A recent study by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) demonstrated the value of adopting hazard-resistant building codes. They can provide an 11-to-1 return by reducing losses and helping communities get back on their feet faster after disasters. Not to mention saving lives. This 12-page brochure summarizes the 189-page study.
What FEMA Found
FEMA found that only about a third of counties and municipalities across the U.S. have adopted modern building codes; 65% have not. People living in those places, says FEMA, are bearing a dangerous, costly, and unnecessarily high level of risk in the face of natural disasters.
Weighing Costs Vs. Benefits Makes Compelling Case
The additional cost of building features such as roof tie-downs, window protection, strengthened walls, is on average less that 2% of total construction costs. Yet FEMA’s study found that areas with modern building codes will avoid at least $32 billion in losses from natural disasters when compared to jurisdictions without modern building codes.
That likely underrepresents savings, because the study focused only on buildings constructed since 2000, which represent only about 20% of buildings in the country. It also did not include “indirect losses” such as business interruption, time off the job to rebuild, and tax revenues lost.
Forty to sixty percent of small businesses do not reopen after a flood or hurricane which affects the overall viability of the entire community.
The next part of the brochure talks about the escalating threat of natural disasters and breaking the chain of destruction.
FEMA found that every $1 spent on mitigation in new building code construction saves $11 in disaster repair and recovery costs.
For instance, spending $4,500 to elevate a new home, and install roof-tie downs and storm shutters could save $48,000 during the life of a 30-year mortgage.
A 1% cost premium will provide the roof tie-downs, window covers and other features that help a house survive high winds during a hurricane. In addition, 1.2%–1.7% cost increase over standard construction costs will raise the ground floor, generating the “freeboard” needed to withstand most floods.
How to Help Your Community Get Better
The final part of the brochure provides a roadmap for getting cities and counties to adopt better building codes.
For its part, FEMA is starting to provide grants to cities that have adopted contemporary building codes through its BRIC program (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities). Here’s this year’s Notice of Funding Availability.
It appears that Texas could qualify for a billion dollars in BRIC grants if the State adopted current building codes.
Many people just assume that local officials have their backs and are doing the right thing when it comes to adopting the latest building codes. But obviously, if two thirds aren’t current, that’s a bad assumption. Building codes may not be the highest priority of officials. So how can you know which standards your community goes by?
The Department of Homeland Security has developed a new website called InspectToProtect.org. Putting your address, city or zip code in the search bar. The site will then search its database and tell you where you stand.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Screen-Shot-2021-11-22-at-3.32.08-PM.png?fit=1374%2C642&ssl=16421374adminadmin2021-11-22 16:13:282021-11-23 22:21:20FEMA Study Shows Better Building Codes Provide 11-to-1 Return
Rider to SB 1 Added During Last Conference Committee
The rider actually stipulates the money will go to the Texas Water Development Board but earmarks it. The text says in part, “Water Development Board shall allocate $50,000,000 for the state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2021, for the purpose of providing financial assistance for removing accumulated siltation and sediment deposits throughout the San Jacinto River and Lake Houston.”
The bill became effective on 9/1 after a final conference committee, vote and the Governor’s signature. Huberty credits Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Greg Bonnen, Representative Armando Walle, also on the House Appropriations Committee. Huberty said, Bonnen helped it go in and Walle made sure it stayed in.
Huberty said the money will be used to keep dredging continuously as long as it lasts. The City will actually be doing the dredging (see photos below). Huberty also credits Mayor Sylvester Turner and Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin for working to make the appropriation happen.
Where Money Will Be Used
In addition to East Fork dredging, Huberty sees the money being used to clear accumulated siltation from the mouths of inlets around the lake, such as those in Huffman, Atascocita and Walden.
Update on Status of East Fork Dredging
Shortly before sundown today, I put a drone up from Kingwood over the East Fork and captured the images below.
Looking SE toward Luce Bayou entrance to East Fork and one of two mechanical dredges currently on station.Closer shot of same dredge. Note: all photos were taken just before sunset on Saturday night, 11/20/21.Looking south toward Lake Houston, West Fork confluence (upper right) and FM1960 bridge in distance.Looking North. Kingwood on left; Huffman on right.
The shot above shows you just how big this task will be. I first photographed these dredges in the East Fork on October 12. So it’s taken them roughly five weeks to excavate the sandbar between the two pontoons.
Below, you can see what the same area looked like almost a year before dredging started. The photo gives you some idea of the immensity of the task. The sand bars you see grew 4000 feet in length during Harvey and Imelda.
East Fork Mouth Bar after Imelda. Taken in December 2020, ten months before start of East Fork dredgingabout five weeks ago.
