This afternoon, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a two-sentence press release about the start of their emergency West Fork dredging project.
Two-Sentence Dredging Update
It simply said, “USACE contractors are prepared to begin moving the first dredge on Sunday afternoon with operations possibly beginning Monday. If weather conditions pose threats to operational safety, dredging along West Lake Houston Parkway will begin when conditions improve.”
Tropical Development Complicates Dredging
Safety issues related to a potential tropical rain event now have the Corps concerned about safety. Note that orange X in the oval below that’s aimed toward the Texas coast..
Low Pressure System in Gulf has 50% Chance of Formation for up to 5 days.
Latest Tropical Updates for Gulf
As of 3PM Thursday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said about it, “A weak low pressure center has formed a couple of hundred miles east-southeast of Brownsville, Texas. In addition, showers and thunderstorms in association with this system have become more numerous today. While upper-level winds are generally conducive for development of a tropical depression, the system only has about a day before it reaches the western Gulf coast. An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft is currently en route to investigate the low.”
Regardless of development, heavy rainfall and gusty winds are expected across portions of northeastern Mexico and Texas on Friday and Saturday.
Monitor the progress of this system, and refer to local weather forecasts.
Lakes Already Lowered in Advance of Rainmaker
In preparation for the storm, Lake Conroe has already been lowered to its seasonally adjusted target of 199 mean feet above sea level.
Level of Lake Houston has also been lowered.
Lowering the two lakes gives us an additional buffer against flooding, but still, a rain-swollen river is no place for a 270 ton dredge tethered to hundreds of thousands of pounds of dredging pipe.
Updates on Ben’s Branch
Let’s just pray we don’t get so much rain that the ditches back up. When last we talked about ditches, the City had mistakenly sent the wrong easements to the county, so that the county could maintain Kingwood ditches. The City finally regrouped on the 11th. On the 12th, the City contacted Kingwood Association Management’s Ethel McCormick. McCormick is working to put the City together with the Bear Branch Trail Association and the Kings Crossing Association re: easements. More news on that when there’s news to share.
County Begins Surveying Ben’s Branch
In the meantime, Harris County is wasting no time. In expectation of the easements, they were already out surveying the ditches to determine how much silt and debris needed to be removed.
Harris County Surveying Truck near Ben’s Branch
Just east of West Lake Houston Parkway, a Harris County Flood Control Surveying Crew was seen this week trying to calculate the debris that needs to be removed from Ben’s Branch.=
Harris County Surveying Crew in Ben’s Branch just west of West Lake Houston Parkway. Crews are trying to estimate how much silt needs to be removed to restore the carrying capacity of the ditch. Note the surveyor in the far background on the island.
Blockages like those above created during Harvey contributed to flooding in Town Center and Kings Crossing. Note the proximity of Ben’s Branch to the back of the old HEB shopping center on the northwest corner of Kingwood Drive and West Lake Houston Parkway.
I asked Matt Zeve, Director of Operations for Harris County Flood Control whether they planned to use the silt from Ben’s Branch to increase the height of the levies or whether they planned to remove it. The answer: remove it.
Work on Ben’s Branch cannot begin too soon. Uncertainty concerning this important waterway restrains the retail recovery throughout the central part of Kingwood.
The old HEB store still has not been leased to a new tenant.
Without a lead tenant in the old HEB space, leasing the smaller stores in this center is a long shot, especially when the flood risk has not yet been reduced.
Many prospective tenants are waiting on signs from the City and County that flood remediation is about to begin. The 20,000 sf Kelsey Seybold Clinic has also been vacant since Harvey and has a For Lease sign in the window.
Other high visibility retail and rental spaces also remain vacant, i.e., the Chase Bank on Kingwood Drive and West Lake Houston Parkway, the new Memorial Hermann Health Care Facility, several apartment communities, and much of King’s Harbor.
