Debris removal from Lake Houston has begun. On Sunday, May 27, I received a brief note from Keith Jordan, a Kingwood resident who has been active in flood recovery. His note said, “Toured the river today. Saw two barges with cranes picking up large piles of tree debris along the banks, but no dredging occurring.”
Turner stated, “I’m pleased to inform you that debris removal operations on the Lake Houston Reservoir began last week with the goal of preventing flooding and improving the use of the lake for recreational purposes and as key water supply source.”
The flood associated with Hurricane Harvey destroyed thousands of trees, which are now being removed from Lake Houston.
“Houston debris contractor DRC Emergency Services, LLC is performing the work with four barges and is expected to add two more by June 1, 2018. There are an estimated 75,000 to 150,000 cubic yards of debris in the lake because of Hurricane Harvey, according to the City’s debris monitoring operator, Tetra Tech. Removal of debris will reach 2,000 cubic yards per day at the height of operations,” said Turner.
At that rate and depending on the actual amount of debris recovered, the project could last anywhere from approximately five to 10 weeks.
During floods, dead trees like those shown above can wash downstream. The debris can then collect at at bridges and dams, impeding the flow water. as Kingwood resident Dave Seitzinger showed. Such piles of trees can work much like beaver dams.
Mayor Turner continued, “This project, when combined with the dredging of the San Jacinto River, provides that residents’ tax dollars are being used in a most beneficial manner to protect their properties from high water.”
Temporary Lowering of Lake Houston For Debris Removal
Dave Martin, District E Houston City Council Member said, “This week, residents can expect to see the level of Lake Houston reduced due to needed maintenance for the health of the Lake Houston Spillway Dam. In order to conduct this work the Coastal Water Authority will need to reduce the level of the Lake from 42.36 ft to 42.0 ft. This reduction in lake level will only be temporary while maintenance is occurring, and residents should not be alarmed. The purpose of the maintenance is to allow crews to remove debris that is currently sitting on top of the dam.”
Progress!
Posted on May 28, 2018 by Bob Rehak
272 Days Since Hurricane Harvey
00adminadmin2018-05-28 07:49:032018-05-28 08:02:04Debris Removal from Lake Houston Begins
Today marks 270 days since Harvey devastated one of the most beautiful communities in America. This weekend is the nine-month anniversary, the official start of yet another hurricane season, and Memorial Day. So it seems only fitting to look back.
The street in front of Jennifer Trimble’s home as she and her son were being rescued by boat.
Paul Margaritis, a friend and neighbor sent me the video below as a reminder.
It shows a one-block drive down Woods Estates in Kings Forest (one block west of Kingwood High School and north of Kingwood Drive). However, it could be any street in the Lake Houston Area shortly after Harvey. I remember not even being able to get into many neighborhoods because of all the debris cascading into streets. Foster’s Mill, Kingwood Lakes, and parts of Kings Point come to mind. Debris and vehicles completely filled the streets and blocked traffic.
Nine months later, the heartbreak has gone indoors, but it’s still there. You can see it in campers parked in driveways – where people are living as they complete repairs. You can see it in “Now Open” signs that have just appeared on retail establishments. You can see it in building permits, dumpsters, contractor pickups, and port-o-lets still occupying people’s yards.
Home, Home on the Driveway! The Slaughter family has been living in a trailer for 9 months as they try to restore their home.
And all too frequently, you can see scenes, such as this – a grim reminder of the recovery that just never seems to end.
Repair work continues at the home of a Kingwood business owner who has been living out of a hotel for nine months now.
Most people that I talk to who were flooded still only live in parts of their homes – if they’re in their homes at all. If you ask when they expect their homes to be fully restored, they may smile and say, “By the end of summer.” But every time a contractor fails to show up for a week, they pray it won’t be the summer of 2020.
This is why we can never forget the destruction caused by Harvey and why we must press the fight for flood mitigation measures.
The cost of mitigation will be a tiny fraction of the cost of damages from flooding.
Had we followed the recommendations of engineers after 1994 and Allison, perhaps fewer people would have had their lives turned upside down by Harvey.
It’s both ironic and fitting that the 9-month anniversary of Harvey should happen on Memorial Day weekend.
