Every once in a while, thoughts collide in a way that makes you see the world more clearly. Such a collision happened today. I suddenly realized that Texas, the state that leads the nation in billion-dollar, weather-and-climate related disasters, also has many developers plus city and county officials pushing back against higher minimum drainage standards that would reduce flooding. At a time when those disasters are increasing in frequency!
How Proposed Drainage Standards Will Affect Developers
I replied, “The proposed changes would force developers in the future to install detention ponds and storm drains large enough to help reduce flooding. It would also prohibit them from reducing the floodwater storage capacity of the 500 year floodplain. Finally, it would force them to raise the level of homes above the 500-year floodplain or flood-proof them.”
Then I added, “From a flood prevention point of view, these are all good things. But from a developer’s point of view, they add expense. If you buy a home in an area that complies with these standards, it will probably mean a higher-priced, but much safer home. I hear that developers and some civic officials are already pushing back against these proposed changes.”
Natural Disaster Costs, Frequencies
After sending the reply, I went to the NOAA site to find information about natural disasters, their costs, their frequency and their primary locations.
The last decade had twice as many billion-dollar weather disasters as the previous decade and four times more than the decade of the 1980s. The last five years had 69% of all such disasters in the entire 40 year period.
Tropical Cyclones and flooding comprised 29.5% all these billion-dollar disasters.
Reason for Increasing Costs, Even After Adjusting for Inflation
In explaining these rising costs, NOAA says, “These trends are … complicated by the fact that much of the growth has taken place in vulnerable areas like coasts and river floodplains. Vulnerability is especially high where building codes are insufficient for reducing damage from extreme events.”
Texas Leads Nation
And who leads the nation in billion-dollar, weather-and-climate-related disasters? Texas.
Connecting Some Tragic Dots
So there you have it.
The state with the most billion-dollar disasters has many developers and civic leaders pushing back against higher minimum drainage standards at a time when major weather disasters are increasing.
New Northpark Woods development in Montgomery County next to San Jacinto West Forkand its sand pits.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/8/2020
1014 Days after Hurricane Harvey and 263 after Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/map_events_per_state_cumulative.png?fit=974%2C650&ssl=1650974adminadmin2020-06-08 16:19:232020-06-08 16:48:46Why Does the State that Leads the Nation in Billion-Dollar Weather Disasters Resist Minimum Drainage Standards?
In April, Harris County Commissioners directed the County Engineer and Executive Director of the Flood Control District to recommend minimum drainage standards for all communities in Harris County. The idea: to protect the County’s $2.5 billion flood bond investment. Lax standards in one place could undermine mitigation projects in another.
High-Level Recommendations
In May, the two executives came back to Commissioners Court. Here is what they recommended. These ideas apply to all cities within Harris County as well as those outside the county, but which drain into Harris County.
The recommendations must be adopted within municipal boundaries AND extraterritorial jurisdictions by December 31, 2020, IF the municipalities in question wish to partner with the county on any flood bond projects. That’s a $2.5 billion stick the county wields and that’s a powerful incentive.
Here are the recommendations:
Use Atlas 14 rainfall rates for sizing storm water conveyance and detention systems.
Require a minimum detention rate of 0.55 acre feet per acre of detention for any new development on tracts one acre or larger in size. However a single family residential structure and accessory buildings proposed on an existing lot is except from providing detention.
Prohibit the use of hydrographic timing as a substitution for detention on any project, unless it directly outfalls into Galveston Bay.
Require no net fill in the current mapped 500-year flood plain, except in areas identified as coastal zones only.
Require the minimum Finished Floor Elevation (FFE) of new habitable structures be established at or waterproofed to the 500-year flood elevation as shown on the effective Flood Insurance Study.
County Has Hired Engineering Firm to Identify Specific Changes
The County has hired an engineering firm, EHRA Engineering, to assist communities in evaluating and updating their policies and ordinances at no cost to the community.
End-of-Year Deadline
To help ensure participation, no partnership projects, including flood control or county roadway projects, will be constructed after December 31, 2020, in communities that have failed to implement these minimum standards. Projects started before that date may be continued only if communities are actively working to update their criteria.