Plea for Progress to Government
It will take more than deals to lure retailers and residents back to these locations; it will also take genuine progress in flood remediation – much faster progress than we have seen in the year since Harvey. People need confidence that their investments in buildout, inventory, and equipment will not be taken in the next flood. We spent a year talking about remediation; let’s get started.
Posted 9/13/2018 by Bob Rehak
380 Days since Hurricane Harvey
00adminadmin2018-09-13 17:03:062018-09-13 17:03:06Dredging, Tropic, Lake, Ditch, and Retail Updates: Sometimes Progress is Measured in Inches
On August 24th, Dr. William R. Dupré , Professor Emeritus of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Houston, gave a presentation at the Kingwood Community Center sponsored by the Houston Geological Society. The presentation is titled Flooding and Floodplains in the Houston Area: Past, Present, and Future. Professor Dupre’ has given ReduceFlooding.com permission to post his presentation. It consists of two parts. Together, they will help you understand how and why floodplains change over time.
Urbanization is just one of many factors cited by Dr. Dupré that increase flooding.
The Basics of Flooding, Floodplains and Measurement
The difference between drainage basins, networks and watersheds
How stream gages work
How and where to find flood data (USGS, SJRA, Harris County Flood Warning System)
How to compare hydrographs from different locations and assess your risk of flooding
The difference between annual recurrence intervals and annual exceedance probabilities
How to understand flood maps
Assumptions behind flood plain calculations
Different types of flooding (overbook, ponding, sheet flow, etc.)
At the end of Part 1, Dupré shows how some of these concepts apply to different watersheds within Harris County and discusses how flooding dangers differ in various parts of the County.
Changing land use, (i.e., urbanization, prairie restoration, etc.)
Structural changes (dams, levees, channelization and detention/retention basins)
Changing climate
Part 2 concludes with a discussion of changing approaches to flood control and a brief discussion of the recently approved Harris County flood bond.
Do Sand Mines Play a Role?
Part 2 includes a discussion of sand mining under “Causes of Changes in Sediment and Sedimentation. Dupré talks about different types of sand mines and their impacts. While the professor and I disagree about the interpretation of several satellite images, we agree wholeheartedly about the need to locate pits outside of a ‘channel migration’ zone, as regulations in Washington state and Arizona require.
The danger, he says, is that rivers can migrate to and through sand mine dikes. If this happens after abandonment of the mine, no one will me there to repair the dikes and the river will reroute itself through the pit, carrying stored sediment downstream.
Who Will Benefit from This Presentation
If you enjoy earth sciences, as I do, these presentations will feel like going back to college. If you’re simply a homeowner trying to figure out why you flooded, you’ll find lots of food for thought in these two presentations. If you’re debating whether to buy flood insurance, these presentations will make you a believer.
Key Messages
One of the key takeaways from Part 1 is that you should not think of the 100-year (1%) floodplain as a bright line where you’re safe on one of it and not safe on the other. Dupré calls that choice a “false binary.” He urges people to think of flood plains as ever shifting and flood plain boundaries as very fuzzy lines, much like the cone of uncertainty used for hurricane path prediction. The width of the line represents the margin of error behind the calculation of probabilities.
After reviewing Part 2, you should come away with a better appreciation for how gradual, almost unnoticeable changes in your environment can increase your flood risk.
Remember Flood Control Presentation At Community Center on 9/17
Matt Zeve, Director of Operations for Harris County Flood Control, will also discuss flood map revisions in his upcoming talk at the Kingwood Community Center on September 17 at 6:30. Don’t forget to mark your calendar.
Posted by Bob Rehak on September 11, 2018
378 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 17 years since 9/11
00adminadmin2018-09-11 17:09:482018-09-11 17:11:10Flooding and Floodplains in the Houston Area: Past, Present, and Future
Mark your calendar. Houston City Council Member Dave Martin will host a town hall meeting on Tuesday, October 9 at 6:30 p.m., at the Kingwood Community Center, 4102 Rustic Woods, Kingwood, TX 77345. The community is invited to attend and hear from city and community representatives about ongoing projects, issues and community news related to the Kingwood and Lake Houston areas of District E.
