Natural Disasters: Examining the Impact from 1953 to 2018
Who is affected? By what type of threat? When? Where? Why? And above all, how? How much did the disasters cost? In dollars? In lives? In property damage? This is an illuminating work of scholarship and well worth the ten minutes it takes to read. When you’re done, you’ll be able to amaze family and friends around the Christmas dinner table. For example, which state leads the nation in disaster declarations for …
… each 1000 square miles? New Jersey
… wildfires, droughts and hurricanes? Texas
… freezing? Florida
… flooding? Iowa
… tornadoes? Georgia
Timing, Type, Location and Impact of Natural Disasters
Which year had the highest number of fatalities? 2005 with Hurricanes Katrina, Dennis and Wilma, California wildfires, etc.
Which year had the highest damage costs in dollars? 2017 with $312.7 billion
Fatalities and Damage Costs by Year from 2003 to 2017.Source: ADT
What type of natural disaster is most likely to damage the nation’s economy? Tropical storms. One-third of the gross domestic product is produced in states along the Gulf and Atlantic coastlines, which are especially vulnerable to hurricane damage.
What’s the most likely type of natural disaster in Texas? Hurricanes.
Top types of natural disaster declarations by state. Source: ADT.
What’s the most likely type of natural disaster in California? Flooding. (But wildfires also rank high).
Who has the most severe storm declarations? Missouri with more than 1200 during the study period.
You’ll be pleased to know that NO county in Texas made the top 20 counties in the nation for FEMA natural disaster declarations. Who was the highest? Balmy Los Angeles County.
Some Results Counterintuitive
Some of these results are obvious and some counterintuitive. The counterintuitive ones (freezing in Florida?) have to do with the lack of disaster preparedness. Other states expect freezing weather and prepare for it.
All in all, ADT produced a fascinating study of natural disasters illustrated with revealing graphics. There’s more. Much more. I have just scratched the surface in this review. It’s well worth the time to read the entire report. Check it out.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/19/2019with help from Jacque Havelka
842 Days since Hurricane Harvey an 91 since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/A01.png?fit=800%2C907&ssl=1907800adminadmin2019-12-19 06:14:052019-12-19 06:34:37The Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of Natural Disasters
Two and a half busloads of additional “Stop the Drop” protesters from Lake Conroe had to be turned away from the SJRA’s December Board Meeting because of capacity issues related to fire safety.Photo courtesy of David Feille.
Special Meetings Called to Handle High Volume of Public Input
Due to the overwhelming response, the San Jacinto River Authority’s (SJRA) Board of Directors will hold TWO SPECIAL meetings.
January 21, 2020, at 6:00 P.M.
February 20, 2020, at 6:00 P.M.
Both will be held at the Lone Star Convention and Expo Center. It has the capacity to accommodate everyone who wants to speak. The center is located at 9055 Airport Road, Conroe, Texas 77303.
The purpose: to hear public comment on the temporary flood mitigation strategy of lowering Lake Conroe on a seasonal basis.
The lowering of Lake Conroe one foot in the spring and two feet in the fall is intended to provide flood mitigation benefits for downstream residents by increasing capacity to catch rainfall and runoff in the lake. The SJRA Board reviews the strategy annually. Both the SJRA and the City of Houston own water rights in Lake Conroe. For full details of the strategy, including timing, click here.
The SJRA Board of Directors will receive a presentation from staff at the January 21st special meeting and listen to public comment.
The board will conduct no other business at these meeting and will not consider the lake lowering strategy at either of its regular board meetings in January or February. Any vote on the strategy will take place at the February 20th special meeting.
Special Meeting Dates, Time, Location
Tuesday January 21, 2020
6 P.M.
Lone Star Convention and Expo Center
9055 Airport Road, Conroe, Texas 77303
Thursday, February 20, 2020
6 P.M.
Lone Star Convention and Expo Center
9055 Airport Road, Conroe, Texas 77303
The SJRA Board of Directors says it welcomes all input regarding its seasonal lake lowering strategy.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/18/2019 with a photo courtesy of David Feille
841 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 90 since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/STD-Protesters.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=19001200adminadmin2019-12-18 14:40:492020-01-17 08:55:35SJRA Board Will Hold Two Special Meetings to Discuss Seasonal Lowering of Lake Conroe
Yesterday’s open house at the Kingwood Community Center seemed to be a hit. The SJRA, City of Houston, Harris County Flood Control and Montgomery County – all partners conducting the San Jacinto watershed study – had the subject-matter experts actually conducting the study there. The open house format gave residents a chance to interact with them one on one, tell their flood stories, and discuss possible mitigation scenarios.
Difference Between Listening and Learning
As one resident said, “I got more from 45 minutes here than a dozen town hall meetings.” I appreciate the town hall meetings, but he was right.