Posted on May 26 by Bob Rehak
270 Days since Hurricane Harvey
00adminadmin2018-05-26 12:18:402018-05-26 12:19:54The Nine-Month Anniversary of Harvey
The president of the Lake Conroe Association has said the group will fight a reduction of their lake to 199 mean feet above sea level (msl) during September. Remember, SJRA normally maintains Lake Conroe at 201 msl.
Is Reducing the Lake Level an Extra Foot Worth the Fight?
Readers have asked, rightly so, “Is this worth the fight? How much would we really gain, especially considering that evaporation already reduces the lake to 199.4 msl on average during September?”
Depending on your perspective (and how far from the lake you live), you might say:
“That extra foot is not worth the fight, because nature will already likely give us most of it.”
Or…
“If another massive release from the dam is necessary, that extra foot, in fact, every inch, will save more homes and/or give us more time to evacuate. We need every inch and every second we can get in an emergency, especially considering that dredging has not yet started.”
Do you have your hurricane kit prepared? Do you have flood insurance yet?
The Value of an Extra Foot of Buffer
The extra foot would undoubtedly save some homes on the margin of the flood, because flood gates would not have to open as wide or as long or even at all. However, it’s impossible to precisely calculate how many homes would be saved. That’s because of all the sediment clogging the river and other unknowable factors such as rainfall distribution and duration, and ground saturation. However, it is possible to calculate how much time we could gain to evacuate safely.
How Much Time We Would Gain Before Flood Gates Had To Open?
Let’s compute it:
Lake Conroe covers 21,000 acres.
A one-foot reduction in its level equals 21,000 acre feet.
But flow and discharge rates are measured in cubic feet per second (CFS).
So let’s figure out what that would be, given a rainfall as intense as Harvey’s.
Converting acre feet to cubic feet…
There are 43,560 cubic feet in one acre foot.
21,000 x 43,560 = a total of 914,760,000 cubic feet being debated
The maximum inflow rate to the lake during Harvey was 130,000 cfs.
7037 seconds = 117 minutes = approximately 2 hours
A one foot reduction would provide an extra two-hour buffer against a rainfall as intense as Harvey’s.
How much buffer is there normally?
Gates must open when water level increases 18 inches above 201 feet.
Without lowering level of lake, we have a 3-hour buffer before gates must open.
Lowering the lake level one foot means there’s a 5-hour buffer before gates must open.
Lowering the lake level two feet provides a 7-hour buffer before the gates must open.
Jace Houston, general manager of the SJRA, confirmed these calculations. He also stated that they were generally consistent with the rate of rise that SJRA saw in Lake Conroe during Harvey.
Finally, Houston pointed out that few storms are as intense as Harvey, and that with smaller rainfalls, you would gain proportionally more time. For instance, half the inflow rate would double the buffer time.
Those smaller storms have a much higher probability of occurring. However, a 20-inch rain falling over a two day period would be classified as yet another 500-year storm.
In fact, as I write these words, a tropical system is brewing in the Gulf. The amount of expected rainfall associated with it is 15-20 inches at this moment. If it actually rains 20 inches, that would be exactly half the amount Harvey dumped on IAH.
According to Jeff Lindner of Harris County Flood Control, this storm is expect to slow near the cost and dump up to 20 inches of rain between NE Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle.
Keep in mind: that storm is NOT currently predicted to affect the Houston area. Forecasters believe it will make landfall between SE Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle. I’m using this only as a hypothetical example.
So, in our hypothetical example, let’s assume the inflow rate to Lake Conroe is exactly half of Harvey’s. That would give us twice as much time – 14 hours as opposed to seven to prepare. What would you need to do during that time if you were in an area that could flood?
Move your belongings to a higher floor if you have one?
Gather up your valuables, albums, computers, documents, medications, insurance policies, guns, etc.?
Refill prescriptions if you’re low?
Pack enough food and clothes for a week?
Gas up your vehicle with thousands of other people?
Pack up your vehicle?
Collect your children, elderly relatives, pets and all their medications and valuables?
Move additional vehicles to higher ground?
Find a friend or hotel who lives on higher ground who is willing to take in your family?
Investigate escape routes when the power may be off and trees may be blocking roads?
Move all that toxic stuff under your sinks and in your garage up into your attic?
Shut off your electricity?
Warn friends, neighbors, and relatives?
Let them know your evacuation plans?
Find an ATM with money left in it?
Beat the traffic out of town?