Mayor Turner on Rebuild Houston and Fire Dept. Salaries
This fall’s town hall meeting will include a presentation from Mayor Sylvester Turner who will speak on the Rebuild Houston and fire salary referendums that will appear on the November 6 ballot. All registered voters within the boundaries of the City are urged to attend.
Costello, Odum and Zeve on Post-Harvey Mitigation
Residents will also hear from Stephen Costello, City of Houston Chief Resiliency Officer and Marvin Odum, Chief Recovery Officer, on the progress made to rebuild the City post-Harvey. Harris County Flood Control Chief Operations Officer, Matt Zeve, will provide a post-Harris County Flood Control Bond update.
Townhomes on Marina Drive in Forest Cove more than one year after Hurricane Harvey.
Sarman on TIRZ Projects, Huberty on Upcoming Legislation
Stan Sarman, the Chair of the TIRZ 10 board will provide information on a variety of projects including the Northpark Drive Mobility Improvement Project, and the status of area intersection improvements. There will be an update on the Lake Houston Debris Removal Project provided by a member of the City of Houston Solid Waste Department Team. State Representative Dan Huberty is confirmed to provide insight on the upcoming legislative session.
Loop 494 Expansion, San Jacinto Greenway Project and More
For those that arrive to the Kingwood town hall early, there will be information tables available starting at 5:30 p.m. from Harris County Precinct 4 to discuss their upcoming projects in Forest Cove, from the Texas Department of Transportation to educate residents on the expansion of TX Loop 494, and from the Houston Parks Board to provide information on the upcoming San Jacinto Greenway Project. The Houston Department of Neighborhoods and the Houston Police Department’s Kingwood Division will also be on site with information available to residents before and after the town hall meeting.
For more information, please contact Council Member Martin’s office at (832) 393-3008 or via email at districte@houstontx.gov.
Posted on September 9, 2018, by Bob Rehak
376 Days since Hurricane Harvey
00adminadmin2018-09-09 20:18:032018-09-09 20:20:26Houston Council Member Dave Martin To Host Kingwood Town Hall Meeting on October 9
Dredging, Tropic, Lake, Ditch, and Retail Updates: Sometimes Progress is Measured in Inches
Updates on several subjects.
This afternoon, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a two-sentence press release about the start of their emergency West Fork dredging project.
Two-Sentence Dredging Update
It simply said, “USACE contractors are prepared to begin moving the first dredge on Sunday afternoon with operations possibly beginning Monday. If weather conditions pose threats to operational safety, dredging along West Lake Houston Parkway will begin when conditions improve.”
Tropical Development Complicates Dredging
Safety issues related to a potential tropical rain event now have the Corps concerned about safety. Note that orange X in the oval below that’s aimed toward the Texas coast..
Low Pressure System in Gulf has 50% Chance of Formation for up to 5 days.
Latest Tropical Updates for Gulf
As of 3PM Thursday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said about it, “A weak low pressure center has formed a couple of hundred miles east-southeast of Brownsville, Texas. In addition, showers and thunderstorms in association with this system have become more numerous today. While upper-level winds are generally conducive for development of a tropical depression, the system only has about a day before it reaches the western Gulf coast. An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft is currently en route to investigate the low.”
Monitor the progress of this system, and refer to local weather forecasts.
Lakes Already Lowered in Advance of Rainmaker
In preparation for the storm, Lake Conroe has already been lowered to its seasonally adjusted target of 199 mean feet above sea level.
Level of Lake Houston has also been lowered.
Lowering the two lakes gives us an additional buffer against flooding, but still, a rain-swollen river is no place for a 270 ton dredge tethered to hundreds of thousands of pounds of dredging pipe.
