Today, Harris County Flood Control contractors demolished the townhomes on Aqua Vista Street in Forest Cove. Flooded during Harvey, then abandoned and vandalized, they burned the week before July 4th this year.
Townhomes flooded by Harvey, were burned during the week before the Fourth of July.Today, there’s nothing left. See below.
Only a tiny pile of rubble and some steel girders remain of that block of townhomes this afternoon. They should be gone by the end of the day.The demolition crew was scooping up the last of the structural beams when I photographed the site today.Into a giant truck they went.Tomorrow, there will be nothing left here but faded dreams of happier times.
Update on Remainder of Buyouts
HCFCD has purchased 80% of the townhomes on Aqua Vista St., Marina Drive and Timberline Court. There are 16 units remaining to purchase.
“We’ve demolished three buildings and four more will be demolished by the end of November,” said Matt Zeve, Deputy Director of Harris County Flood Control. “To date, we’ve spent approximately $4.1 million for all costs (appraisal, purchase price, closing cost, relocation, and demolition).”
“A FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) resulting from Hurricane Harvey is partially funding this acquisition. 75% of the cost is from the federal HMGP grant and 25% (plus some relocation costs) is funded by HCFCD. The estimated costs of the townhome buyouts, once complete, will total approximately $5M.” said Zeve.
“HCFCD hopes to complete all acquisition and demolition by the end of 2020,” he said.
Bittersweet Memories
Despite persistent flooding problems, right up until Harvey, many families loved the river lifestyle that these townhomes offered. Since then, they have become an eyesore, a haven for squatters, and a dumping ground. While many former owners and renters will lament the loss of these townhomes, they will also understand the need to move on.
At tonight’s Town Hall meeting at the Kingwood Community Center, the Houston Parks Board will talk about plans for this area. They include a green belt trail to connect the Spring Creek greenway to the Kingwood trail network through Forest Cove.
The Town Hall meeting starts at 6:30 pm.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/17/2019 with help from Matt Zeve, Harris County Flood Control
779 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 28 since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/RJR_3749.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&ssl=110001500adminadmin2019-10-17 17:22:252019-10-17 17:38:49HCFCD Demolishes Flooded, Burned, Vandalized Townhomes on Aqua Vista in Forest Cove Today
The San Jacinto East Fork watershed is immense. Many homes, vehicles, businesses and properties flooded along it during Imelda. Northeast Harris and East Montgomery counties, which contain the East Fork and its tributaries, received some of the heaviest rainfalls during that storm. So how much water came down them? And how did the peaks compare to Harvey?
East Fork Totals Computed by Harris County Flood Control
Jeff Lindner, Harris County Flood Control’s meteorologist computed the peak flows in cubic feet per second for ReduceFlooding.com.
He used the following gages. They are the closest to Kingwood and Huffman :
Peach Creek at FM2090
East Fork at FM1485
Caney Creek at FM2090
The peak flows in cubic feet per second past these gages during Imelda were:
East Fork = 34,600 cfs
Peach Creek = 32,800 cfs
Caney Creek = 9,230 cfs
Total = 76,630 cfs
Numbers Probably Understate True Peaks
The peaks probably exceeded those farther downstream. But we have no way of telling by how much because those are the closest gages to Lake Houston.
Many storm drains and smaller tributaries without gages enter into the flow downstream of those gages. For instance, White Oak Creak, Taylor Gully, Red Gully, Mills Branch, Luce Bayou and more all enter into the East Fork before it reaches Lake Houston. And all of those carry a lot of runoff from developed areas, i.e., areas with a lot of impervious cover, meaning high runoff rates.
Net: Look at the 76,630 cubic feet per second as a minimum.
Comparison of Harvey to Imelda
How did the peaks on these three tributaries compare to Harvey? Consulting the SJRA’s peak flow map from Harvey, we can see that Harvey dumped much more rain:
Caney Creek = 20,00 cfs
Peach Creek = 31,300 cfs
East Fork = 119,000 cfs
Total = 170,000
So Harvey generated peak flows rates twice as high as Imelda. Only Peach Creek had a higher peak during Imelda than Harvey.
Importance of Looking Upstream when Comparing Storms
Remember, when comparing storms, it’s not just how much rain fell on you. It’s how much fell upstream from you. Rainfall patterns can produce dramatically different flooding patterns. During Imelda, while 20 inches of rain were falling on Patton Village, Lake Conroe received only two inches.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/17/2019, with thanks to Jeff Lindner and Harris County Flood Control
779 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 28 since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/EF-Tributaries.jpg?fit=1500%2C985&ssl=19851500adminadmin2019-10-17 16:11:362019-10-17 16:11:47How Much Water Came from Where on the East Fork During Imelda ?
Houston City Council Member Dave Martin will host a town hall meeting tomorrow, Thursday, October 17 at 6:30 p.m. It will be at the Kingwood Community Center, 4102 Rustic Woods, Kingwood, TX 77345. Hear from city and community representatives about news related to the Kingwood and Lake Houston areas of District E.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner at Kingwood town hall meeting in October of 2018.Flooding was a hot topic then and even hotter now.
List of Speakers and Topics
Texas State Senator Brandon Creighton will kick off the town hall meeting, providing an update on Proposition 8 and sand-mining legislation.
Mayor Sylvester Turner will attend.
Stephen Costello, City of Houston Chief Recovery Officer, will update residents on the progress of projects such as additional Lake Houston Spillway Dam Improvement Project (Flood Gates) and dredging.
Houston Public Works and the Coastal Water Authority will address the Lake Houston Dam Maintenance Project. It’s why the lake will be one foot below normal through next November.