Quality one-on-one interaction made the difference between listening and learning.
I suspect the professionals there felt the same way. They came seeking input and they got it.
It felt like a collaboration, not a presentation.
For example, I got to quiz Adam Eaton, one of the engineers working to add more gates to the Lake Houston Dam. Finding hard information about this project has been difficult. But Mr. Eaton provided it. See budget, timeline and project milestones below.
Budget, timeline and project milestones for Lake Houston Dam Spillway Improvement Project.
Engineers hope to finish design and receive environmental approval by mid-2020. From there, TDEM and FEMA will review the plans and then hopefully release funds for construction. I asked Mr. Eaton whether there was a chance construction could NOT be approved. Answer: It’s possible, but very unlikely.
Details in Big Picture Context
I also talked at length with Matt Zeve, deputy executive director of Harris County Flood Control. Zeve, who has studied channel hydrology all his life, helped me understand why upstream communities don’t automatically benefit from projects that decrease downstream flood levels. He also helped me understand big picture issues, some of which weren’t even on my radar yet. For instance, how the extension of Highway 99 could affect flooding in Liberty County and on the East Fork twenty years from now.
David Parkhill, an author of the Brown & Root report published in 2000 was there, too. They called it a Regional Flood Protection Study back then. But it had the same objectives as the SJR Master Drainage Plan: to identify flood mitigation projects that will make a difference. Mr. Parkhill helped put the current effort in historical context. He was both fascinating and helpful!
Huffman Meeting on Thursday, 3-7:30 at May Community Center
If you missed the Kingwood meeting on Tuesday, I urge you to attend the Huffman meeting tomorrow. It will have all the same information and experts that the Kingwood meeting had. And it will be your last chance to visit an open house in this area until the next round of public comments next Spring.
The quality of input you give in this process will determine the quality of output you get.
Thursday, December 19, 2019
3:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
May Community Center
2100 Wolf Road
Huffman, Texas 77336
The open house will include information about the following projects, studies, and efforts:
San Jacinto Regional Watershed Master Drainage Plan
Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis
Huffman Area Drainage Analysis
Spring Creek Watershed Planning Study
Luce Bayou Watershed Planning Study
Willow Creek Watershed Planning Study
Jackson Bayou Watershed Planning Study
Cedar Bayou Tributary Analysis
SJRA-led Projects
City of Houston-led Projects
Harris County Permit Office
Harris County Engineering Department – Recovery and Resiliency Division
Hurricane Harvey Repair Efforts
Information about services provided by Harris County Flood Control District, Harris County and Montgomery County
The open house will last from 3:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The format lets attendees arrive and participate at their convenience. No formal presentation will be made.
Provide Input on Master Drainage Plan
You can comment on the plans at the meeting in Huffman and throughout the duration of the study.
If you can’t attend in person, mail comments to:
Harris County Flood Control District
9900 Northwest Freeway
Houston, Texas 77092
Attn: San Jacinto Regional Watershed Master Drainage Plan
For more information about the San Jacinto Regional Watershed Master Drainage Plan, visit www.sanjacstudy.org.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/18/2019
841 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 90 since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/GatesOutlineSml.jpg?fit=1200%2C919&ssl=19191200adminadmin2019-12-18 13:30:342019-12-18 13:45:24Kingwood Residents Go One on One with Flood Experts; Huffman Up Next
The Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of Natural Disasters
Security firm ADT analyzed 65 years of FEMA data to produce a detailed report about the frequency and effects of various types of natural disasters by state and county.
Natural Disasters: Examining the Impact from 1953 to 2018
Who is affected? By what type of threat? When? Where? Why? And above all, how? How much did the disasters cost? In dollars? In lives? In property damage? This is an illuminating work of scholarship and well worth the ten minutes it takes to read. When you’re done, you’ll be able to amaze family and friends around the Christmas dinner table. For example, which state leads the nation in disaster declarations for …
Timing, Type, Location and Impact of Natural Disasters
Which year had the highest number of fatalities? 2005 with Hurricanes Katrina, Dennis and Wilma, California wildfires, etc.
Which year had the highest damage costs in dollars? 2017 with $312.7 billion
What type of natural disaster is most likely to damage the nation’s economy? Tropical storms. One-third of the gross domestic product is produced in states along the Gulf and Atlantic coastlines, which are especially vulnerable to hurricane damage.
What’s the most likely type of natural disaster in Texas? Hurricanes.
What’s the most likely type of natural disaster in California? Flooding. (But wildfires also rank high).
Who has the most severe storm declarations? Missouri with more than 1200 during the study period.
