According to Beth Walters of the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD), work on the upstream portion of Taylor Gully in Kingwood will begin on Monday, July 15, weather permitting. There’s still uncertainty regarding the local impact of Tropical Storm Barry, however, equipment has already started showing up at the job site.
Taylor Gully at the county line is half blocked with silt due to erosion from the clearcut area in the Woodridge Village development behind this culvert.Photo courtesy of Jeff Miller.
From Bassingham to Harris County Line
The work will extend from Bassingham to the Harris County line where the Gully meets the new Woodridge Village development in Montgomery County.
Scope of Work
This work will include the following:
Desilt the channel
Reconstruct the backslope interceptor structures
Install new backslope interceptor pipes
Regrade backslope swales
Install new gates
Install new “No Trespassing Signs”
Re-Set the covers of the “E type” inlets that have been damaged
Next Steps
After completing this reach of the channel, HCFCD staff will investigate Taylor Gully further downstream, where HCFCD completed a desilt job in the spring of 2019, from Bassingham to the downstream end. HCFCD will open up any constrictions and desilt the channel if necessary.
Vital for Flood Mitigation
Approximately 200 homes near this channel flooded during the May 7th storm. According to residents, video taken during the storm, and still photos taken after the storm, overland sheet flow from Woodridge Village was the likely cause of their problems. Regardless, news of this effort will come as a great relief to Elm Grove and Woodstream residents who welcome every extra margin of safety they can get.
Kudos to the flood control district for jumping on this project. Commissioners Court approved the right of way acquisition only last Tuesday!
Work on Montgomery County Portion of Gully Also Proceeding
Elm Grove resident Jeff Miller also reported today that Woodridge has expanded a portion of Taylor Gully that runs through Montgomery County. Where the east/west portion of the ditch makes a 120 degree turn and starts heading south along the western border of North Kingwood Forest…
This corner and the portion of the ditch that extends straight down were expanded this week.
… the contractor widened the ditch and expanded the turn.
Dozens of homes flooded in North Kingwood Forest (left side of photo behind tree line) on May 7. This ditch had a tiny portion of current capacity at the time (see below). Photo courtesy of Jeff Miller.
For comparison, here is what the same ditch looked like on May 12.
Same ditch as above adjacent to North Kingwood Forest (on left) but on May 12.
To see what the entire turning radius NOW looks like, see this video.
Video courtesy of Jeff Miller.
More good and welcome improvements. Just wish they had been in place before May 7th.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/13/2019 with help from Jeff Miller.
683 Days after Hurricane Harvey and Two Months after the Elm Grove Flood
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_2433-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=19001200adminadmin2019-07-12 20:06:372019-07-12 20:06:46Rehab Work to Begin on Upstream Portion of Taylor Gully Monday, July 15
It wasn’t supposed to happen. But it did. After receiving two letters and two visits telling Elaine Phillips that the City could do nothing to fix her drainage, trucks magically showed up this morning … and fixed it. They gave her no explanation.
Epic Battle over Partially Blocked Drainage Swale
You may remember me posting about Elaine Phillips on June 21. Elaine was battling cancer, contractors, and the City of Houston bureaucracy all by herself. Her home had just flooded for the fifth time since 1997 and her husband was working in New York. The swale in front of her home had never been regraded and was partially clogged with sediment.
Surprise Turn of Events
“We had been told, as recently as Wednesday, 7/10, that nothing would be done in the near future, despite the unrelenting efforts of both Dave Martin’s office and Dan Crenshaw’s office,” said Elaine. “Then I woke up to four city trucks and a back hoe Thursday morning. They regraded the ditches from my house to the corner and Cindy’s house to the corner. Don’t know how, who, or why it’s happening, but I’m not going to look a gift-horse in the mouth. It’s Christmas in July! Many thanks to Kaaren Cambio from Dan Crenshaw’s office and Dave Martin’s office as well!”
Elaine Phillips newly graded ditch should help ensure positive drainage in future storms and move water away from her house faster.
Altogether, Phillips estimates that various city, county, and congressional representatives worked dozens of hours trying to help her for a job that ultimately took about five hours from start to finish.
Other Possibilities Still Remain
Phillips has also explored elevating her house and buyouts. Both remain possibilities thanks to their extra efforts on her behalf.
In the meantime, Phillips is giddy with glee. Until today, progress had remained elusive for 22 years.
For good measure, and in the spirit of Christmas, while the City of Houston crew was out helping Phillips today, they also deepened the ditches in four more homes near the same intersection.
A hearty thanks to the City from the Kings Forest Board and residents.
Posted by Bob Rehak on July 12, 2019
682 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_3535.jpg?fit=1500%2C2000&ssl=120001500adminadmin2019-07-12 17:14:512019-07-12 18:33:34Christmas in July for Elaine Phillips
There’s a lot more in a cone map than meets the eye. The map below shows the latest forecast track for Tropical Storm Barry. Here’s a short tutorial on some other things you can get out of it.
