Contractors have already removed all but a few square feet of the above-water portion of the mouth bar. Only a tiny strip remains that will be used for safety purposes during the next phase.
“The dredge operator is using this land mass temporarily for safety reasons. The next phase will be mechanical dredging working off of floating barges. In the event that during the dredging process, a barge is damaged, the equipment can be readily offloaded onto the Mouth Bar land mass, preventing water damage to this equipment. We anticipate moving into the new location beginning December 1st,” said Martin.
Next Phase Includes Another 260,000 CY
Martin says the next phase includes dredging north of the area just completed (the above-water portion of the mouth bar) to a depth of six feet. See the black cross-hatched area below.
They also could be looking for submerged trees. In a previous phase of dredging between West Lake Houston Parkway and the D1 marker below, dredgers ran into trees along the north side of the river, so they had to make up extra volume on the south side to meet objectives.
Photos Taken November 17, 2020
The Google Earth image below from last year shows where I photographed two dredges (D1, D2) yesterday in relation to where the mouth bar used to be.
Below: actual images of the dredging and dredge area.
Looking west (upstream) toward Kings Harbor and the West Lake Houston Parkway Bridge past D1.Looking north past first dredge (D1) toward the Deerwood Golf Course.Note the depth of water on the arm (approximately 10-15 feet).Looking south toward FM1960 over what’s left of the above-water portion of the mouth bar. Note the second dredge in the distant background.This image shows how shallow the water is in the area to be dredged. The birds are STANDING!Looking northwest. D2 in foreground. Note D1 barely visible in front of long peninsula at top of picture. Also note remainder of mouth bar at right.
In the picture immediately above, dredging in the next phase will take place in an arc around and behind that sliver of sand on the upper right.
Another Million Cubic Yards
Earlier in the year, the City announced that FEMA had agreed to dredge another million cubic yards. We do not know at this time where FEMA’s million cubic yards will come from. That might be yet another phase that dredges a channel between the dredges you see in the photo above.
If you live in Kingwood, you likely have noticed new construction in Town Center on the southwest corner of Kingwood Drive and West Lake Houston Parkway. For almost three years after Harvey, the Chase Bank on that corner sat vacant. Now it’s being replaced by a new freestanding CVS Pharmacy…but built up a little higher than the bank was.
Looking NW from over West Lake Houston Parkway toward the old H-E-B center in the background, new CVS under construction in foreground.
A Move Across WLHP for CVS
The new CVS Pharmacy will replace the CVS in the old Randall’s center across West Lake Houston Parkway. A CVS spokesman said the company hopes to have the new store open by spring of next year.
Looking straight down on the new construction. Kingwood Drive on left, WLHP at top.
The new CVS will definitely enhance the image of Kingwood’s busiest intersection. Unfortunately, two other shopping centers at that intersection have lost their anchor stores (Randall’s and the old H-E-B).
Rumors Regarding Randalls and Old H-E-B Centers
Merchants in the area say both shopping centers could soon be renovated. The old H-E-B center has a new owner who plans to reconfigure the shopping center and has reportedly been showing plans to prospective tenants.
The old H-E-B center on the NW corner still struggles without an anchor store. Only a handful of pre-Harvey merchants remain: Dominos, Hallmark, Hunan, Pet Ranch, and Subway. More than 30 stores are vacant.The Randall’s center lost its anchor last year. The CVS store that’s moving across WLHP is on the right end of the strip center.
Rumors also suggest that Randall’s may be split into two smaller stores, adding new life to that center.
Chase continues to offer service from two other locations in Kingwood. One at Chestnut Ridge and Kingwood Drive. The other just three blocks south of the new CVS location.
No doubt, some of the vacancies are due to general weakness in demand due to COVID. But I also suspect many merchants have taken a wait-and-see attitude before signing leases. They want to see if flood-mitigation efforts are real.
Town Center Flood Risk Reduction Since Harvey
The return of commercial activity to Town Center will be an even stronger sign of recovery. Since Harvey, flood risk in Town Center has been greatly reduced with:
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/20201117-DJI_0246.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=19001200adminadmin2020-11-17 17:53:342020-11-17 21:28:07One of Harvey’s Most Visible Scars Being Replaced in Kingwood Town Center
…CATEGORY 5 IOTA HEADED FOR NICARAGUA… …EXPECTED TO BRING CATASTROPHIC WINDS, LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE, AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL TO CENTRAL AMERICA…
Ironic Meaning of Iota
Iota is anything but. The word itself is synonymous with “bit, mite, speck, scrap, shred, ounce, scintilla, little bit, particle, smidgen, and tad.” Instead it’s a monster Category 5 hurricane with winds exceeding 160 mph. And the storm is still strengthening.
Iota is in the left of the image, halfway down.
How ironic! Iota is a very impressive hurricane, especially for this late in the year, with a distinct, warm eye on satellite images. An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft found maximum flight-winds of about 147 kt and a central pressure of about 917 mb. 147 knots equals 169 mph.
And that makes Iota the latest category 5 on record for the Atlantic basin. A little more strengthening is possible today with fairly light shear and warm waters before Iota makes landfall tonight.
National Hurricane Center
Strike 2
Rapid weakening is anticipated over central America, and Iota should dissipate in a couple of days. The hurricane is moving westward at 9 kt. After landfall, the cyclone should move a little faster, and dissipate over the higher terrain of central America.
The new forecast is a little south of the previous one, mostly owing to the initial position.
This is a catastrophic situation unfolding for northeastern Nicaragua with an extreme storm surge of 15-20 ft forecast along with destructive winds and potentially 30 inches of rainfall. It is exacerbated by the fact that it should make landfall in almost the exact same location that category 4 Hurricane Eta did about two weeks ago.