Fix Flooding First Initiative About to Be Unveiled
The letter, signed by John Blount, Harris County Engineer, and Russ Poppe, Executive Director of Harris County Flood Control, also hints at something called a “Fix Flooding First” Initiative scheduled for roll out later this month. A Google search for “Fix Flooding First” turned up an initiative in Charleston, SC, but nothing in Harris County yet. Stay tuned.
Exact Text of Language Approved by Commissioners
Below is the exact text of the language in the two page letter unanimously approved by Commissioners and the County Judge.
The reference to hydrograph timing in the letter above refers to the Beat-the-Peak exemptions that Montgomery County offers to developers as an alternative to detention ponds. If developers can prove that their runoff will reach a river or stream BEFORE the peak of a flood, they can avoid building detention. The theory is that they aren’t adding to the peak.
The Artavia Development near FM1314 and the West Fork covers 2200 acres without having one detention pond. Ditches are designed to get water to the river ASAP.
Of course, that only encourages developers to get water to a river faster in a flood. That reduces the time of accumulation and adds to flooding downstream. It’s the exact opposite of what should happen to reduce flooding.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/20200421-RJR_0841.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-06-07 18:31:372024-02-07 12:32:46Minimum Drainage Standard Recommendations for Communities In or Draining Into Harris County
Sunday morning at 8 a.m., Perry contractors we’re busy working on Woodridge Village detention ponds. This came after a Saturday when they stopped working after 6 p.m. Surprisingly, this came even as the threat from Tropical Storm Cristobal moved farther east.
After months of relative inactivity, construction has kicked into high gear. Elm Grove resident Jeff Miller took the two shots below from near Mace Street in Porter.
N2 Channel as of 6/4/2020 in afternoon around 5 p.m.Same channel on 6/6 around 10 a.m.
That’s a lot of dirt to move in a little more than a day! Below is how the same channel looked from the air on Sunday morning.
Looking north along western perimeter of Woodridge Village at channel that connects detention pond N1 with N2.
Below, you can see the general layout of Woodridge Village detention ponds.
Other Sunday Morning Photos
Since the last update, the focus of most construction activity seems to be on two detention ponds along the development’s western border – N1 and N2. As the photos below show, contractors have expanded both ponds as well as the ditches connecting them.
Expansion of the Woodridge Village N1 PondWorkers are also deepening and widening N2 toward the left above.Contractors use dirt from the ponds to raise the areas where homes may be built some day.
Dirt from N1 is moving east toward the new Ford Road entrance.
See new Ford Road Entrance through trees at upper right.Dirt excavated from N2 in the background is also moving east toward the foreground, which is the base of N3. Note also how the grass planted last winter in the souther section (upper left) has all turned brown. This could present an erosion problem in the future.Grass in the overflow spillway between the concrete-lined portion of Taylor Gully (left) and detention pond S2 has also died.Looking NE from over S2. Taylor Gully cuts diagonally through the frame from upper left to lower right. Note the vast expanse of treeless, grassless development on the southwest half of the northern section.
The City must also come up with cash (or land in lieu of cash) to cover half of the construction costs of developing the regional detention basin (not just half of the purchase price of the land). Russ Poppe, Director of Harris County Flood Control estimated the construction costs could total $20 to $30 million, although flood control has reportedly not yet started planning the project.
Regarding Option 2
A web search this morning turned up no new bidding documents for any construction beyond the detention ponds. Previously, Perry Homes and LJA have advertised bid opportunities.
Regarding Option 3
Perry still has a for-sale sign at the Woodland Hills entrance to the property. However, the chances of a third party purchase while lawsuits are pending is remote. Still, the completion of detention ponds makes the property more attractive to another developer with an appetite for risk.
The big problem with Options 2 and 3: Perry Homes rushed to get the plans permitted before Atlas-14. That means, even with detention ponds completed, the detention may not be adequate. Estimates of the shortfall range from 30% to 40%.
As a result, Option 1 provides, by far, the highest margin of safety for flood-weary residents.