Status of Tropical Storm Barry as of 1PM CDT, Friday July 12, 2019
As you can see, the trajectory continues to favor landfall in Louisiana and then movement up through Arkansas. However, these maps convey much more information that may not be apparent at first glance.
What Cone Map Symbols Mean
This graphic shows an approximate representation of coastal areas under a hurricane warning (red), hurricane watch (pink), tropical storm warning (blue) and tropical storm watch (yellow).
The orange circle indicates the current position of the center of the tropical cyclone.
The black line, when selected, and dots show the National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast track of the center at the times indicated.
The dot indicating the forecast center location will be black if the cyclone is forecast to be tropical and will be white with a black outline if the cyclone is forecast to be extratropical.
If only an L is displayed, then the system is forecast to be a remnant low. The letter inside the dot indicates the NHC’s forecast intensity for that time:
D: Tropical Depression – wind speed less than 39 MPH S: Tropical Storm – wind speed between 39 MPH and 73 MPH H: Hurricane – wind speed between 74 MPH and 110 MPH M: Major Hurricane – wind speed greater than 110 MPH
Forecasting Uncertainty
NHC tropical cyclone forecast tracks can be in error. This forecast uncertainty is conveyed by the track forecast “cone”, the solid white and stippled white areas in the cone map graphic.
The solid white area depicts the track forecast uncertainty for days 1-3 of the forecast, while the stippled area depicts the uncertainty on days 4-5.
Historical data indicate that the entire 5-day path of the center of the tropical cyclone will remain within the cone about 60-70% of the time. So about 2 out of 3 times.
How the NHC Forms Cone Maps
To form the cone, a set of imaginary circles are placed along the forecast track at the 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h positions, where the size of each circle is set so that it encloses 67% of the previous five years official forecast errors. The cone is then formed by smoothly connecting the area swept out by the set of circles.
Big Difference Between Cone Size and Storm Size
Realize also that a tropical cyclone is not a point. Their effects can span many hundreds of miles from the center.
The area experiencing hurricane force (one-minute average wind speeds of at least 74 mph) and tropical storm force (one-minute average wind speeds of 39-73 mph) winds can extend well beyond the white areas shown enclosing the most likely track area of the center.
Other Linked Graphics Complete the Story
The distribution of hurricane and tropical storm force winds in this tropical cyclone can be seen in this linked Wind History graphic.
Considering the combined forecast uncertainties in track, intensity, and size, the chances that any particular location will experience winds of 34 kt (tropical storm force), 50 kt, or 64 kt (hurricane force) from this tropical cyclone are presented in tabular form for selected locations and forecast positions. This information is also presented in graphical form for the 34 kt, 50 kt, and 64 kt thresholds.
All things considered, the latest forecast shows that there’s only a 5% chance that Houston will see tropical storm force winds from this event.
If you have relatives or friends living closer to the center of the projected path, the tabular data above, will show you the exact percentages for dozens of cities.
To Find the Latest Cone Maps
Go to the National Hurricane Center and click on two-day or five-day. Then scroll to the bottom of the page for many linked graphics that tell the story of the storm.
Rainfall Graphic
Latest rainfall map projects that Houston may get up to an inch of rain, while parts of Louisiana are getting more than 16 inches.
Posted by Bob Rehak with Info from the National Hurricane Center on July 12, 2019
682 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/175439_5day_cone_no_line_and_wind.png?fit=897%2C736&ssl=1736897adminadmin2019-07-12 16:09:002019-07-12 16:29:22Latest Barry Update and How to Interpret a Cone Map
Rehab Work to Begin on Upstream Portion of Taylor Gully Monday, July 15
According to Beth Walters of the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD), work on the upstream portion of Taylor Gully in Kingwood will begin on Monday, July 15, weather permitting. There’s still uncertainty regarding the local impact of Tropical Storm Barry, however, equipment has already started showing up at the job site.
From Bassingham to Harris County Line
The work will extend from Bassingham to the Harris County line where the Gully meets the new Woodridge Village development in Montgomery County.
Scope of Work
This work will include the following:
Next Steps
After completing this reach of the channel, HCFCD staff will investigate Taylor Gully further downstream, where HCFCD completed a desilt job in the spring of 2019, from Bassingham to the downstream end. HCFCD will open up any constrictions and desilt the channel if necessary.
Vital for Flood Mitigation
Approximately 200 homes near this channel flooded during the May 7th storm. According to residents, video taken during the storm, and still photos taken after the storm, overland sheet flow from Woodridge Village was the likely cause of their problems. Regardless, news of this effort will come as a great relief to Elm Grove and Woodstream residents who welcome every extra margin of safety they can get.
Kudos to the flood control district for jumping on this project. Commissioners Court approved the right of way acquisition only last Tuesday!
Work on Montgomery County Portion of Gully Also Proceeding
Elm Grove resident Jeff Miller also reported today that Woodridge has expanded a portion of Taylor Gully that runs through Montgomery County. Where the east/west portion of the ditch makes a 120 degree turn and starts heading south along the western border of North Kingwood Forest…
… the contractor widened the ditch and expanded the turn.