Sounds like a pretty full day to me! Granted, you might have a little more time because it takes water a while to get from Conroe to Lake Houston. But you might also have a little less time, because sand blocking the river could cause water here to rise faster, regardless of Lake Conroe releases.
So is that extra foot worth fighting for? In my opinion, yes.
It would let Lake Conroe absorb more water, decreasing the chances that they would have to open their flood gates. And if they had to open their flood gates, it would delay the opening, giving you more time to prepare to evacuate and get to higher ground.
Remember, if the rainfall rate was heavier, you would have even less time.
I didn’t have to evacuate during Harvey. The flood stopped one house away from me. So I would like to hear from those who WERE forced to evacuate? Do you think 7-14 hours would have helped? How would your life have changed if you had had that much time to prepare?
Posted May 25, 2018 by Bob Rehak
269 Days Since Hurricane Harvey
00adminadmin2018-05-25 13:27:302020-01-17 10:07:29Lowering Lake Conroe: How much is enough?
Debris Removal from Lake Houston Begins
Debris removal from Lake Houston has begun. On Sunday, May 27, I received a brief note from Keith Jordan, a Kingwood resident who has been active in flood recovery. His note said, “Toured the river today. Saw two barges with cranes picking up large piles of tree debris along the banks, but no dredging occurring.”
A few hours later, I received another note from Dianne Lansden, co-chair of the Lake Houston Area Grass Roots Flood Prevention Initiative. She forwarded a newsletter to me from State Representative Dan Huberty. The newsletter quoted statements from Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Houston City Council Member Dave Martin about debris removal.
Removing Dead Trees
Turner stated, “I’m pleased to inform you that debris removal operations on the Lake Houston Reservoir began last week with the goal of preventing flooding and improving the use of the lake for recreational purposes and as key water supply source.”
The flood associated with Hurricane Harvey destroyed thousands of trees, which are now being removed from Lake Houston.
“Houston debris contractor DRC Emergency Services, LLC is performing the work with four barges and is expected to add two more by June 1, 2018. There are an estimated 75,000 to 150,000 cubic yards of debris in the lake because of Hurricane Harvey, according to the City’s debris monitoring operator, Tetra Tech. Removal of debris will reach 2,000 cubic yards per day at the height of operations,” said Turner.
At that rate and depending on the actual amount of debris recovered, the project could last anywhere from approximately five to 10 weeks.
During floods, dead trees like those shown above can wash downstream. The debris can then collect at at bridges and dams, impeding the flow water. as Kingwood resident Dave Seitzinger showed. Such piles of trees can work much like beaver dams.
Separate from Army Corps Dredging Project
Apparently, this project is separate from and in addition to the dredging project that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is studying.
Mayor Turner continued, “This project, when combined with the dredging of the San Jacinto River, provides that residents’ tax dollars are being used in a most beneficial manner to protect their properties from high water.”
Temporary Lowering of Lake Houston For Debris Removal
Dave Martin, District E Houston City Council Member said, “This week, residents can expect to see the level of Lake Houston reduced due to needed maintenance for the health of the Lake Houston Spillway Dam. In order to conduct this work the Coastal Water Authority will need to reduce the level of the Lake from 42.36 ft to 42.0 ft. This reduction in lake level will only be temporary while maintenance is occurring, and residents should not be alarmed. The purpose of the maintenance is to allow crews to remove debris that is currently sitting on top of the dam.”
Progress!
Posted on May 28, 2018 by Bob Rehak
272 Days Since Hurricane Harvey
The Nine-Month Anniversary of Harvey
Today marks 270 days since Harvey devastated one of the most beautiful communities in America. This weekend is the nine-month anniversary, the official start of yet another hurricane season, and Memorial Day. So it seems only fitting to look back.
The street in front of Jennifer Trimble’s home as she and her son were being rescued by boat.
Paul Margaritis, a friend and neighbor sent me the video below as a reminder.
WoodsEstatesDebris
It shows a one-block drive down Woods Estates in Kings Forest (one block west of Kingwood High School and north of Kingwood Drive). However, it could be any street in the Lake Houston Area shortly after Harvey. I remember not even being able to get into many neighborhoods because of all the debris cascading into streets. Foster’s Mill, Kingwood Lakes, and parts of Kings Point come to mind. Debris and vehicles completely filled the streets and blocked traffic.
