Time-lapse, security-camera footage supplied by Jeff Miller, an Elm Grove resident, shows dramatically how quickly Imelda piled up in the streets of Elm Grove. This video covers from 8 a.m to 11 a.m. – compressed into twenty seconds. Note how the water starts out clear. Then, at 10:10 a.m., it turns muddy brown, starts swirling, and quickly fills up the street, his driveway, and some neighbor’s homes across the street.
The Instant the Water Changed Color
This video clearly shows a sudden influx of water from somewhere other than the sky. It fixes the time at which Woodridge Village’s S2 detention pond overflowed into the streets of Elm Grove. Miller lives one block south and three blocks west of S2. That means the water probably overtopped the banks of S2 around 10 a.m., allowing about 10 minutes for travel time.
At 10:54 that morning, Nancy Vera who lives immediately south of the Woodridge Village S2 detention pond and whose house backs up to Taylor Gully, says that:
She had a foot of muddy water in her house
Her back yard was dry
Taylor Gully was still within its banks.
About this time, Allyssa Harris was shooting video of water streaming directly out of Woodridge Forest and streaming down Village Springs.
Video courtesy of Allyssa Harris. Shot from north end of Village Springs in Elm Grove looking north at the S2 detention pond in Woodridge Village overflowing.
Perry Homes Et. Al. Drag Own Reputations Through Mud
Perry Homes, its subsidiaries and contractors dragged their own reputations through the mud. They have been stonewalling discovery in the case against them by more than 200 plaintiffs. In fact, they have sued the plaintiffs.
The District Clerks office does not show that Judge Lauren Reeder has yet ruled on the motion to compel discovery brought by hundreds of plaintiffs in lawsuits filed by Spurlock and Webster.
Harris County Attorney Now Authorized to File Suit Against Bad Actors
I think they just sent a shot over the bow of Perry Homes. Call the County Attorney tomorrow or send him links to related posts on this site.
These are my thoughts on matters of public opinion and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP statute of the great State of Texas.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/25/2019 with video from Jeff Miller and Allyssa Harris
757 Days since Hurricane Harvey and six days since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Security-Video-1.jpg?fit=1500%2C1013&ssl=110131500adminadmin2019-09-24 23:05:042019-09-25 15:14:08Time-Lapse Footage of Elm Grove Flood: Three Hours Boiled Down to 20 Seconds
Correction: The head of Enforcement for the TCEQ notified me that there was a “proposed” fine of $16,875 issued to the Triple-P Mine for the May breach, but that they have not “settled” yet.
The East Fork of the San Jacinto River and the Triple-P sand mine took a terrible toll on Kingwood’s East End Park for the second time in two years during Imelda. Sand several feet thick blanketed about 30 acres of this beautiful ecological gem and the peaceful trails that wind through it. The devastation matched and in some cases surpassed Harvey’s. These pictures tell the story. After Harvey, it took hundreds of thousands of dollars to restore the trails and boardwalks in the park. It will cost at least that much again.
Carried Away
This bench on the Pelican Overlook Trail used to have about 50 feet of trail, trees and river bank in front of it. Imelda eroded the bank and the river cut away the land under the trail. The trail will now have to be moved inland. It no longer exists.
Blanketed by Sand
This boardwalk to Eagle Point used to go over pristine wetlands. It will now require excavation.Photo courtesy of John Knoezer.
Scoured by Flood Waters
Trail scouring occurred in many places. Large parts of the North Loop trail will require replacement.Photo courtesy of John Knoezer.
Taking Destruction to New Levels
This sign used to be chest high. Now it’s knee high.Photo courtesy of John Knoezer.
Giant Trees Uprooted
Trees are down in multiple places and block the main boardwalk. Photo courtesy of John Knoezer.
Covered Up
The main boardwalk is covered with a layer of ultra-slippery silt 1-2 inches thick. Photo courtesy of John Knoezer.
Under Water
In many places, trails have gone underwater.At this location, we found quicksand. See below.
Quick Sand
Rika, the safety pup, says, “Hmmmm. Lucky I don’t have to buy shoes.”
For your own safety and the safety of your shoes, do not venture into the park near the river. It’s dangerous as you can see. Quicksand even exists in some places.
Now for The Bad News
Much of this sand may have come from the Triple-P sand mine on Caney Creek, just upstream from East End Park.
