Harris County commissioners approved a Kingwood Drainage Assessment Project Tuesday, but not before a 50-minute discussion of equity that had commissioners shaking fists at each other at one point.
Cagle Versus Ellis with Kingwood in Middle
The battle involved Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle and Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis. The flashpoint concerned Item 2a14 on the agenda. It read:
The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority and TIRZ #10 wanted to PAY Harris County Flood Control $100,000 to manage and conduct a study of Kingwood drainage capacity. The study would have supplemented a Flood Control District study approved as part of last year’s flood bond. The objective of Item 14: to determine possible improvements to channels and mitigation basins to reduce flooding potential. Click here to read the scope document that Flood Control asked Commissioners to approve.
Commissioner Ellis invited four “equity coalition” representatives to the meeting. Each gave speeches, using the drainage assessment project as an example to show how poorer parts of the county were being discriminated against. During and after the speakers, Commissioner Cagle, whose Precinct 4 includes Kingwood, got into heated exchanges with Ellis.
Section 14 (g) of the approved bond language states: “Since flooding issues do not respect jurisdictional or political boundaries, the Commissioners Court shall provide a process for the equitable expenditure of funds, recognizing that project selection may have been affected in the past and may continue to be affected by eligibility requirements for matching Federal, State, and other local government funds.”
Kingwood was among the hardest hit areas in Harris County. As the flood bond language was being finalized, Lake Houston area leaders argued to include language that said all areas would receive their fair share of funds to prevent reverse discrimination. Historically, the Lake Houston area had received no flood mitigation dollars.
The following figures and chart are taken from the Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium’s April, 2018 report on Hurricane Harvey. Ironically, one of the activists speaking for Ellis used this report to suggest that poorer neighborhoods have suffered historical discrimination. The report does not support her argument relative to Kingwood at least, as the figures below show.
From the Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortiums April, 2018 report on Hurricane Harvey
The San Jacinto watershed, says the Consortium, contains 3% of the region’s population, gets 0% of the mitigation budget, and had 14% of the region’s damages.
Contrast that with Sims Bayou and Braes Bayou, both of which run through Commissioner Ellis’ Precinct 1. Those watersheds have 20% of the region’s population, get 42% of the mitigation budget, and had about 20% of the damages.
The Flood Control District’s own Federal report from March of 2018, shows a map of Harris County with Federal partnership projects everywhere … except the Lake Houston area.
Of the three other speakers, one evidently did not think Kingwood had apartments. Another complained that his community was still recovering (as if we weren’t).
So much for equity! The fact-defying arguments of Mr. Ellis and his surrogates do no one any good; they serve only to drive wedges between people who should be working together to triage a battlefield.
See the Video for Yourself: Blow by Blow
To see the video of the meeting, go to this Commissioner’s Court page, select Item 1, Part 2 of 2 from the menu, then fast forward to 30 minutes. That’s where this discussion starts with the first speaker. If you don’t have an hour, see these other key time markers:
34 minutes: In response to the first speaker, Cagle and Ellis debate who has really gotten the lion’s share of spending.
38 minutes: The second activist begins talking.
42 minutes: Another activist complains that his community still has not recovered and therefore should go first.
48 minutes: A fourth activist quotes the Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium Harvey report. She overlooks the fact that Kingwood is part of the San Jacinto Watershed, which historically has received ZERO mitigation dollars.
51 minutes: She complains that by counting structures, not people, the government discriminates against neighborhoods with multi-family housing. She ignores the fact that at least five major apartment complexes flooded in Kingwood.
1:04:40: Commissioner Cagle complains to Ellis that the discussion is rubbing him raw.
1:06:00: Cagle and Ellis shake fists at each other and nearly come out of their chairs.
1:25:00: Discussion wraps up on this agenda item and the meeting then moves on.
Motion Finally Passed, Next Steps
Luckily and thankfully, when it came time to vote on the measure, it passed.
