My friend, John Knoerzer, owner of Uniserve Air Conditioning, sent me this video from East End Park around sunset tonight. It shows the East Fork of the San Jacinto River has already come out of its banks. This was at about 6:22 p.m. Tuesday.
Even Gus the Poodle knows to stay away from the raging East Fork. Shown here: the North Loop Trail in East End Park.
I have no pictures from the West Fork, so this graph will have to do. It shows that the West Fork at US59 is already out of its banks and in the moderate flooding stage.
Flash Flood Watch Extended to 2AM Wednesday
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service has extended the Flash Flood Watch for Houston until 2 a.m. Wednesday. This means conditions are favorable for flooding to occur. A nearly stationary weak boundary is focusing training showers and thunderstorms across the watch area. Very heavy rainfall is occurring in a short time period, which can cause flooding of streets, creeks and bayous. With the loss of daytime heating, precipitation should begin to gradually weaken as we head into the overnight hours.
Said Jeff Lindner of Harris County Flood Control, “Rainfall amounts of 5-9 inches occurred this afternoon over NE Harris County in the Kingwood/Humble area resulting in significant street flooding. Water is taking time to go down due to the large volume of water that fell in such a short period of time.”
Areas under flash flood watch as of 8:30PM Tuesday night.
Romerica Land Going Under for 7th Time in 14 Months
Be Prepared. People should bring their pets inside and delay travel or outdoor activities during periods of heavy rainfall. If travel is unavoidable, reduce your speed to avoid hydroplaning. If a Flash Flood Warning is issued for your area, DO NOT travel.
Turn Around, Don’t Drown®: Do not drive through flooded areas. If you see water covering the road, do not attempt to cross it. Only a few inches of water can float a vehicle . If you find yourself in a dangerous situation where your vehicle is taking on water, get out of the vehicle, get to a higher position, and call 911.
Monitor Official Sources for Current Information: Harris County Flood Warning System (harriscountyfws.org), Houston TranStar (houstontranstar.org), and the National Weather Service Houston/Galveston Forecast Office (weather.gov/hgx).
Monitor Stream, Bayou, and Creek Conditions: Rain may move repeatedly across the same area, causing creeks and bayous to rise and possibly exceed their banks. Stay informed of current conditions and avoid traveling near creeks and bayous.
Avoid Traveling during Periods of Heavy Rain: Rain can reduce visibility and prevent you from seeing the road ahead, which could lead to accidents.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/7/19 at 8:30 PM
616 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/East-Fork-Out-of-Banks.jpg?fit=1500%2C1003&ssl=110031500adminadmin2019-05-07 20:35:202019-05-07 20:56:46East and West Forks Out of Banks Already, Flash Flood Watch Extended to 2 a.m. Wednesday
Update: Flash Flood Watch Extended until 8:00 PM or until cancelled.
For the second time in five days, the National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings. This means more street flooding. Move your vehicles to high ground.
Flash Flood Warning till 8:00 or Until Canceled
The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Warning for portions of northeast Houston. It includes Lake Houston, Kingwood and northeastern Bush Intercontinental Airport, until 8:00 p.m.
Area of Flash Flood Warning
Early this afternoon, Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated nearly stationary thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. By 1 PM, three to almost five inches of rain had fallen and worse was yet to come. By 5PM, storm totals were approaching 10 inches with one station near FM1485 reporting 11 inches. The good news: as of 6PM, although it is still raining, the storm appears to be moving east and lessening.
Stunning Accumulations for Day That Was Supposed to be Light
Just hours ago, I posted a City of Houston alert warning of 7-10 inches of rain possible this WEEK. We have already gotten more than that today and it’s not over! And this was supposed to be the lightest day this week! Here’s what it looked like on the streets this afternoon.
Video courtesy of Josh Alberson showing the land being cleared next to HEB for retail expansion along Kingwood Drive. Someone needs to rethink that idea!New retail center called “The Docks” already under water. Photo courtesy of Josh Alberson.Taylor Gully also coming out of its banks at the end of Dunham Road. Video courtesy of Josh Alberson.This video shows the south end of Woodland Hills Drive near the soccer field road and Romerica property. It shows tree and water blocking the road/evacuation route. Courtesy of Mohamad-Khaled Chaouki Jrab.Kings Forest Pool House on Woods Estates Drive. Neighbor across the street reported more than 6″ on his rain gage.
House on Royal Circle in Kings Forest not far from pool house above. Photo courtesy of Cyndy Brown.
Elsewhere:
Kingwood College closed. Water was intruding through drains and windows. No power.
The creek by Deerwood Country Club is almost over Kingwood Drive.
8″ to 9″ standing water reported in Memorial Hermann lot in HEB Center. See below.
Street by Strawbridge Methodist Church. Video courtesy of Josh Alberson.