Image courtesy of Charlie Fahrmeier, an expert in turbidity control. Photo taken on 9/22/2019.Image of same breach on May 17th.Location of Breach
Once again the mine breached its dike, underscoring the danger of locating mines in floodways. This particular mine sits at the confluence of two floodways: Caney Creek and White Oak Creek. During Harvey, it lost a major portion of its stockpile to floodwaters. Then it happened again.
It appears that Triple P dumped some sand in the breach in a feeble attempt to stop the hemorrhage. But it obviously did not hold for long. Fahrmeier, who discovered this latest breach on his Waverunner, is an expert in turbidity and environmental pollution control. He said that sand is the wrong type of material for repairing dikes and that the repeat blowout was predictable.
Fahrmeier said that as he was coming up Caney Creek, the stream of sediment coming from the mine made it look as though there were two different streams. “There’s still quite a bit of sediment flowing into the river as evidenced by the discoloration. The pit is pretty large and no doubt contributed a significant volume of water and sediment flowing into Lake Houston since last week.”
KSA Repairs
KSA will begin initiating repairs on East End Park quickly. But many parts of the park are still not accessible. It may be months before all this damage can be repaired. In the meantime, please limit use of the park to the higher parts unaffected by Imelda and Triple P. No doubt some of this sand comes from river bed and bank erosion. But I believe a lot came from the mine, too. I hope KSA decides to sue the mine this time. It’s clear that they do not fear the TCEQ.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/23/2019 with images from John Knoezer and Charlier Fahrmeier
756 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 5 since Imelda
The thoughts expressed in this post represent my opinions on matters of public policy 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/2019/09/Overlook-Washout.jpg?fit=1500%2C2000&ssl=120001500adminadmin2019-09-23 21:00:282019-09-25 14:53:10Triple-P Sand Mine Breached Again; East End Park Destroyed for Second Time in Two Years
In the world of process quality-control, a consulting company named Kepner-Tregoe built a reputation for itself with a simple methodology. The foundation? When a problem appears, look for something different you did. Chances are, you’ll find the cause there.
Applying that same methodology to Elm Grove, an area that never flooded before May 7th, but which has flooded twice since then, one would have to look at the clearcut area immediately to the north, home of a new development called Woodridge Village.
Shortly after Perry Homes, its subsidiaries and contractors clearcut approximately 268 acres the problems started. But that wasn’t all the Perry gang did.
Before Harvey
They also filled in all the natural streams and wetlands that wound through the dense forest, slowing down runoff. Here’s what the area looked like before Harvey.
This is where the wetlands were (past tense).
Source: USGS. According to the Army Corps of Engineers, no one requested a jurisdictional delineation for the wetlands on this site. Normally, engineering companies request such a ruling to see if the Corps will object to the loss of valuable wetlands.So this project could have required a Corps permit that the developer never obtained.
After Clearcutting
Here’s what the same area looks like today from a helicopter facing south.
Shot taken on 9/21/19 two days after Imelda. Land slopes generally from NW to SE, funneling toward Taylor Gully at the tip of the arrow. Note the ponding water on the northwest side of the dirt pile near the base of the arrow.Depending on where rain falls within this area, it could take a different path, but the destination remains the same – Taylor Gully.
The LJA engineer who authored the Woodridge hydrology report characterized the slope on the northern section as 1% or greater. That’s confirmed by this contour map. And that slope is enough to make water move.
Kepner-Tregoe aside, just because something happened after something else does not automatically mean that A caused B. In logic, that assumption is called the Post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy. (Latin for “after this, therefore because of this.”)
Even though the Kepner-Tregoe methodology strongly suggests a linkage, do we have more direct proof that runoff from this subdivision caused the Elm Grove/North Kingwood Forest Flood on 9/19/19? Yes.
Clue #1
Well, for one thing, 75% of the detention pond capacity was supposed to be installed on that steep northern section, which is twice as big as the souther section. But none was. Or at least, none of it was fully functional.
Here’s where LJA intended it to go. It virtually ringed the western, southern and eastern sides.
This illustration shows that234 acre feet of detention capacity should have been built on the northern section. But before Imelda, only 75.7 acre feet were actually built, all on the southern section. Less than 25% of the detention was fully functional when Imelda hit.
Out of the promised 309 acre feet of detention, only 75 acre feet actually existed before Imelda, about 25% of the eventual total. All of that was on the southern section. Despite the fact that the northern section contained far more land.