Matt Zeve, Deputy Executive Director of Harris County Flood Control, said of the plan approved today, “This is not the full scope of the project, just what HCFCD and the TIRZ are partnering on. The full scope will be determined once we have a consultant selected.”
Zeve continued. “The project will involve developing detailed hydrologic and hydraulic models to determine the current “drainage level of service” on open channels in the Kingwood area. Once those are determined, alternatives will be developed to increase the level of service for channels deemed to be undersized.”
“These alternatives,” concluded Zeve, “will be shared with the public in a community meeting. Final recommendations for future projects will be provided. Once Commissioners Court approves the final report, preliminary engineering for the recommended alternatives will begin.”
Zeve expects the assessment work to begin before the end of the summer.
Need for Vigilance and Balance
Today’s meeting underscores the fact that the Equity Flap has not gone away. Lake Houston area residents need to remain vigilant and fight for our fair share of dollars as this and every Lake Houston area project moves forward. We need several Kingwood residents to speak at the next commissioners court meeting to provide balance.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/04/2019
644 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/DitchMap.jpg?fit=1020%2C1168&ssl=111681020adminadmin2019-06-04 23:01:302019-06-05 09:05:09Harris County Commissioners Approve Kingwood Drainage Assessment, But Not Without Battle Over Equity
Expect Heavy Rain Late Tonight but More Likely on Wednesday
Showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop tonight as a surge of tropical moisture approaches Southeast Texas and merges with a low coming from the west.
Rainfall rates could reach 2 to 3 inches per hour at times. Widespread rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches are expected across Southeast Texas by Wednesday evening with isolated totals exceeding 6 inches. The heaviest rainfall is expected to fall along and east of the I-69/US 59 corridor.
Those totals are close to what we experienced in early May.
Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist warned, “A low level convergence boundary may become established between the US 59 corridor and the coast and help to organize and focus thunderstorms and heavy rainfall. This pattern remains in place Wednesday and Wednesday night while 91L moves up the TX coast and likely either across SE TX or just offshore over our coastal waters.”
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS
A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation. You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
Street Flooding Likely; Significant Rises on Bayous/Creeks Possible
Do not drive your vehicle into areas where the water covers the roadway. The water depth may be too great to allow your car to cross safely.
If water is deep enough to cover your tailpipe, your car will stall.
Vehicles caught in rising water should be abandoned quickly. If your vehicle stalls…abandon it and seek higher ground immediately. Rapidly rising water may engulf your vehicle and its occupants and sweep them away. Move to higher ground.
Check Drains and Creeks Near You; Park on High Ground
During storms last month, yard debris (leaves, twigs, small branches, grass clippings, etc.) washed into sewers and drainage ditches. Also, in places, large trees had fallen into creeks and ditches due to bank erosion. Flooding doesn’t always come from the river. It can come from blockages anywhere in the drainage system.
So while the weather is still nice today:
Make sure your drains are clear
Do not stack branches or garbage where they could back up water
If you live near a creek or drainage ditch, walk it. Look for downed trees. Focus on areas downstream from you that could back water up onto your property.
Report clogged street drains to City of Houston by calling 3-1-1. Have address ready when you call.
Move valuables and important papers to an upper floor or top shelf.
Make sure your cell phone and weather radio batteries are fully charged; have backup batteries in case of power outages.
Remember, streets are DESIGNED to be part of the floodwater retention system. They are meant to hold excess water until the ditches, creeks, streams and bayous can absorb it. So don’t park in the street if you can avoid it.
Attention Vacationers: Coastal Forecast is Rough
Winds will begin to increase this afternoon and evening over the coastal waters which will help to build seas on Wednesday. Tides are forecasted to reach near 3.5-4.0 ft on Wednesday which may cause minor coastal flooding on Bolivar and low lying coastal area on the west end of Galveston, Surfside, and in SE Harris County. A coastal flood advisory may be required on Wednesday.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/4/19
644 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/noaad2.gif.png?fit=887%2C640&ssl=1640887adminadmin2019-06-04 12:55:072019-06-04 12:55:16Flash Flood Watch In Effect from Midnight Tonight Through Thursday Morning: Simple Ways to Reduce Flood Risk
Harris County Flood Control tomorrow will ask the Harris County Commissioners Court tomorrow to approve money for a Kingwood-wide drainage assessment. One of the reasons why is shown below: trees that have fallen into Taylor Gulley since the last time someone from Flood Control reviewed it. That underscores the need for every community association to start a flood committee. With more eyes on drainage, we might be able to keep problems such as these at a sub-acute level and help prevent flooding from clogged ditches.
