If you missed the FloodWarn Workshop at Kingwood College on 5/1/18, you missed a lot of helpful information. All four FloodWarn Workshop presentations are now posted in one PDF in the reports section of this web site or via this link.
National Weather Service
Rainfall during Hurricane Harvey
Katie Landry-Guyton, Senior Service Hydrologist/Meteorologist from the National Weather Service-Houston/Galveston office, talked about various types of floods, then focused on river flooding. She discussed the various types of forecasts and warnings NWS has to help you understand levels of risk. She also discussed details of how NWS formulates forecasts. For weather wonks and flood victims, it’s a must-see.
Harris County Flood Control
Jeff Lindner, Meteorologist/Director, Hydrologic Operations Division of the Harris County Flood Control District then discussed the hydrology of Harris County. Within this context, he addressed four types of floodplains in the county, the District’s flood warning system (FWS), inundation mapping/ forecasting down to the street level, and expansion of the District’s gage network.
San Jacinto River Authority
Jace Houston, General Manager of the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA), talked about the dam operations at Lake Conroe. Specifically, he explained how they made the decision to start releasing water during Harvey. Houston also introduced the SJRA’s new regional flood management initiative.
FEMA
Rounding out the evening, Diane Cooper of FEMA Floodplain Management and Insurance. Cooper, who has posted several times on this blog, is a Kingwood resident. She focused on flood risk, hazard mapping and flood insurance.
Among the surprising facts cited:
The National Flood Insurance Program processed 26,511 claims as a result of Harvey.
55.2% of those claims came from OUTSIDE of the 100 year flood plain.
Only 17% of Houstonians had flood insurance (about 1 in 6)
30,500 structures were in the 1% risk area (100 year flood plain)
29,000 structure were in the 0.2% risk area (500 year flood plain)
City-wide, Harvey impacted approximately 150,000 structures
That means that more structures were impacted outside the 0.2% Risk Area than inside, approximately 90,000.
Cooper cited this last point as the reason why everyone should have flood insurance whether they are officially in the flood plain or not. This was a common theme all night among all four presenters.
They also pointed out that not all flooding comes from rivers. Much flooding comes from streets. Streets in Kingwood are designed as part of the flood retention system. They can deliver approximately two inches of rainfall per hour through the storm drains to the ditches. When the rainfall rate exceeds that, drains will back up into streets and release the water slowly so as not to overwhelm the ditches.
Moral of the story: even if you’re nowhere near the river or a drainage ditch, you can still flood from your street and, therefore, need flood flood insurance.
Residents downstream of the dam applauded the move; upstream residents had concerns. On Friday, the Conroe Courier ran an article about the lowering. Not quite half of the 1300 word article discussed the efforts of two Lake Conroe homeowners who were organizing protests and letter writing campaigns against lowering the level of the lake.
The article did not quote any of the Kingwood residents who trekked to Lake Conroe to speak in favor of the motion. Nor did it mention any of the ongoing downstream recovery efforts. Thus, it left the impression that Lake Conroe boat owners were being inconvenienced without cause.
I felt the article deserved a response, so I wrote a letter to the editor which, thankfully, they published Monday night. It describes why a temporary lowering of Lake Conroe is our only defense against flooding for the moment. Until such time as the San Jacinto is dredged to restore its carrying capacity and more flood gates can be added to Lake Houston, we need an additional buffer against flooding. Lowering Lake Conroe is the quickest, easiest way to provide that.
It’s important that Montgomery County residents understand the privations that Harris County residents still live with because of Harvey. It’s also important that we work together to protect lives, livelihoods and property on both sides of the Lake Conroe Dam.
We should not be enemies in the recovery effort. Together, our voices are stronger. We can bring about change faster. All of our lives can return to normal sooner.
Here’s my letter to the editor that tries to put the motion in perspective and build bridges to Lake Conroe homeowners.
It’s important for Lake Houston Area residents to understand that lowering the level of Lake Conroe is not a sealed deal yet. Both the City of Houston, which owns two-thirds of the water in the lake, and the TCEQ, which oversees how water in the lake is accounted for, must both approve the SJRA Board’s motion. Until that happens, Lake Houston area residents must remain vigilant and involved. Take nothing for granted.