N1 detention in NW corner missing.Looking SW.N2 Detention only partially available in SW corner. Montgomery County excavated this to a depth of approximately three feet between 2006-2008.But it needs to go much deeper to reach its detention goal.Looking West.Where the top part of the missing N3 detention pond should beon the NE corner.Looking SE.Where the bottom part of the missing N3 should be. A shallow trench channeled water toward Taylor Gully (out of frame in the upper right), without the benefit of any detention on the northern section to slow it down.Also looking SE.
Clue #2
When all that water reached the tree line that separates Elm Grove from Woodless Village (sic), it pushed the silt fence over. Notice the giant chunks of wood slammed up against the fence.
Silt fence that separates Woodridge Village from Elm Grovenow leans toward Elm Grove.The same thing happened on the border with Taylor Gully. When the rainfall exceeded the capacity of the detention pond, water came up out of it and pushed the silt fence near the culvert outward.The same thing happened with the silt fence that borders North Kingwood Forest to the East. It leans toward the damaged area.
Water pushed the silt fence outward in all directions, like an exploding water balloon. This indicates the S2 pond exceeded its capacity.
Clue 3
If all this inferential evidence isn’t enough, we have direct evidence – video shot by Allyssa Harris during the flood. It shows water streaming out of the development in the background, directly into the streets of Elm Grove.
What it looked like from the Elm Grove side of the silt fence during the storm. Video courtesy of Allyssa Harris. Video looks north toward S2 detention pond from Village Springs.
This is what happened to the 75% of the runoff that the two southern detention ponds could not hold.
Clue #4
When the flood subsided, there was muck in streets, driveways, yards and homes. This was not just rainwater; it was runoff from 268 clearcut acres.
Abel Vera had to grab his car to avoid slipping in ankle-deep sediment on Village Springs. What Village Springs looked like the day after Imelda.
Clue 5
According to the USGS gage at US59, a foot of rain fell on this 268 clearcut area on 9/19. All of it had to squeeze through the two tiny box culverts circled in the lower right. It was like aiming firehoses into a kitchen sink.Note: it’s worse than it looks. Additional acreage exists out of frame on left and right.
Likely Path of Water
As in May, water that should have been detained elsewhere rushed to S2. S2 overflowed and added to already heavy rainfall.
It rushed to the SE corner of Woodridge, couldn’t get through the culvert, backed up, and sought ways around – via the streets of Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest.
Likely path of water in May and September floods. Background image is from February, before S2 pond was completed.
What Should Happen Next?
In my opinion, for all the reasons listed above, as a result of clearcutting all this land without installing required detention, hundreds of families flooded for a second time in four months. Worse, the threat remains.
Perry, its subsidiaries and contractors had ideal construction weather during that time yet construction activity ground to a half almost a month ago.
That exposed hundreds of people to needless flood risk. Again. Worse, more than two months remain in hurricane season. And lawyers for the defendants in the lawsuit are dragging the case out by stonewalling production of evidence. They refuse to answer even simple questions like, “Who was in charge of this project on the day of the flood?” And “Who is your insurance company?”
Water Six Feet Deep in Places
What started as a dispute over negligence has turned into a massive public safety issue. Residents estimated water in the streets of Elm Grove reached six feet in places. That’s deep enough to sweep people away and drown them.
My Wishes for Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest
That Perry Homes settles these lawsuits immediately and makes people whole, or…
That Perry Homes fast-tracks construction and completes the promised detention ponds, or…
That Perry Homes puts a conservation easement on the land, donates it to the County or a conservation organization, and converts the property back to its natural state or a giant lake/detention pond.
Failing any of the above, that the City of Houston or Montgomery County pulls construction permits for this property and renders it useless and valueless.
But before any of those things happen, the judge in this case may need to throw some lawyers and CEO’s in jail. If someone walked into a 7-11 and stole a loaf of bread, he would get jail time.
But steal the lives and destroy the homes of hundreds of people and what do you get? Delays.
It’s time to put a stop to this nonsense and hold people accountable.
These are my opinions on matters of public safety and concern. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP statute of the Great State of Texas.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/23/2019 with grateful thanks to Matt Swint for his drone images, Jeff Miller for his reporting, Allyssa Harris for her video, and Daryl Palmer for arranging the helicopter from National Helicopter Service, Inc.