Updates on Ben’s Branch
Let’s just pray we don’t get so much rain that the ditches back up. When last we talked about ditches, the City had mistakenly sent the wrong easements to the county, so that the county could maintain Kingwood ditches. The City finally regrouped on the 11th. On the 12th, the City contacted Kingwood Association Management’s Ethel McCormick. McCormick is working to put the City together with the Bear Branch Trail Association and the Kings Crossing Association re: easements. More news on that when there’s news to share.
County Begins Surveying Ben’s Branch
In the meantime, Harris County is wasting no time. In expectation of the easements, they were already out surveying the ditches to determine how much silt and debris needed to be removed.
Harris County Surveying Truck near Ben’s Branch
Just east of West Lake Houston Parkway, a Harris County Flood Control Surveying Crew was seen this week trying to calculate the debris that needs to be removed from Ben’s Branch.=
Harris County Surveying Crew in Ben’s Branch just west of West Lake Houston Parkway. Crews are trying to estimate how much silt needs to be removed to restore the carrying capacity of the ditch. Note the surveyor in the far background on the island.
I asked Matt Zeve, Director of Operations for Harris County Flood Control whether they planned to use the silt from Ben’s Branch to increase the height of the levies or whether they planned to remove it. The answer: remove it.
Work on Ben’s Branch cannot begin too soon. Uncertainty concerning this important waterway restrains the retail recovery throughout the central part of Kingwood.
The old HEB store still has not been leased to a new tenant.
Without a lead tenant in the old HEB space, leasing the smaller stores in this center is a long shot, especially when the flood risk has not yet been reduced.
Many prospective tenants are waiting on signs from the City and County that flood remediation is about to begin. The 20,000 sf Kelsey Seybold Clinic has also been vacant since Harvey and has a For Lease sign in the window.
Other high visibility retail and rental spaces also remain vacant, i.e., the Chase Bank on Kingwood Drive and West Lake Houston Parkway, the new Memorial Hermann Health Care Facility, several apartment communities, and much of King’s Harbor.
Plea for Progress to Government
It will take more than deals to lure retailers and residents back to these locations; it will also take genuine progress in flood remediation – much faster progress than we have seen in the year since Harvey. People need confidence that their investments in buildout, inventory, and equipment will not be taken in the next flood. We spent a year talking about remediation; let’s get started.
Posted 9/13/2018 by Bob Rehak
380 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Flooding and Floodplains in the Houston Area: Past, Present, and Future
On August 24th, Dr. William R. Dupré , Professor Emeritus of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Houston, gave a presentation at the Kingwood Community Center sponsored by the Houston Geological Society. The presentation is titled Flooding and Floodplains in the Houston Area: Past, Present, and Future. Professor Dupre’ has given ReduceFlooding.com permission to post his presentation. It consists of two parts. Together, they will help you understand how and why floodplains change over time.
Urbanization is just one of many factors cited by Dr. Dupré that increase flooding.
The Basics of Flooding, Floodplains and Measurement
In Part 1, Dupré focuses on the basics of flooding, flood plains and measurement. He begins by explaining:
At the end of Part 1, Dupré shows how some of these concepts apply to different watersheds within Harris County and discusses how flooding dangers differ in various parts of the County.
How and Why Floodplains Change Over Time
In Part 2, Dupré goes into greater detail about how floodplains change over time. The four main reasons include:
Part 2 concludes with a discussion of changing approaches to flood control and a brief discussion of the recently approved Harris County flood bond.
Do Sand Mines Play a Role?
Part 2 includes a discussion of sand mining under “Causes of Changes in Sediment and Sedimentation. Dupré talks about different types of sand mines and their impacts. While the professor and I disagree about the interpretation of several satellite images, we agree wholeheartedly about the need to locate pits outside of a ‘channel migration’ zone, as regulations in Washington state and Arizona require.