Posted by Bob Rehak
May 1, 2018, 245 Days Since Hurricane Harvey
00adminadmin2018-05-01 18:14:492020-01-17 10:10:23Want Lake Conroe Lowered? Stay Involved!
FLOODWARN WORKSHOP
MAY 1, 6:30-8:30 PM
KINGWOOD COLLEGE
20,000 KINGWOOD DRIVE
MUSIC BUILDING, ROOM 117
CLOSEST PARKING IS LOT G
HOSTED BY NWS, FEMA, HCFCD, SJRA
TONIGHT, May 1st at 6:30-8:30 p.m., The National Weather Service (NWS), Harris County Flood Control, and FEMA, and the San Jacinto River Authority are hosting a FloodWarn Workshop. They will talk about the types of flooding we see in the Kingwood/Humble area, the watersheds, forecasts, warnings, flood risks, and flood insurance.
Giant sand dunes like this one where the West Fork meets Lake Houston inhibit the flow of the river. Engineers say that sediment is not being carried out into Lake Houston (background) as expected. Areas behind these dunes experienced massive flooding during Harvey.
Organizers hope the event will help people in the Lake Houston Area better understand what goes into forecasts. They will also address their limitations, the risks associated with severe events, and actions to take in response to various types of warnings.
Flood impacts identify what structures, roads, bridges, etc. will flood when the river reaches a specific level. These impacts drive the establishment of the flood categories of Minor, Moderate and Major.
This FloodWarn workshop will be our opportunity to share our flooding concerns with the National Weather Service. If impacts need to be modified or updated, this is the community’s opportunity to provide that feedback.
Plan to attend. Make sure the NWS knows how important accurate and advanced warning forecasts are to you. With accurate forecasts we can be prepared for the next flood.
FloodWarn Workshop Presentations Now Online
If you missed the FloodWarn Workshop at Kingwood College on 5/1/18, you missed a lot of helpful information. All four FloodWarn Workshop presentations are now posted in one PDF in the reports section of this web site or via this link.
National Weather Service
Rainfall during Hurricane Harvey
Katie Landry-Guyton, Senior Service Hydrologist/Meteorologist from the National Weather Service-Houston/Galveston office, talked about various types of floods, then focused on river flooding. She discussed the various types of forecasts and warnings NWS has to help you understand levels of risk. She also discussed details of how NWS formulates forecasts. For weather wonks and flood victims, it’s a must-see.
Harris County Flood Control
Jeff Lindner, Meteorologist/Director, Hydrologic Operations Division of the Harris County Flood Control District then discussed the hydrology of Harris County. Within this context, he addressed four types of floodplains in the county, the District’s flood warning system (FWS), inundation mapping/ forecasting down to the street level, and expansion of the District’s gage network.
San Jacinto River Authority
Jace Houston, General Manager of the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA), talked about the dam operations at Lake Conroe. Specifically, he explained how they made the decision to start releasing water during Harvey. Houston also introduced the SJRA’s new regional flood management initiative.
FEMA
Rounding out the evening, Diane Cooper of FEMA Floodplain Management and Insurance. Cooper, who has posted several times on this blog, is a Kingwood resident. She focused on flood risk, hazard mapping and flood insurance.
Among the surprising facts cited:
Cooper cited this last point as the reason why everyone should have flood insurance whether they are officially in the flood plain or not. This was a common theme all night among all four presenters.
They also pointed out that not all flooding comes from rivers. Much flooding comes from streets. Streets in Kingwood are designed as part of the flood retention system. They can deliver approximately two inches of rainfall per hour through the storm drains to the ditches. When the rainfall rate exceeds that, drains will back up into streets and release the water slowly so as not to overwhelm the ditches.
Moral of the story: even if you’re nowhere near the river or a drainage ditch, you can still flood from your street and, therefore, need flood flood insurance.
For more interesting tidbits, download and review all four FloodWarn Workshop Presentations.