Josh Alberson who boats this area regularly with a shallow draft jet boat found that the depth of the river through his reach had been reduced from 17 feet before Harvey to about 3 feet after Imelda. That’s a major loss of conveyance that backed water up and contributed to flooding on both sides of the river.
Smaller tributaries exhibit similar problems, for instance Rogers Gully.
Rogers Gully mouth bar in Atascocita
Thank You Dan and God Speed
Everyone in the Lake Houston Area owes Dan Huberty a huge “thank you” for this one. Huberty, who has served in the House for 10 years, has announced his intention not to run again. Throughout his tenure, Huberty helped reform state education funding. He also passed regulation that forced sand mines to register with the TCEQ during his freshman year in 2011. God speed on the next leg of your journey, Dan.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/20/21
1544 days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/20211120-DJI_0872.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2021-11-20 19:26:272021-11-20 21:11:14Huberty Secures Another $50 Million for Lake Houston Dredging
As of Friday morning, 11/19/21, only about a half dozen trees remained standing on the 20-acre site of what will soon become the Kingwood area’s first RV “Resort.” At this point, they will need to rename it the RV Resort and Tanning Salon. All the trees that used to provide shade will soon be replaced by concrete that will broil RV owners in the Texas sun. And when it’s raining, that concrete will accelerate runoff and exacerbate flooding – because the detention pond is designed to hold only about half of the runoff required by the current City standard.
To my knowledge, this will be the first commercial venture in the Kingwood Area directly opposite a residential neighborhood without a green-space buffer between them.
Looking north at future home of Laurel Springs RV Resort. Lakewood Cove on right. US59 cuts through upper left. Photo taken 11/19/21.
Those buffers, usually in the form of trails and greenbelts, give Kingwood its distinctive character.
However, while the RV park will be in the Kingwood Area, technically it will not be Kingwood per se. So Friendswood deed restrictions do not apply. And the property seems to have no other deed restrictions, at least none that I can find.
What Kind of Traffic Will RV “Resort” Attract?
Aside from sunbathers, what kind of people will the Laurel Springs RV “Resort” attract?
Camping trailers for a period not to exceed 30 days in any consecutive six-month period. They may be used for sleeping and living purposes during that time.
Self-contained motor homes, truck campers and travel trailers with a minimum 120 SF of floor space for up to six months within any consecutive twelve-month period.
Motor homes, truck campers or travel trailers with a minimum 84 SF of floor space that are not self-contained for up to 30 days within any consecutive twelve-month period.
Travel trailers without a time limitation if connected to park utilities, water supply and sewer system. They must have at least 120 square feet of floor space for the first occupant and at least 30 square feet for each additional occupant. Other conditions such as hot water, heating, etc. also apply.
Hmmmm. That last category may be a way to get your kid into Humble ISD schools without buying a home or even renting an apartment.
I have not yet found any information about how the owners intend to market the RV Resort.
Shell Companies Behind the Project
Two men, Clay McDaniel and Richard Rainer, are responsible for developing the site. They have insulated themselves from liability with several layers of corporations.
A TCEQ permit (see below) posted at the site shows LS RV Resort, LP, is the secondary “operator” of the site. (A contractor is the primary operator; the secondary operator supervises the primary operator.) Rainer signed the LS RV Resort permit and listed himself as Manager. Laurel Springs RV, LLC is LS RV Resort, LP’s general partner.
TCEQ Permit posted at Job Site. Interesting that Rainer signed the permit 10 days before LS RV Resort, LP was officially formed.
Rainer and McDaniel also own a company called Excel Commercial Real Estate, LLC. Their website claims they offer “…diverse experience … to each detail of the real estate development, management and ownership process.”
The two founded Excel in 2005 to “conceive, design, and build income producing real estate.”
Excel’s website shows they concentrate on small strip centers, self-storage buildings, and manufactured home parks.
A search of the Secretary of State’s website shows that Rainer plays some kind of role (manager, director, registered agent, director, VP, president or governing person) in approximately 70 different entities.
McDaniel is even more prolific. The Secretary of State shows McDaniel’s name attached to more than a hundred different entities, often in multiple capacities.
Rainer and McDaniel control more than 100 different companies or partnerships.
Rainer and McDaniel list 9121 Elizabeth Road, Suite 108, Houston, TX 77055 as the address for Excel; Laurel Springs RV, LLC; and LS RV Resort LP. That property is covered with trees and on a tree-lined street…where all the trees are vertical.
The address appears to be a real office building (as opposed to a PO Box).
How ironic that all the trees on Laurel Springs RV Resort are now horizontal!