Unfortunately, the wheels of government move slowly. Neither the County, nor the City has made a public comment about a possible purchase deal since the last commissioner’s court meeting on May 19. The purchase is not listed on the agenda for the June 9, 2020, meeting.
Posted by Bob Rehak with with thanks to Jeff Millerfor photos
1013 Days after Hurricane Harvey and 262 since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/20200607-DJI_0055.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=19001200adminadmin2020-06-07 14:08:292020-06-07 14:13:07Contractors Now Working Seven Days Per Week, Dawn to Dusk, on Woodridge Village Detention Ponds
Why Does the State that Leads the Nation in Billion-Dollar Weather Disasters Resist Minimum Drainage Standards?
Every once in a while, thoughts collide in a way that makes you see the world more clearly. Such a collision happened today. I suddenly realized that Texas, the state that leads the nation in billion-dollar, weather-and-climate related disasters, also has many developers plus city and county officials pushing back against higher minimum drainage standards that would reduce flooding. At a time when those disasters are increasing in frequency!
How Proposed Drainage Standards Will Affect Developers
My last post talked about “Minimum Drainage Standard Recommendations for Communities In or Draining Into Harris County.” A reader asked how the proposed changes would affect developers.
I replied, “The proposed changes would force developers in the future to install detention ponds and storm drains large enough to help reduce flooding. It would also prohibit them from reducing the floodwater storage capacity of the 500 year floodplain. Finally, it would force them to raise the level of homes above the 500-year floodplain or flood-proof them.”
Then I added, “From a flood prevention point of view, these are all good things. But from a developer’s point of view, they add expense. If you buy a home in an area that complies with these standards, it will probably mean a higher-priced, but much safer home. I hear that developers and some civic officials are already pushing back against these proposed changes.”
Natural Disaster Costs, Frequencies
After sending the reply, I went to the NOAA site to find information about natural disasters, their costs, their frequency and their primary locations.
I found this fascinating story about the increasing frequency of billion-dollar weather disasters. I pulled the three charts below from it.
Tropical Cyclones and flooding comprised 29.5% all these billion-dollar disasters.
Reason for Increasing Costs, Even After Adjusting for Inflation
Texas Leads Nation
And who leads the nation in billion-dollar, weather-and-climate-related disasters? Texas.
Connecting Some Tragic Dots
So there you have it.
Food for thought as this debate begins. Kind of makes you wonder about the wisdom of permitting starter homes in flood plains next to raging rivers, building 2200 acre developments without any detention ponds, and encouraging developers to get their water to rivers faster in floods.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/8/2020
1014 Days after Hurricane Harvey and 263 after Imelda
Minimum Drainage Standard Recommendations for Communities In or Draining Into Harris County
In April, Harris County Commissioners directed the County Engineer and Executive Director of the Flood Control District to recommend minimum drainage standards for all communities in Harris County. The idea: to protect the County’s $2.5 billion flood bond investment. Lax standards in one place could undermine mitigation projects in another.
High-Level Recommendations
In May, the two executives came back to Commissioners Court. Here is what they recommended. These ideas apply to all cities within Harris County as well as those outside the county, but which drain into Harris County.
The recommendations must be adopted within municipal boundaries AND extraterritorial jurisdictions by December 31, 2020, IF the municipalities in question wish to partner with the county on any flood bond projects. That’s a $2.5 billion stick the county wields and that’s a powerful incentive.
Here are the recommendations:
County Has Hired Engineering Firm to Identify Specific Changes
These are higher-level recommendations than those the County asked the City of Houston to make as a condition for the purchase of the Woodridge Village property in Montgomery County. The reason: The list provided to the City pertained to actual regulations that needed to change as a result of these high-level directives.
The County has hired an engineering firm, EHRA Engineering, to assist communities in evaluating and updating their policies and ordinances at no cost to the community.
End-of-Year Deadline
To help ensure participation, no partnership projects, including flood control or county roadway projects, will be constructed after December 31, 2020, in communities that have failed to implement these minimum standards. Projects started before that date may be continued only if communities are actively working to update their criteria.