Thank You, Chris Kalman
Chris Kalman of Woodstream Village sent these pictures to Flood Control and to me last Friday. They show trees that fell into Taylor Gulley during the three huge storms early last month.
This and next four photos taken on Taylor Gulley near White Oak Creek. All photos courtesy of Chris Kalman.
Blockages, such as these, can quickly turn into even bigger blockages when they catch additional trees and debris swept downstream in floods. When blockages become big enough, they can back water up into neighborhoods.
Kudos to Chris for communicating these problems (and their locations) to Harris County Flood Control. HCFCD can’t be everywhere all the time; they have 2500 miles of natural streams and man-made ditches to patrol. They need the help of residents to report problems like these so that they can respond in a timely way.
Photographs like Chris’ help Flood Control find and recognize the problems when workers visit the site. After all, in print, one downed tree sounds a lot like another. Photos also help Flood Control visualize the number of people and type of equipment to bring. In addition, Chris provided them with a map.
Commissioners Court To Consider Kingwood Drainage Assessment Project
Matt Zeve, deputy executive director of the Flood Control District is adding an evaluation of Taylor Gully and the May storm event to the scope of work for this project.
The Lake Houston area has more trees than most other parts of town. We definitely need this.
Start a Flood Committee in Your CA
Also, please urge your community association to start a “flood committee” that A) periodically checks creeks and ditches for problems and B) reports them. Often people see problems but don’t recognize them as such. Or they recognize them, but assume someone else reported them already. That’s why, in my opinion, we need to set up a system for reporting problems such as these.
An organization like KSA could coordinate the flood committees of each CA. They could then compile a master list of problems so that Flood Control could better schedule and prioritize clearing and ditch restoration efforts. It would be much more efficient for Flood Control to deal with one entity rather than thousands of individuals, many of whom might duplicate each other’s efforts. Also, as Chris discovered, sometimes it’s difficult to know whom to email. But a group that manages reporting on a regular basis could quickly learn the proper channels.
Two-foot Sections
If your neighbors, CA or trail association tries to remove such blockages, remember this. Flood Control typically cuts trees like the one above into two foot sections. Two feet is small enough to float through culverts in the next flood without getting stuck.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/3/2019with photos by Chris Kalman
643 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/erosion1.jpg?fit=1500%2C844&ssl=18441500adminadmin2019-06-03 17:15:222019-06-03 17:15:35Kingwood Drainage Assessment on Commissioners Court Agenda Tuesday and Why We Need More Systematic Reporting
Harris County Commissioners Approve Kingwood Drainage Assessment, But Not Without Battle Over Equity
Harris County commissioners approved a Kingwood Drainage Assessment Project Tuesday, but not before a 50-minute discussion of equity that had commissioners shaking fists at each other at one point.
Cagle Versus Ellis with Kingwood in Middle
The battle involved Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle and Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis. The flashpoint concerned Item 2a14 on the agenda. It read:
The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority and TIRZ #10 wanted to PAY Harris County Flood Control $100,000 to manage and conduct a study of Kingwood drainage capacity. The study would have supplemented a Flood Control District study approved as part of last year’s flood bond. The objective of Item 14: to determine possible improvements to channels and mitigation basins to reduce flooding potential. Click here to read the scope document that Flood Control asked Commissioners to approve.
Commissioner Ellis invited four “equity coalition” representatives to the meeting. Each gave speeches, using the drainage assessment project as an example to show how poorer parts of the county were being discriminated against. During and after the speakers, Commissioner Cagle, whose Precinct 4 includes Kingwood, got into heated exchanges with Ellis.