For comparison, here is what the same ditch looked like on May 12.
To see what the entire turning radius NOW looks like, see this video.
More good and welcome improvements. Just wish they had been in place before May 7th.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/13/2019 with help from Jeff Miller.
683 Days after Hurricane Harvey and Two Months after the Elm Grove Flood
Christmas in July for Elaine Phillips
It wasn’t supposed to happen. But it did. After receiving two letters and two visits telling Elaine Phillips that the City could do nothing to fix her drainage, trucks magically showed up this morning … and fixed it. They gave her no explanation.
Epic Battle over Partially Blocked Drainage Swale
You may remember me posting about Elaine Phillips on June 21. Elaine was battling cancer, contractors, and the City of Houston bureaucracy all by herself. Her home had just flooded for the fifth time since 1997 and her husband was working in New York. The swale in front of her home had never been regraded and was partially clogged with sediment.
Surprise Turn of Events
“We had been told, as recently as Wednesday, 7/10, that nothing would be done in the near future, despite the unrelenting efforts of both Dave Martin’s office and Dan Crenshaw’s office,” said Elaine. “Then I woke up to four city trucks and a back hoe Thursday morning. They regraded the ditches from my house to the corner and Cindy’s house to the corner. Don’t know how, who, or why it’s happening, but I’m not going to look a gift-horse in the mouth. It’s Christmas in July! Many thanks to Kaaren Cambio from Dan Crenshaw’s office and Dave Martin’s office as well!”
Altogether, Phillips estimates that various city, county, and congressional representatives worked dozens of hours trying to help her for a job that ultimately took about five hours from start to finish.
Other Possibilities Still Remain
Phillips has also explored elevating her house and buyouts. Both remain possibilities thanks to their extra efforts on her behalf.
In the meantime, Phillips is giddy with glee. Until today, progress had remained elusive for 22 years.
For good measure, and in the spirit of Christmas, while the City of Houston crew was out helping Phillips today, they also deepened the ditches in four more homes near the same intersection.
A hearty thanks to the City from the Kings Forest Board and residents.
Posted by Bob Rehak on July 12, 2019
682 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Latest Barry Update and How to Interpret a Cone Map
There’s a lot more in a cone map than meets the eye. The map below shows the latest forecast track for Tropical Storm Barry. Here’s a short tutorial on some other things you can get out of it.
As you can see, the trajectory continues to favor landfall in Louisiana and then movement up through Arkansas. However, these maps convey much more information that may not be apparent at first glance.
What Cone Map Symbols Mean
This graphic shows an approximate representation of coastal areas under a hurricane warning (red), hurricane watch (pink), tropical storm warning (blue) and tropical storm watch (yellow).
The orange circle indicates the current position of the center of the tropical cyclone.
The black line, when selected, and dots show the National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast track of the center at the times indicated.
The dot indicating the forecast center location will be black if the cyclone is forecast to be tropical and will be white with a black outline if the cyclone is forecast to be extratropical.
If only an L is displayed, then the system is forecast to be a remnant low. The letter inside the dot indicates the NHC’s forecast intensity for that time:
D: Tropical Depression – wind speed less than 39 MPH
S: Tropical Storm – wind speed between 39 MPH and 73 MPH
H: Hurricane – wind speed between 74 MPH and 110 MPH
M: Major Hurricane – wind speed greater than 110 MPH
Forecasting Uncertainty
NHC tropical cyclone forecast tracks can be in error. This forecast uncertainty is conveyed by the track forecast “cone”, the solid white and stippled white areas in the cone map graphic.
The solid white area depicts the track forecast uncertainty for days 1-3 of the forecast, while the stippled area depicts the uncertainty on days 4-5.
How the NHC Forms Cone Maps
To form the cone, a set of imaginary circles are placed along the forecast track at the 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h positions, where the size of each circle is set so that it encloses 67% of the previous five years official forecast errors. The cone is then formed by smoothly connecting the area swept out by the set of circles.
Big Difference Between Cone Size and Storm Size
Realize also that a tropical cyclone is not a point. Their effects can span many hundreds of miles from the center.
Other Linked Graphics Complete the Story
The distribution of hurricane and tropical storm force winds in this tropical cyclone can be seen in this linked Wind History graphic.
Considering the combined forecast uncertainties in track, intensity, and size, the chances that any particular location will experience winds of 34 kt (tropical storm force), 50 kt, or 64 kt (hurricane force) from this tropical cyclone are presented in tabular form for selected locations and forecast positions. This information is also presented in graphical form for the 34 kt, 50 kt, and 64 kt thresholds.
If you have relatives or friends living closer to the center of the projected path, the tabular data above, will show you the exact percentages for dozens of cities.
To Find the Latest Cone Maps
Go to the National Hurricane Center and click on two-day or five-day. Then scroll to the bottom of the page for many linked graphics that tell the story of the storm.
Rainfall Graphic
Posted by Bob Rehak with Info from the National Hurricane Center on July 12, 2019
682 Days since Hurricane Harvey