You’ll be pleased to know that NO county in Texas made the top 20 counties in the nation for FEMA natural disaster declarations. Who was the highest? Balmy Los Angeles County.
Some Results Counterintuitive
Some of these results are obvious and some counterintuitive. The counterintuitive ones (freezing in Florida?) have to do with the lack of disaster preparedness. Other states expect freezing weather and prepare for it.
All in all, ADT produced a fascinating study of natural disasters illustrated with revealing graphics. There’s more. Much more. I have just scratched the surface in this review. It’s well worth the time to read the entire report. Check it out.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/19/2019 with help from Jacque Havelka
842 Days since Hurricane Harvey an 91 since Imelda
SJRA Board Will Hold Two Special Meetings to Discuss Seasonal Lowering of Lake Conroe
So many people wanted to discuss the temporary lowering of Lake Conroe at the SJRA’s December board meeting last week that the Fire Marshall had to turn busloads of people away.
Special Meetings Called to Handle High Volume of Public Input
Due to the overwhelming response, the San Jacinto River Authority’s (SJRA) Board of Directors will hold TWO SPECIAL meetings.
Both will be held at the Lone Star Convention and Expo Center. It has the capacity to accommodate everyone who wants to speak. The center is located at 9055 Airport Road, Conroe, Texas 77303.
The lowering of Lake Conroe one foot in the spring and two feet in the fall is intended to provide flood mitigation benefits for downstream residents by increasing capacity to catch rainfall and runoff in the lake. The SJRA Board reviews the strategy annually. Both the SJRA and the City of Houston own water rights in Lake Conroe. For full details of the strategy, including timing, click here.
The SJRA Board of Directors will receive a presentation from staff at the January 21st special meeting and listen to public comment.
The board will conduct no other business at these meeting and will not consider the lake lowering strategy at either of its regular board meetings in January or February. Any vote on the strategy will take place at the February 20th special meeting.
Special Meeting Dates, Time, Location
The SJRA Board of Directors says it welcomes all input regarding its seasonal lake lowering strategy.
To contact the Board:
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/18/2019 with a photo courtesy of David Feille
841 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 90 since Imelda
Kingwood Residents Go One on One with Flood Experts; Huffman Up Next
Yesterday’s open house at the Kingwood Community Center seemed to be a hit. The SJRA, City of Houston, Harris County Flood Control and Montgomery County – all partners conducting the San Jacinto watershed study – had the subject-matter experts actually conducting the study there. The open house format gave residents a chance to interact with them one on one, tell their flood stories, and discuss possible mitigation scenarios.
Difference Between Listening and Learning
As one resident said, “I got more from 45 minutes here than a dozen town hall meetings.” I appreciate the town hall meetings, but he was right.
I suspect the professionals there felt the same way. They came seeking input and they got it.
For example, I got to quiz Adam Eaton, one of the engineers working to add more gates to the Lake Houston Dam. Finding hard information about this project has been difficult. But Mr. Eaton provided it. See budget, timeline and project milestones below.
Engineers hope to finish design and receive environmental approval by mid-2020. From there, TDEM and FEMA will review the plans and then hopefully release funds for construction. I asked Mr. Eaton whether there was a chance construction could NOT be approved. Answer: It’s possible, but very unlikely.
Details in Big Picture Context
I also talked at length with Matt Zeve, deputy executive director of Harris County Flood Control. Zeve, who has studied channel hydrology all his life, helped me understand why upstream communities don’t automatically benefit from projects that decrease downstream flood levels. He also helped me understand big picture issues, some of which weren’t even on my radar yet. For instance, how the extension of Highway 99 could affect flooding in Liberty County and on the East Fork twenty years from now.
David Parkhill, an author of the Brown & Root report published in 2000 was there, too. They called it a Regional Flood Protection Study back then. But it had the same objectives as the SJR Master Drainage Plan: to identify flood mitigation projects that will make a difference. Mr. Parkhill helped put the current effort in historical context. He was both fascinating and helpful!
Huffman Meeting on Thursday, 3-7:30 at May Community Center
If you missed the Kingwood meeting on Tuesday, I urge you to attend the Huffman meeting tomorrow. It will have all the same information and experts that the Kingwood meeting had. And it will be your last chance to visit an open house in this area until the next round of public comments next Spring.
The open house will include information about the following projects, studies, and efforts:
The open house will last from 3:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The format lets attendees arrive and participate at their convenience. No formal presentation will be made.
Provide Input on Master Drainage Plan
You can comment on the plans at the meeting in Huffman and throughout the duration of the study.
If you can’t attend in person, mail comments to:
Alternatively, you may submit comments online.
For more information about the San Jacinto Regional Watershed Master Drainage Plan, visit www.sanjacstudy.org.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/18/2019
841 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 90 since Imelda