The Equity Flap Revisited
The equity flap first surfaced in February. It concerned prioritization of projects in the 2018 bond proposal.
Section 14 (g) of the approved bond language states: “Since flooding issues do not respect jurisdictional or political boundaries, the Commissioners Court shall provide a process for the equitable expenditure of funds, recognizing that project selection may have been affected in the past and may continue to be affected by eligibility requirements for matching Federal, State, and other local government funds.”
Kingwood was among the hardest hit areas in Harris County. As the flood bond language was being finalized, Lake Houston area leaders argued to include language that said all areas would receive their fair share of funds to prevent reverse discrimination. Historically, the Lake Houston area had received no flood mitigation dollars.
Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Report Misrepresented
The following figures and chart are taken from the Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium’s April, 2018 report on Hurricane Harvey. Ironically, one of the activists speaking for Ellis used this report to suggest that poorer neighborhoods have suffered historical discrimination. The report does not support her argument relative to Kingwood at least, as the figures below show.
The Flood Control District’s own Federal report from March of 2018, shows a map of Harris County with Federal partnership projects everywhere … except the Lake Houston area.
Of the three other speakers, one evidently did not think Kingwood had apartments. Another complained that his community was still recovering (as if we weren’t).
So much for equity! The fact-defying arguments of Mr. Ellis and his surrogates do no one any good; they serve only to drive wedges between people who should be working together to triage a battlefield.
See the Video for Yourself: Blow by Blow
To see the video of the meeting, go to this Commissioner’s Court page, select Item 1, Part 2 of 2 from the menu, then fast forward to 30 minutes. That’s where this discussion starts with the first speaker. If you don’t have an hour, see these other key time markers:
Motion Finally Passed, Next Steps
Luckily and thankfully, when it came time to vote on the measure, it passed.
Matt Zeve, Deputy Executive Director of Harris County Flood Control, said of the plan approved today, “This is not the full scope of the project, just what HCFCD and the TIRZ are partnering on. The full scope will be determined once we have a consultant selected.”
Zeve continued. “The project will involve developing detailed hydrologic and hydraulic models to determine the current “drainage level of service” on open channels in the Kingwood area. Once those are determined, alternatives will be developed to increase the level of service for channels deemed to be undersized.”
“These alternatives,” concluded Zeve, “will be shared with the public in a community meeting. Final recommendations for future projects will be provided. Once Commissioners Court approves the final report, preliminary engineering for the recommended alternatives will begin.”
Need for Vigilance and Balance
Today’s meeting underscores the fact that the Equity Flap has not gone away. Lake Houston area residents need to remain vigilant and fight for our fair share of dollars as this and every Lake Houston area project moves forward. We need several Kingwood residents to speak at the next commissioners court meeting to provide balance.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/04/2019
644 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Flash Flood Watch In Effect from Midnight Tonight Through Thursday Morning: Simple Ways to Reduce Flood Risk
The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for most of southeast Texas. The three graphics below tell the story.
Expect Heavy Rain Late Tonight but More Likely on Wednesday
Showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop tonight as a surge of tropical moisture approaches Southeast Texas and merges with a low coming from the west.
Those totals are close to what we experienced in early May.
Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist warned, “A low level convergence boundary may become established between the US 59 corridor and the coast and help to organize and focus thunderstorms and heavy rainfall. This pattern remains in place Wednesday and Wednesday night while 91L moves up the TX coast and likely either across SE TX or just offshore over our coastal waters.”
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS
A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation. You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
Street Flooding Likely; Significant Rises on Bayous/Creeks Possible
Do not drive your vehicle into areas where the water covers the roadway. The water depth may be too great to allow your car to cross safely.
Vehicles caught in rising water should be abandoned quickly. If your vehicle stalls…abandon it and seek higher ground immediately. Rapidly rising water may engulf your vehicle and its occupants and sweep them away. Move to higher ground.