Iota should strike the eastern coast of Nicaragua later today as a Category 5 hurricane.
Posted by Bob Rehak based on National Hurricane Center Data
1175 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/1800x1080.jpg?fit=1800%2C1080&ssl=110801800adminadmin2020-11-16 13:11:082020-11-16 13:12:01Iota is Anything But, Now Cat 5 and Getting Stronger
Next Phase of Mouth-Bar Dredging Starting
The next phase of San Jacinto West Fork mouth-bar dredging should start December 1, according to Houston Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin. This will start Phase 2 of a Texas Water Development Board grant announced in January of this year (although the phases were numbered differently at that time).
Small Strip of Bar Will Remain for Now
Contractors have already removed all but a few square feet of the above-water portion of the mouth bar. Only a tiny strip remains that will be used for safety purposes during the next phase.
“The dredge operator is using this land mass temporarily for safety reasons. The next phase will be mechanical dredging working off of floating barges. In the event that during the dredging process, a barge is damaged, the equipment can be readily offloaded onto the Mouth Bar land mass, preventing water damage to this equipment. We anticipate moving into the new location beginning December 1st,” said Martin.
Next Phase Includes Another 260,000 CY
Martin says the next phase includes dredging north of the area just completed (the above-water portion of the mouth bar) to a depth of six feet. See the black cross-hatched area below.
The numbers in the map above represent current depth in feet plus tenths of a foot.
More Mechanical Dredging For Next Phase
Martin says the next phase will consist of more mechanical dredging. That means more excavators working from pontoons. See pictures below.
Yesterday, two worked the edges of the area of interest.
A veteran dredger suggested they may be excavating test holes. Why? They could be looking to see how dense the silt is; that could affect the horsepower needed for hydraulic dredges in later phases.
They also could be looking for submerged trees. In a previous phase of dredging between West Lake Houston Parkway and the D1 marker below, dredgers ran into trees along the north side of the river, so they had to make up extra volume on the south side to meet objectives.
Photos Taken November 17, 2020
The Google Earth image below from last year shows where I photographed two dredges (D1, D2) yesterday in relation to where the mouth bar used to be.
Below: actual images of the dredging and dredge area.
In the picture immediately above, dredging in the next phase will take place in an arc around and behind that sliver of sand on the upper right.
Another Million Cubic Yards
Earlier in the year, the City announced that FEMA had agreed to dredge another million cubic yards. We do not know at this time where FEMA’s million cubic yards will come from. That might be yet another phase that dredges a channel between the dredges you see in the photo above.
Stephen Costello, the City’s flood czar, said in October that he was hiring an engineering consultant to determine the optimal course of action.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/18/2020
1177 Days since Hurricane Harvey
One of Harvey’s Most Visible Scars Being Replaced in Kingwood Town Center
If you live in Kingwood, you likely have noticed new construction in Town Center on the southwest corner of Kingwood Drive and West Lake Houston Parkway. For almost three years after Harvey, the Chase Bank on that corner sat vacant. Now it’s being replaced by a new freestanding CVS Pharmacy…but built up a little higher than the bank was.
A Move Across WLHP for CVS
The new CVS Pharmacy will replace the CVS in the old Randall’s center across West Lake Houston Parkway. A CVS spokesman said the company hopes to have the new store open by spring of next year.
The new CVS will definitely enhance the image of Kingwood’s busiest intersection. Unfortunately, two other shopping centers at that intersection have lost their anchor stores (Randall’s and the old H-E-B).
Rumors Regarding Randalls and Old H-E-B Centers
Merchants in the area say both shopping centers could soon be renovated. The old H-E-B center has a new owner who plans to reconfigure the shopping center and has reportedly been showing plans to prospective tenants.
Rumors also suggest that Randall’s may be split into two smaller stores, adding new life to that center.
Chase continues to offer service from two other locations in Kingwood. One at Chestnut Ridge and Kingwood Drive. The other just three blocks south of the new CVS location.
No doubt, some of the vacancies are due to general weakness in demand due to COVID. But I also suspect many merchants have taken a wait-and-see attitude before signing leases. They want to see if flood-mitigation efforts are real.
Town Center Flood Risk Reduction Since Harvey
The return of commercial activity to Town Center will be an even stronger sign of recovery. Since Harvey, flood risk in Town Center has been greatly reduced with:
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/17/2020
1146 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Iota is Anything But, Now Cat 5 and Getting Stronger
…CATEGORY 5 IOTA HEADED FOR NICARAGUA… …EXPECTED TO BRING CATASTROPHIC WINDS, LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE, AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL TO CENTRAL AMERICA…
Ironic Meaning of Iota
Iota is anything but. The word itself is synonymous with “bit, mite, speck, scrap, shred, ounce, scintilla, little bit, particle, smidgen, and tad.” Instead it’s a monster Category 5 hurricane with winds exceeding 160 mph. And the storm is still strengthening.
How ironic! Iota is a very impressive hurricane, especially for this late in the year, with a distinct, warm eye on satellite images. An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft found maximum flight-winds of about 147 kt and a central pressure of about 917 mb. 147 knots equals 169 mph.
Strike 2
Rapid weakening is anticipated over central America, and Iota should dissipate in a couple of days. The hurricane is moving westward at 9 kt. After landfall, the cyclone should move a little faster, and dissipate over the higher terrain of central America.
The new forecast is a little south of the previous one, mostly owing to the initial position.
This is a catastrophic situation unfolding for northeastern Nicaragua with an extreme storm surge of 15-20 ft forecast along with destructive winds and potentially 30 inches of rainfall. It is exacerbated by the fact that it should make landfall in almost the exact same location that category 4 Hurricane Eta did about two weeks ago.
Posted by Bob Rehak based on National Hurricane Center Data
1175 Days since Hurricane Harvey