The danger, he says, is that rivers can migrate to and through sand mine dikes. If this happens after abandonment of the mine, no one will me there to repair the dikes and the river will reroute itself through the pit, carrying stored sediment downstream.
Who Will Benefit from This Presentation
If you enjoy earth sciences, as I do, these presentations will feel like going back to college. If you’re simply a homeowner trying to figure out why you flooded, you’ll find lots of food for thought in these two presentations. If you’re debating whether to buy flood insurance, these presentations will make you a believer.
Key Messages
One of the key takeaways from Part 1 is that you should not think of the 100-year (1%) floodplain as a bright line where you’re safe on one of it and not safe on the other. Dupré calls that choice a “false binary.” He urges people to think of flood plains as ever shifting and flood plain boundaries as very fuzzy lines, much like the cone of uncertainty used for hurricane path prediction. The width of the line represents the margin of error behind the calculation of probabilities.
After reviewing Part 2, you should come away with a better appreciation for how gradual, almost unnoticeable changes in your environment can increase your flood risk.
Related Reading
The points Dr. Dupré makes support the conclusions drawn in a report by the Bayou City Initiative titled “Houston A Year after Harvey: Where We Are and Where We Need to Be,” especially the section on the need to revise outdated flood maps.
Remember Flood Control Presentation At Community Center on 9/17
Matt Zeve, Director of Operations for Harris County Flood Control, will also discuss flood map revisions in his upcoming talk at the Kingwood Community Center on September 17 at 6:30. Don’t forget to mark your calendar.
Posted by Bob Rehak on September 11, 2018
378 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 17 years since 9/11
Houston Council Member Dave Martin To Host Kingwood Town Hall Meeting on October 9
Mark your calendar. Houston City Council Member Dave Martin will host a town hall meeting on Tuesday, October 9 at 6:30 p.m., at the Kingwood Community Center, 4102 Rustic Woods, Kingwood, TX 77345. The community is invited to attend and hear from city and community representatives about ongoing projects, issues and community news related to the Kingwood and Lake Houston areas of District E.
Mayor Turner on Rebuild Houston and Fire Dept. Salaries
This fall’s town hall meeting will include a presentation from Mayor Sylvester Turner who will speak on the Rebuild Houston and fire salary referendums that will appear on the November 6 ballot. All registered voters within the boundaries of the City are urged to attend.
Costello, Odum and Zeve on Post-Harvey Mitigation
Residents will also hear from Stephen Costello, City of Houston Chief Resiliency Officer and Marvin Odum, Chief Recovery Officer, on the progress made to rebuild the City post-Harvey. Harris County Flood Control Chief Operations Officer, Matt Zeve, will provide a post-Harris County Flood Control Bond update.
Townhomes on Marina Drive in Forest Cove more than one year after Hurricane Harvey.
Sarman on TIRZ Projects, Huberty on Upcoming Legislation
Stan Sarman, the Chair of the TIRZ 10 board will provide information on a variety of projects including the Northpark Drive Mobility Improvement Project, and the status of area intersection improvements. There will be an update on the Lake Houston Debris Removal Project provided by a member of the City of Houston Solid Waste Department Team. State Representative Dan Huberty is confirmed to provide insight on the upcoming legislative session.
Loop 494 Expansion, San Jacinto Greenway Project and More
For those that arrive to the Kingwood town hall early, there will be information tables available starting at 5:30 p.m. from Harris County Precinct 4 to discuss their upcoming projects in Forest Cove, from the Texas Department of Transportation to educate residents on the expansion of TX Loop 494, and from the Houston Parks Board to provide information on the upcoming San Jacinto Greenway Project. The Houston Department of Neighborhoods and the Houston Police Department’s Kingwood Division will also be on site with information available to residents before and after the town hall meeting.
For more information, please contact Council Member Martin’s office at (832) 393-3008 or via email at districte@houstontx.gov.
Posted on September 9, 2018, by Bob Rehak
376 Days since Hurricane Harvey