Check Drains and Creeks Near You; Park on High Ground
During storms last month, yard debris (leaves, twigs, small branches, grass clippings, etc.) washed into sewers and drainage ditches. Also, in places, large trees had fallen into creeks and ditches due to bank erosion. Flooding doesn’t always come from the river. It can come from blockages anywhere in the drainage system.
So while the weather is still nice today:
Attention Vacationers: Coastal Forecast is Rough
Winds will begin to increase this afternoon and evening over the coastal waters which will help to build seas on Wednesday. Tides are forecasted to reach near 3.5-4.0 ft on Wednesday which may cause minor coastal flooding on Bolivar and low lying coastal area on the west end of Galveston, Surfside, and in SE Harris County. A coastal flood advisory may be required on Wednesday.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/4/19
644 Days after Hurricane Harvey
Kingwood Drainage Assessment on Commissioners Court Agenda Tuesday and Why We Need More Systematic Reporting
Harris County Flood Control tomorrow will ask the Harris County Commissioners Court tomorrow to approve money for a Kingwood-wide drainage assessment. One of the reasons why is shown below: trees that have fallen into Taylor Gulley since the last time someone from Flood Control reviewed it. That underscores the need for every community association to start a flood committee. With more eyes on drainage, we might be able to keep problems such as these at a sub-acute level and help prevent flooding from clogged ditches.
Thank You, Chris Kalman
Chris Kalman of Woodstream Village sent these pictures to Flood Control and to me last Friday. They show trees that fell into Taylor Gulley during the three huge storms early last month.
Blockages, such as these, can quickly turn into even bigger blockages when they catch additional trees and debris swept downstream in floods. When blockages become big enough, they can back water up into neighborhoods.
Kudos to Chris for communicating these problems (and their locations) to Harris County Flood Control. HCFCD can’t be everywhere all the time; they have 2500 miles of natural streams and man-made ditches to patrol. They need the help of residents to report problems like these so that they can respond in a timely way.
Photographs like Chris’ help Flood Control find and recognize the problems when workers visit the site. After all, in print, one downed tree sounds a lot like another. Photos also help Flood Control visualize the number of people and type of equipment to bring. In addition, Chris provided them with a map.
Commissioners Court To Consider Kingwood Drainage Assessment Project
As a result of the efforts by people like Chris and Barbara Hillburn of Kingwood Lakes who has been beating the drum to improve internal drainage, HCFCD has an item on the Commissioners Court agenda for tomorrow. Item 2.a.14 on page 10 is a request for authorization to negotiate with the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority to start HCFCD Bond Project F-14. It includes a drainage analysis of all open channels in the Kingwood area.
Matt Zeve, deputy executive director of the Flood Control District is adding an evaluation of Taylor Gully and the May storm event to the scope of work for this project.
If you are interested, any Harris County resident can sign up to speak on items on the Court agenda.
The Lake Houston area has more trees than most other parts of town. We definitely need this.
Start a Flood Committee in Your CA
Also, please urge your community association to start a “flood committee” that A) periodically checks creeks and ditches for problems and B) reports them. Often people see problems but don’t recognize them as such. Or they recognize them, but assume someone else reported them already. That’s why, in my opinion, we need to set up a system for reporting problems such as these.
An organization like KSA could coordinate the flood committees of each CA. They could then compile a master list of problems so that Flood Control could better schedule and prioritize clearing and ditch restoration efforts. It would be much more efficient for Flood Control to deal with one entity rather than thousands of individuals, many of whom might duplicate each other’s efforts. Also, as Chris discovered, sometimes it’s difficult to know whom to email. But a group that manages reporting on a regular basis could quickly learn the proper channels.
Two-foot Sections
If your neighbors, CA or trail association tries to remove such blockages, remember this. Flood Control typically cuts trees like the one above into two foot sections. Two feet is small enough to float through culverts in the next flood without getting stuck.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/3/2019 with photos by Chris Kalman
643 Days after Hurricane Harvey