Nine months later, the heartbreak has gone indoors, but it’s still there. You can see it in campers parked in driveways – where people are living as they complete repairs. You can see it in “Now Open” signs that have just appeared on retail establishments. You can see it in building permits, dumpsters, contractor pickups, and port-o-lets still occupying people’s yards.
Home, Home on the Driveway! The Slaughter family has been living in a trailer for 9 months as they try to restore their home.
And all too frequently, you can see scenes, such as this – a grim reminder of the recovery that just never seems to end.
Repair work continues at the home of a Kingwood business owner who has been living out of a hotel for nine months now.
Most people that I talk to who were flooded still only live in parts of their homes – if they’re in their homes at all. If you ask when they expect their homes to be fully restored, they may smile and say, “By the end of summer.” But every time a contractor fails to show up for a week, they pray it won’t be the summer of 2020.
This is why we can never forget the destruction caused by Harvey and why we must press the fight for flood mitigation measures.
Had we followed the recommendations of engineers after 1994 and Allison, perhaps fewer people would have had their lives turned upside down by Harvey.
It’s both ironic and fitting that the 9-month anniversary of Harvey should happen on Memorial Day weekend.
Posted on May 26 by Bob Rehak
270 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Lowering Lake Conroe: How much is enough?
The president of the Lake Conroe Association has said the group will fight a reduction of their lake to 199 mean feet above sea level (msl) during September. Remember, SJRA normally maintains Lake Conroe at 201 msl.
“The fight can be avoided, and relief can be felt in the Lake Houston area, by accepting a more reasonable approach of temporarily lowering Lake Conroe by not more than 1 foot for flood control,” said Mike Bleier, at the bottom of his post: http://www.lakeconroeassociation.com/the-lca-will-lead-the-fight-against-lower-lake-levels/
Is Reducing the Lake Level an Extra Foot Worth the Fight?
Readers have asked, rightly so, “Is this worth the fight? How much would we really gain, especially considering that evaporation already reduces the lake to 199.4 msl on average during September?”
Depending on your perspective (and how far from the lake you live), you might say:
“That extra foot is not worth the fight, because nature will already likely give us most of it.”
Or…
“If another massive release from the dam is necessary, that extra foot, in fact, every inch, will save more homes and/or give us more time to evacuate. We need every inch and every second we can get in an emergency, especially considering that dredging has not yet started.”
Do you have your hurricane kit prepared? Do you have flood insurance yet?
The Value of an Extra Foot of Buffer
The extra foot would undoubtedly save some homes on the margin of the flood, because flood gates would not have to open as wide or as long or even at all. However, it’s impossible to precisely calculate how many homes would be saved. That’s because of all the sediment clogging the river and other unknowable factors such as rainfall distribution and duration, and ground saturation. However, it is possible to calculate how much time we could gain to evacuate safely.
How Much Time We Would Gain Before Flood Gates Had To Open?
Let’s compute it:
Jace Houston, general manager of the SJRA, confirmed these calculations. He also stated that they were generally consistent with the rate of rise that SJRA saw in Lake Conroe during Harvey.
Finally, Houston pointed out that few storms are as intense as Harvey, and that with smaller rainfalls, you would gain proportionally more time. For instance, half the inflow rate would double the buffer time.
In fact, as I write these words, a tropical system is brewing in the Gulf. The amount of expected rainfall associated with it is 15-20 inches at this moment. If it actually rains 20 inches, that would be exactly half the amount Harvey dumped on IAH.
According to Jeff Lindner of Harris County Flood Control, this storm is expect to slow near the cost and dump up to 20 inches of rain between NE Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle.
So, in our hypothetical example, let’s assume the inflow rate to Lake Conroe is exactly half of Harvey’s. That would give us twice as much time – 14 hours as opposed to seven to prepare. What would you need to do during that time if you were in an area that could flood?
Sounds like a pretty full day to me! Granted, you might have a little more time because it takes water a while to get from Conroe to Lake Houston. But you might also have a little less time, because sand blocking the river could cause water here to rise faster, regardless of Lake Conroe releases.
So is that extra foot worth fighting for? In my opinion, yes.
Remember, if the rainfall rate was heavier, you would have even less time.
I didn’t have to evacuate during Harvey. The flood stopped one house away from me. So I would like to hear from those who WERE forced to evacuate? Do you think 7-14 hours would have helped? How would your life have changed if you had had that much time to prepare?
Posted May 25, 2018 by Bob Rehak
269 Days Since Hurricane Harvey