Posted May 2, 2018
246 Days Since Hurricane Harvey
Want Lake Conroe Lowered? Stay Involved!
Last Thursday, the SJRA board voted unanimously to temporarily lower the level of Lake Conroe between one and two feet during peak flood months. Great news…if you live in the Lake Houston area.
Residents downstream of the dam applauded the move; upstream residents had concerns. On Friday, the Conroe Courier ran an article about the lowering. Not quite half of the 1300 word article discussed the efforts of two Lake Conroe homeowners who were organizing protests and letter writing campaigns against lowering the level of the lake.
The article did not quote any of the Kingwood residents who trekked to Lake Conroe to speak in favor of the motion. Nor did it mention any of the ongoing downstream recovery efforts. Thus, it left the impression that Lake Conroe boat owners were being inconvenienced without cause.
I felt the article deserved a response, so I wrote a letter to the editor which, thankfully, they published Monday night. It describes why a temporary lowering of Lake Conroe is our only defense against flooding for the moment. Until such time as the San Jacinto is dredged to restore its carrying capacity and more flood gates can be added to Lake Houston, we need an additional buffer against flooding. Lowering Lake Conroe is the quickest, easiest way to provide that.
It’s important that Montgomery County residents understand the privations that Harris County residents still live with because of Harvey. It’s also important that we work together to protect lives, livelihoods and property on both sides of the Lake Conroe Dam.
We should not be enemies in the recovery effort. Together, our voices are stronger. We can bring about change faster. All of our lives can return to normal sooner.
Here’s the original Conroe Courier article.
Here’s my letter to the editor that tries to put the motion in perspective and build bridges to Lake Conroe homeowners.
It’s important for Lake Houston Area residents to understand that lowering the level of Lake Conroe is not a sealed deal yet. Both the City of Houston, which owns two-thirds of the water in the lake, and the TCEQ, which oversees how water in the lake is accounted for, must both approve the SJRA Board’s motion. Until that happens, Lake Houston area residents must remain vigilant and involved. Take nothing for granted.
Posted by Bob Rehak
May 1, 2018, 245 Days Since Hurricane Harvey
DON’T FORGET FLOOD WORKSHOP TONIGHT!
PLEASE COME!
FLOODWARN WORKSHOP
MAY 1, 6:30-8:30 PM
KINGWOOD COLLEGE
20,000 KINGWOOD DRIVE
MUSIC BUILDING, ROOM 117
CLOSEST PARKING IS LOT G
HOSTED BY NWS, FEMA, HCFCD, SJRA
TONIGHT, May 1st at 6:30-8:30 p.m., The National Weather Service (NWS), Harris County Flood Control, and FEMA, and the San Jacinto River Authority are hosting a FloodWarn Workshop. They will talk about the types of flooding we see in the Kingwood/Humble area, the watersheds, forecasts, warnings, flood risks, and flood insurance.
Giant sand dunes like this one where the West Fork meets Lake Houston inhibit the flow of the river. Engineers say that sediment is not being carried out into Lake Houston (background) as expected. Areas behind these dunes experienced massive flooding during Harvey.
Organizers hope the event will help people in the Lake Houston Area better understand what goes into forecasts. They will also address their limitations, the risks associated with severe events, and actions to take in response to various types of warnings.
The NWS has posted the event on its Facebook page: The event is free and open to the public at Lone Star College – Kingwood at 20,000 Kingwood Dr., Kingwood, TX.
The National Weather Service provides forecasts and river flood warnings for the river gage at the San Jacinto River at Humble. Based on the readings there and elsewhere, the Weather Service forecasts “flood impacts.”
Flood impacts identify what structures, roads, bridges, etc. will flood when the river reaches a specific level. These impacts drive the establishment of the flood categories of Minor, Moderate and Major.
This FloodWarn workshop will be our opportunity to share our flooding concerns with the National Weather Service. If impacts need to be modified or updated, this is the community’s opportunity to provide that feedback.
Plan to attend. Make sure the NWS knows how important accurate and advanced warning forecasts are to you. With accurate forecasts we can be prepared for the next flood.