Fix Flooding First Initiative About to Be Unveiled
The letter, signed by John Blount, Harris County Engineer, and Russ Poppe, Executive Director of Harris County Flood Control, also hints at something called a “Fix Flooding First” Initiative scheduled for roll out later this month. A Google search for “Fix Flooding First” turned up an initiative in Charleston, SC, but nothing in Harris County yet. Stay tuned.
Exact Text of Language Approved by Commissioners
Below is the exact text of the language in the two page letter unanimously approved by Commissioners and the County Judge.
For a printable PDF, click here.
Reference to Hydrograph Timing Explained
The reference to hydrograph timing in the letter above refers to the Beat-the-Peak exemptions that Montgomery County offers to developers as an alternative to detention ponds. If developers can prove that their runoff will reach a river or stream BEFORE the peak of a flood, they can avoid building detention. The theory is that they aren’t adding to the peak.
Of course, that only encourages developers to get water to a river faster in a flood. That reduces the time of accumulation and adds to flooding downstream. It’s the exact opposite of what should happen to reduce flooding.
Using Beat the Peak, the 2200-acre Artavia development near the West Fork San Jacinto got away without building any detention ponds. Look out below!
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/8/2020
1014 Days after Hurricane Harvey
Contractors Now Working Seven Days Per Week, Dawn to Dusk, on Woodridge Village Detention Ponds
Sunday morning at 8 a.m., Perry contractors we’re busy working on Woodridge Village detention ponds. This came after a Saturday when they stopped working after 6 p.m. Surprisingly, this came even as the threat from Tropical Storm Cristobal moved farther east.
Woodridge Village was implicated in flooding Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest twice last year. Lack of functional detention ponds was one of the key contributors.
Before/After Shots of N2 Channel
After months of relative inactivity, construction has kicked into high gear. Elm Grove resident Jeff Miller took the two shots below from near Mace Street in Porter.
That’s a lot of dirt to move in a little more than a day! Below is how the same channel looked from the air on Sunday morning.
Below, you can see the general layout of Woodridge Village detention ponds.
Other Sunday Morning Photos
Since the last update, the focus of most construction activity seems to be on two detention ponds along the development’s western border – N1 and N2. As the photos below show, contractors have expanded both ponds as well as the ditches connecting them.
Dirt from N1 is moving east toward the new Ford Road entrance.
End Game Still Not Settled
The fate of Woodridge Village, which is still mired in lawsuits, has not been settled. Practically speaking, Perry Homes has said it could/would:
Regarding Option 1
At the last Harris County Commissioner’s Court meeting, commissioners heaped new demands on the City of Houston. They want the City to actually implement a series of changes related to Atlas-14 in its building codes and ETJ (extra territorial jurisdiction. A mere promise to implement them via an inter-local agreement seems insufficient for the commissioners.
The City must also come up with cash (or land in lieu of cash) to cover half of the construction costs of developing the regional detention basin (not just half of the purchase price of the land). Russ Poppe, Director of Harris County Flood Control estimated the construction costs could total $20 to $30 million, although flood control has reportedly not yet started planning the project.
Regarding Option 2
A web search this morning turned up no new bidding documents for any construction beyond the detention ponds. Previously, Perry Homes and LJA have advertised bid opportunities.
Regarding Option 3
Perry still has a for-sale sign at the Woodland Hills entrance to the property. However, the chances of a third party purchase while lawsuits are pending is remote. Still, the completion of detention ponds makes the property more attractive to another developer with an appetite for risk.
The big problem with Options 2 and 3: Perry Homes rushed to get the plans permitted before Atlas-14. That means, even with detention ponds completed, the detention may not be adequate. Estimates of the shortfall range from 30% to 40%.
Unfortunately, the wheels of government move slowly. Neither the County, nor the City has made a public comment about a possible purchase deal since the last commissioner’s court meeting on May 19. The purchase is not listed on the agenda for the June 9, 2020, meeting.
Posted by Bob Rehak with with thanks to Jeff Miller for photos
1013 Days after Hurricane Harvey and 262 since Imelda