Storm Total Accumulations
Here’s what the storm total accumulations looked like as of 5:15.
Bright purple area in center equals 8.5 inch accumulations; darker blue areas within it show 10 inch accumulations during the course of the afternoon.
River Report and Protective Actions
The San Jacinto river is forecasted to rise above flood stage by this evening and continue to rise to near 49.6 feet by tonight. The river will fall below flood stage by after midnight WEDNESDAY.
At 49.3 feet, minor lowland flooding begins in the vicinity of the gage; the north side turnaround at US 59 begins to flood; and low points on Thelma Road, Aqua Vista Drive, and Riverview Drive begin to flood.
River Flooding Watch Area
People in the area should avoid the river as it rises. Residents near the river should make preparations in the event they are not able to leave their homes due to high water.
Turn Around, Don’t Drown®: Do not drive through flooded areas. If you see water covering the road, do not attempt to cross it. Only takes a few inches of water to float a vehicle . If you find yourself in a dangerous situation where your vehicle is taking on water, get out of the vehicle, get to a higher position, and call 911.
Monitor Official Sources for Current Information: Harris County Flood Warning System (harriscountyfws.org), Houston TranStar (houstontranstar.org), the National Weather Service Houston/Galveston Forecast Office (weather.gov/hgx), and the National Weather Service West Gulf River Forecast Center (weather.gov/wgcrfc).
Posted by Bob Rehak on May 7, 2019 at 2PM and update at 4PM and 6pm
616 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/KingsForestPool_01.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&ssl=110001500adminadmin2019-05-07 14:06:422019-05-07 18:18:59Flash Flood Warning Extended Again! Up to 10 Inches Already Today with More on Way
Note: I posted this this morning before a surprise storm dumped up to 10 inches of rain on the Lake Houston Area this afternoon. Now the river is expected to flood … despite the pre-release. At 7PM on Tuesday, the floodgates on Lake Houston remain wide open. As the river rises past flood stage, any thoughts of being land locked are now moot.
Houston City Council Member Dave Martin issued a press release this morning warning Lake Houston property owners to prepare for lower lake levels. Houston Public Works and the Coastal Water Authority are monitoring forecasts calling for substantial rainfall over the next several days.
Lower Lake Levels Heading Lower
Lake Houston is currently at 42.11 feet and still receiving water from weekend storms. But that’s a half inch down in the last 12 hours.
Lake Houston has a normal pool elevation of 42.5 feet. All four gates on the existing dam structure are open and will remain open with a goal of lowering the lake to 41.5 feet before the next round of rainfall. Property owners are encouraged to secure property along the shoreline.
Lake-Lowering Policy
Lake Houston is lowered if the National Weather Service predicts greater than 3 inches of rain within a 48-hour period. To monitor Lake Houston and the forecasted rain, click here.
6-day precipitation forecast: 7 inches across the Houston Metro Area
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/7/2019
616 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Houston-Map-Lake.png?fit=800%2C509&ssl=1509800adminadmin2019-05-07 11:56:232019-05-07 18:44:06Lake Houston Property Owners Should Prepare for Lower Lake Levels (or Not)
East and West Forks Out of Banks Already, Flash Flood Watch Extended to 2 a.m. Wednesday
My friend, John Knoerzer, owner of Uniserve Air Conditioning, sent me this video from East End Park around sunset tonight. It shows the East Fork of the San Jacinto River has already come out of its banks. This was at about 6:22 p.m. Tuesday.
I have no pictures from the West Fork, so this graph will have to do. It shows that the West Fork at US59 is already out of its banks and in the moderate flooding stage.
Flash Flood Watch Extended to 2AM Wednesday
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service has extended the Flash Flood Watch for Houston until 2 a.m. Wednesday. This means conditions are favorable for flooding to occur. A nearly stationary weak boundary is focusing training showers and thunderstorms across the watch area. Very heavy rainfall is occurring in a short time period, which can cause flooding of streets, creeks and bayous. With the loss of daytime heating, precipitation should begin to gradually weaken as we head into the overnight hours.
Said Jeff Lindner of Harris County Flood Control, “Rainfall amounts of 5-9 inches occurred this afternoon over NE Harris County in the Kingwood/Humble area resulting in significant street flooding. Water is taking time to go down due to the large volume of water that fell in such a short period of time.”
Romerica Land Going Under for 7th Time in 14 Months
Harris County’s Real Time Inundation Mapping System shows that the area below the Barrington where Romerica hopes to build it’s residential, commercial and hotel high rises is largely under water as of this writing. That will make the seventh flood in the last 14 months. At times like these, I wish people, i.e., developers with dreams, would learn to listen to nature.
Take Protective Action
Be Prepared. People should bring their pets inside and delay travel or outdoor activities during periods of heavy rainfall. If travel is unavoidable, reduce your speed to avoid hydroplaning. If a Flash Flood Warning is issued for your area, DO NOT travel.