755 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 3 since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/All-of-this2-copy.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&ssl=110001500adminadmin2019-09-22 22:48:042019-09-23 07:15:42New Drone and Helicopter Footage Reveals How Elm Grove Disaster Unfolded
Time-Lapse Footage of Elm Grove Flood: Three Hours Boiled Down to 20 Seconds
Time-lapse, security-camera footage supplied by Jeff Miller, an Elm Grove resident, shows dramatically how quickly Imelda piled up in the streets of Elm Grove. This video covers from 8 a.m to 11 a.m. – compressed into twenty seconds. Note how the water starts out clear. Then, at 10:10 a.m., it turns muddy brown, starts swirling, and quickly fills up the street, his driveway, and some neighbor’s homes across the street.
The Instant the Water Changed Color
This video clearly shows a sudden influx of water from somewhere other than the sky. It fixes the time at which Woodridge Village’s S2 detention pond overflowed into the streets of Elm Grove. Miller lives one block south and three blocks west of S2. That means the water probably overtopped the banks of S2 around 10 a.m., allowing about 10 minutes for travel time.
At 10:54 that morning, Nancy Vera who lives immediately south of the Woodridge Village S2 detention pond and whose house backs up to Taylor Gully, says that:
About this time, Allyssa Harris was shooting video of water streaming directly out of Woodridge Forest and streaming down Village Springs.
Perry Homes Et. Al. Drag Own Reputations Through Mud
Perry Homes, its subsidiaries and contractors dragged their own reputations through the mud. They have been stonewalling discovery in the case against them by more than 200 plaintiffs. In fact, they have sued the plaintiffs.
The District Clerks office does not show that Judge Lauren Reeder has yet ruled on the motion to compel discovery brought by hundreds of plaintiffs in lawsuits filed by Spurlock and Webster.
Harris County Attorney Now Authorized to File Suit Against Bad Actors
One encouraging sign Tuesday: Harris County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a motion that authorized the County Attorney to file suit against bad actors who don’t comply with regulations and cause downstream flooding. Frankly, I find that encouraging.
I think they just sent a shot over the bow of Perry Homes. Call the County Attorney tomorrow or send him links to related posts on this site.
These are my thoughts on matters of public opinion and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP statute of the great State of Texas.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/25/2019 with video from Jeff Miller and Allyssa Harris
757 Days since Hurricane Harvey and six days since Imelda
Triple-P Sand Mine Breached Again; East End Park Destroyed for Second Time in Two Years
Correction: The head of Enforcement for the TCEQ notified me that there was a “proposed” fine of $16,875 issued to the Triple-P Mine for the May breach, but that they have not “settled” yet.
The East Fork of the San Jacinto River and the Triple-P sand mine took a terrible toll on Kingwood’s East End Park for the second time in two years during Imelda. Sand several feet thick blanketed about 30 acres of this beautiful ecological gem and the peaceful trails that wind through it. The devastation matched and in some cases surpassed Harvey’s. These pictures tell the story. After Harvey, it took hundreds of thousands of dollars to restore the trails and boardwalks in the park. It will cost at least that much again.
Carried Away
Blanketed by Sand
Scoured by Flood Waters
Taking Destruction to New Levels
Giant Trees Uprooted
Covered Up
Under Water
Quick Sand
For your own safety and the safety of your shoes, do not venture into the park near the river. It’s dangerous as you can see. Quicksand even exists in some places.
Now for The Bad News
Much of this sand may have come from the Triple-P sand mine on Caney Creek, just upstream from East End Park.
Once again the mine breached its dike, underscoring the danger of locating mines in floodways. This particular mine sits at the confluence of two floodways: Caney Creek and White Oak Creek. During Harvey, it lost a major portion of its stockpile to floodwaters. Then it happened again.
In May 2019, Tony Buzbee, candidate for Mayor of Houston, witnessed another breach while on a tour on the San Jacinto to investigate sedimentation issues. I notified the TCEQ and they issued a Notice of Enforcement in August. But they did not fine the company. This makes the third documented breach in two years.
Wrong Type of Repair
It appears that Triple P dumped some sand in the breach in a feeble attempt to stop the hemorrhage. But it obviously did not hold for long. Fahrmeier, who discovered this latest breach on his Waverunner, is an expert in turbidity and environmental pollution control. He said that sand is the wrong type of material for repairing dikes and that the repeat blowout was predictable.
Fahrmeier said that as he was coming up Caney Creek, the stream of sediment coming from the mine made it look as though there were two different streams. “There’s still quite a bit of sediment flowing into the river as evidenced by the discoloration. The pit is pretty large and no doubt contributed a significant volume of water and sediment flowing into Lake Houston since last week.”
