021 based on TCEQ Investigation #1736609
1466 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.