Turn Around, Don’t Drown®: Do not drive through flooded areas. If you see water covering the road, do not attempt to cross it. Only a few inches of water can float a vehicle . If you find yourself in a dangerous situation where your vehicle is taking on water, get out of the vehicle, get to a higher position, and call 911.
Monitor Official Sources for Current Information: Harris County Flood Warning System (harriscountyfws.org), Houston TranStar (houstontranstar.org), and the National Weather Service Houston/Galveston Forecast Office (weather.gov/hgx).
Monitor Stream, Bayou, and Creek Conditions: Rain may move repeatedly across the same area, causing creeks and bayous to rise and possibly exceed their banks. Stay informed of current conditions and avoid traveling near creeks and bayous.
Avoid Traveling during Periods of Heavy Rain: Rain can reduce visibility and prevent you from seeing the road ahead, which could lead to accidents.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/7/19 at 8:30 PM
616 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Flash Flood Warning Extended Again! Up to 10 Inches Already Today with More on Way
Update: Flash Flood Watch Extended until 8:00 PM or until cancelled.
For the second time in five days, the National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings. This means more street flooding. Move your vehicles to high ground.
Flash Flood Warning till 8:00 or Until Canceled
The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Warning for portions of northeast Houston. It includes Lake Houston, Kingwood and northeastern Bush Intercontinental Airport, until 8:00 p.m.
Early this afternoon, Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated nearly stationary thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. By 1 PM, three to almost five inches of rain had fallen and worse was yet to come. By 5PM, storm totals were approaching 10 inches with one station near FM1485 reporting 11 inches. The good news: as of 6PM, although it is still raining, the storm appears to be moving east and lessening.
Stunning Accumulations for Day That Was Supposed to be Light
Just hours ago, I posted a City of Houston alert warning of 7-10 inches of rain possible this WEEK. We have already gotten more than that today and it’s not over! And this was supposed to be the lightest day this week! Here’s what it looked like on the streets this afternoon.
It shows tree and water blocking the road/evacuation route. Courtesy of Mohamad-Khaled Chaouki Jrab.
Elsewhere:
Street by Strawbridge Methodist Church. Video courtesy of Josh Alberson.
Storm Total Accumulations
Here’s what the storm total accumulations looked like as of 5:15.
River Report and Protective Actions
The San Jacinto river is forecasted to rise above flood stage by this evening and continue to rise to near 49.6 feet by tonight. The river will fall below flood stage by after midnight
WEDNESDAY.
At 49.3 feet, minor lowland flooding begins in the vicinity of the gage; the north side turnaround at US 59 begins to flood; and low points on Thelma Road, Aqua Vista Drive, and Riverview Drive begin to flood.
People in the area should avoid the river as it rises. Residents near the river should make preparations in the event they are not able to leave their homes due to high water.
Turn Around, Don’t Drown®: Do not drive through flooded areas. If you see water covering the road, do not attempt to cross it. Only takes a few inches of water to float a vehicle . If you find yourself in a dangerous situation where your vehicle is taking on water, get out of the vehicle, get to a higher position, and call 911.
Monitor Official Sources for Current Information: Harris County Flood Warning System (harriscountyfws.org), Houston TranStar (houstontranstar.org), the National Weather Service Houston/Galveston Forecast Office (weather.gov/hgx), and the National Weather Service West Gulf River Forecast Center (weather.gov/wgcrfc).
Posted by Bob Rehak on May 7, 2019 at 2PM and update at 4PM and 6pm
616 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Lake Houston Property Owners Should Prepare for Lower Lake Levels (or Not)
Note: I posted this this morning before a surprise storm dumped up to 10 inches of rain on the Lake Houston Area this afternoon. Now the river is expected to flood … despite the pre-release. At 7PM on Tuesday, the floodgates on Lake Houston remain wide open. As the river rises past flood stage, any thoughts of being land locked are now moot.
Houston City Council Member Dave Martin issued a press release this morning warning Lake Houston property owners to prepare for lower lake levels. Houston Public Works and the Coastal Water Authority are monitoring forecasts calling for substantial rainfall over the next several days.
Lower Lake Levels Heading Lower
Lake Houston is currently at 42.11 feet and still receiving water from weekend storms. But that’s a half inch down in the last 12 hours.
Lake Houston has a normal pool elevation of 42.5 feet. All four gates on the existing dam structure are open and will remain open with a goal of lowering the lake to 41.5 feet before the next round of rainfall. Property owners are encouraged to secure property along the shoreline.
Lake-Lowering Policy
Lake Houston is lowered if the National Weather Service predicts greater than 3 inches of rain within a 48-hour period. To monitor Lake Houston and the forecasted rain, click here.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/7/2019
616 Days since Hurricane Harvey