Stan Sarman, TIRZ 10 board chair, will discuss the Northpark Drive Mobility Improvement Project.
Chuck Gilman, San Jacinto River Authority Director of Flood Management, will address the regional watershed study.
Chip Place from the Houston Parks Board will update residents on the Bayou Greenways 2020 project along the San Jacinto River.
Texas Department of Transportation will update residents on the Loop 494 expansion project.
Information About Kingwood Docks and More
Those who arrive early can browse information stations starting at 6:00 p.m. hosted by:
Lovett Commercial (Kingwood Docks)
Houston Public Works
Houston Police Department Kingwood Division
Houston Permitting Center to assist residents with questions related to storm damage repairs and rebuilding.
Tables will remain open after the town hall meeting for those who arrive late.
For more information, please contact Council Member Martin’s office at (832) 393-3008 or via email at districte@houstontx.gov.
Posted by Bob Rehak on October 16, 2019
778 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 27 since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Turner.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&ssl=111251500adminadmin2019-10-16 10:47:482019-10-16 10:48:00Town Hall Meeting Thursday at 6:30 Will Cover Wide Variety of Topics
HCFCD Demolishes Flooded, Burned, Vandalized Townhomes on Aqua Vista in Forest Cove Today
Today, Harris County Flood Control contractors demolished the townhomes on Aqua Vista Street in Forest Cove. Flooded during Harvey, then abandoned and vandalized, they burned the week before July 4th this year.
Update on Remainder of Buyouts
HCFCD has purchased 80% of the townhomes on Aqua Vista St., Marina Drive and Timberline Court. There are 16 units remaining to purchase.
“We’ve demolished three buildings and four more will be demolished by the end of November,” said Matt Zeve, Deputy Director of Harris County Flood Control. “To date, we’ve spent approximately $4.1 million for all costs (appraisal, purchase price, closing cost, relocation, and demolition).”
“A FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) resulting from Hurricane Harvey is partially funding this acquisition. 75% of the cost is from the federal HMGP grant and 25% (plus some relocation costs) is funded by HCFCD. The estimated costs of the townhome buyouts, once complete, will total approximately $5M.” said Zeve.
“HCFCD hopes to complete all acquisition and demolition by the end of 2020,” he said.
Bittersweet Memories
Despite persistent flooding problems, right up until Harvey, many families loved the river lifestyle that these townhomes offered. Since then, they have become an eyesore, a haven for squatters, and a dumping ground. While many former owners and renters will lament the loss of these townhomes, they will also understand the need to move on.
At tonight’s Town Hall meeting at the Kingwood Community Center, the Houston Parks Board will talk about plans for this area. They include a green belt trail to connect the Spring Creek greenway to the Kingwood trail network through Forest Cove.
The Town Hall meeting starts at 6:30 pm.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/17/2019 with help from Matt Zeve, Harris County Flood Control
779 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 28 since Imelda
How Much Water Came from Where on the East Fork During Imelda ?
The San Jacinto East Fork watershed is immense. Many homes, vehicles, businesses and properties flooded along it during Imelda. Northeast Harris and East Montgomery counties, which contain the East Fork and its tributaries, received some of the heaviest rainfalls during that storm. So how much water came down them? And how did the peaks compare to Harvey?
East Fork Totals Computed by Harris County Flood Control
Jeff Lindner, Harris County Flood Control’s meteorologist computed the peak flows in cubic feet per second for ReduceFlooding.com.
He used the following gages. They are the closest to Kingwood and Huffman :
The peak flows in cubic feet per second past these gages during Imelda were:
Numbers Probably Understate True Peaks
The peaks probably exceeded those farther downstream. But we have no way of telling by how much because those are the closest gages to Lake Houston.
Many storm drains and smaller tributaries without gages enter into the flow downstream of those gages. For instance, White Oak Creak, Taylor Gully, Red Gully, Mills Branch, Luce Bayou and more all enter into the East Fork before it reaches Lake Houston. And all of those carry a lot of runoff from developed areas, i.e., areas with a lot of impervious cover, meaning high runoff rates.
Net: Look at the 76,630 cubic feet per second as a minimum.
Comparison of Harvey to Imelda
How did the peaks on these three tributaries compare to Harvey? Consulting the SJRA’s peak flow map from Harvey, we can see that Harvey dumped much more rain:
Importance of Looking Upstream when Comparing Storms
Remember, when comparing storms, it’s not just how much rain fell on you. It’s how much fell upstream from you. Rainfall patterns can produce dramatically different flooding patterns. During Imelda, while 20 inches of rain were falling on Patton Village, Lake Conroe received only two inches.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/17/2019, with thanks to Jeff Lindner and Harris County Flood Control
779 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 28 since Imelda
Town Hall Meeting Thursday at 6:30 Will Cover Wide Variety of Topics
Houston City Council Member Dave Martin will host a town hall meeting tomorrow, Thursday, October 17 at 6:30 p.m. It will be at the Kingwood Community Center, 4102 Rustic Woods, Kingwood, TX 77345. Hear from city and community representatives about news related to the Kingwood and Lake Houston areas of District E.
List of Speakers and Topics
Information About Kingwood Docks and More
Those who arrive early can browse information stations starting at 6:00 p.m. hosted by:
Tables will remain open after the town hall meeting for those who arrive late.
For more information, please contact Council Member Martin’s office at (832) 393-3008 or via email at districte@houstontx.gov.
Posted by Bob Rehak on October 16, 2019
778 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 27 since Imelda