KSA Repairs
KSA will begin initiating repairs on East End Park quickly. But many parts of the park are still not accessible. It may be months before all this damage can be repaired. In the meantime, please limit use of the park to the higher parts unaffected by Imelda and Triple P. No doubt some of this sand comes from river bed and bank erosion. But I believe a lot came from the mine, too. I hope KSA decides to sue the mine this time. It’s clear that they do not fear the TCEQ.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/23/2019 with images from John Knoezer and Charlier Fahrmeier
756 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 5 since Imelda
The thoughts expressed in this post represent my opinions on matters of public policy and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
New Drone and Helicopter Footage Reveals How Elm Grove Disaster Unfolded
In the world of process quality-control, a consulting company named Kepner-Tregoe built a reputation for itself with a simple methodology. The foundation? When a problem appears, look for something different you did. Chances are, you’ll find the cause there.
Applying that same methodology to Elm Grove, an area that never flooded before May 7th, but which has flooded twice since then, one would have to look at the clearcut area immediately to the north, home of a new development called Woodridge Village.
Shortly after Perry Homes, its subsidiaries and contractors clearcut approximately 268 acres the problems started. But that wasn’t all the Perry gang did.
Before Harvey
They also filled in all the natural streams and wetlands that wound through the dense forest, slowing down runoff. Here’s what the area looked like before Harvey.
This is where the wetlands were (past tense).
After Clearcutting
Here’s what the same area looks like today from a helicopter facing south.
The LJA engineer who authored the Woodridge hydrology report characterized the slope on the northern section as 1% or greater. That’s confirmed by this contour map. And that slope is enough to make water move.
Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
Kepner-Tregoe aside, just because something happened after something else does not automatically mean that A caused B. In logic, that assumption is called the Post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy. (Latin for “after this, therefore because of this.”)
Even though the Kepner-Tregoe methodology strongly suggests a linkage, do we have more direct proof that runoff from this subdivision caused the Elm Grove/North Kingwood Forest Flood on 9/19/19? Yes.
Clue #1
Well, for one thing, 75% of the detention pond capacity was supposed to be installed on that steep northern section, which is twice as big as the souther section. But none was. Or at least, none of it was fully functional.
Here’s where LJA intended it to go. It virtually ringed the western, southern and eastern sides.
Out of the promised 309 acre feet of detention, only 75 acre feet actually existed before Imelda, about 25% of the eventual total. All of that was on the southern section. Despite the fact that the northern section contained far more land.
Clue #2
When all that water reached the tree line that separates Elm Grove from Woodless Village (sic), it pushed the silt fence over. Notice the giant chunks of wood slammed up against the fence.
Water pushed the silt fence outward in all directions, like an exploding water balloon. This indicates the S2 pond exceeded its capacity.
Clue 3
If all this inferential evidence isn’t enough, we have direct evidence – video shot by Allyssa Harris during the flood. It shows water streaming out of the development in the background, directly into the streets of Elm Grove.
This is what happened to the 75% of the runoff that the two southern detention ponds could not hold.
Clue #4
When the flood subsided, there was muck in streets, driveways, yards and homes. This was not just rainwater; it was runoff from 268 clearcut acres.
Clue 5
Likely Path of Water
As in May, water that should have been detained elsewhere rushed to S2. S2 overflowed and added to already heavy rainfall.
Broken fences, leaning grass, the location of ponding water, and erosion patterns all suggest that water followed the same routes on May 7.
What Should Happen Next?
In my opinion, for all the reasons listed above, as a result of clearcutting all this land without installing required detention, hundreds of families flooded for a second time in four months. Worse, the threat remains.
That exposed hundreds of people to needless flood risk. Again. Worse, more than two months remain in hurricane season. And lawyers for the defendants in the lawsuit are dragging the case out by stonewalling production of evidence. They refuse to answer even simple questions like, “Who was in charge of this project on the day of the flood?” And “Who is your insurance company?”
Water Six Feet Deep in Places
My Wishes for Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest
But before any of those things happen, the judge in this case may need to throw some lawyers and CEO’s in jail. If someone walked into a 7-11 and stole a loaf of bread, he would get jail time.
But steal the lives and destroy the homes of hundreds of people and what do you get? Delays.
It’s time to put a stop to this nonsense and hold people accountable.
These are my opinions on matters of public safety and concern. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP statute of the Great State of Texas.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/23/2019 with grateful thanks to Matt Swint for his drone images, Jeff Miller for his reporting, Allyssa Harris for her video, and Daryl Palmer for arranging the helicopter from National Helicopter Service, Inc.
755 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 3 since Imelda