Neighbors worry about train noise, blowing dust, street damage, loss of home values and possible flooding.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/19/21
1543 Days after Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
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Dedra Davis, a district-court judge that Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis backed for election in 2018, has been chosen to hear a constitutional challenge to Harris County’s redistricting plan developed by – you guessed it – Rodney Ellis. The plan will likely give Democrats a supermajority in Commissioners Court and allow them to dictate everything from tax increases to the future of flood mitigation in Harris County.
1.1 Million Will Lose Right to Vote for Commissioners Next Year
The suit alleges that the Ellis-3 plan, by switching precinct boundaries and numerical designations – will deprive 1.1 million people of their right to vote for commissioner in the next county election. Further, the suit alleges that precinct lines could have been redrawn without depriving anyone of their right to vote.
Ellis switched numbers of Precincts 3 and 4 and moved a large part of P2 into P3. Because only even-numbered precincts will vote next year, voters in the new P3 – which includes virtually the entire Lake Houston Area – will not be able to vote for commissioners as they normally would have.
Screen capture from 2018 Bar Association poll.Did Ellis’ support tilt the scales in the other direction?
Some might call Davis’ 10-point win over a highly respected incumbent a stunning upset. But Ellis swings a lot of weight in Harris County.
Commissioner Ellis reportedly campaigned heavily for candidate Davis.
One Harris County insider who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “She is one of the judges Ellis got elected. There are several of them.” A second person sent me the photo above that shows Davis campaigning with Ellis.
Can Davis Be Impartial?
Judges don’t get to chose their cases. And this case has barely begun. The lawsuit was filed just two days ago. No rulings have yet been made according to Harris County District Clerk records. So I’m not alleging any impropriety.
Davis just had the bad luck to draw a case involving one of her biggest supporters – someone whose support likely swung her election.
According to the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 18b, Judge Davis has a perfect out if she wants it. Rule 18b, Paragraph B states, “Grounds for Recusal. A judge must recuse in a proceeding in which:
(1) the judge’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned;
(2) the judge has a personal bias or prejudice concerning the subject matter or a party.”
Only the Honorable Judge Davis can know what’s inside her heart, but a million disenfranchised voters will be looking over her shoulder on this case and wondering whether her association with Commissioner Ellis will color her judgement.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/18/21
1542 Days after Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/image001.png?fit=256%2C256&ssl=1256256adminadmin2021-11-18 22:12:202021-11-19 08:02:48Ellis-Backed Judge Set to Hear Case on Constitutionality of Ellis Redistricting Plan
A lawsuit filed yesterday with the Harris County District Clerk alleges the Ellis-3 Redistricting Plan adopted in the Harris County Commissioners Court Meeting on 10/28/21 is unconstitutional. The Ellis-3 plan would deny virtually everyone in the Lake Houston Area the ability to vote in the next county commissioner election. If allowed to stand, the plan also has the potential to affect all aspects of county government from flood mitigation to services and taxation. Below is a summary of the lawsuit. See the entire lawsuit here.
Basis For and Goals of Suit
The lawsuit claims the Ellis-3 Plan, which renumbered precincts in addition toredrawing them, disenfranchises more than 1.1 million people of their right to vote in next year’s Harris County elections.
Ellis-3 Plan will flip precincts 3 and 4. Colors represent new precinct boundaries and lines represent old.
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include Republican Commissioners Tom Ramsey in Precinct 3 and Jack Cagle in Precinct 4. The suit names County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Harris County as defendants. Significantly, defendants may be barred from asserting governmental immunity under a legal principle called ultra vires and the Texas Declaratory Judgments Act. “Ultra vires” describes an act which requires legal authority, but is done without it.
The plaintiffs seek a temporary restraining order and injunctive relief that bars the County from using the Ellis-3 plan for the upcoming 2022 election cycle for Harris County Commissioner elections. Plaintiffs also seek to extend the filing period for new candidates and incumbents until after the lawsuit is resolved.
Suit Claims Ellis-3 Plan Deprives 1,125,937 People of Right to Vote
One of the most significant features of the Ellis-3 Plan was that it moved more than a million voters between even- and odd-numbered precincts. In Texas, when people vote for county commissioners depends on whether they live in even- or odd-numbered precincts.
Even-numbered precincts will vote in the 2022 election cycle and odd-numbered precincts will vote in 2024. So when Ellis flipped the numbers for Precincts 3 and 4, he “illegally and unconstitutionally” stripped 1,125,937 Harris County voters of the right to vote in the next election, according to the suit.
The Texas Constitution established the odd/even rules in 1954 through an amendment which also staggered the initial terms of Commissioners, thus ensuring half would be elected every two years.
Virtually all registered voters in the heavily Republican Lake Houston Area would be deprived of their right to vote for commissioners in the next County election.
New precincts in the Ellis 3 Plan would deprive virtually all Lake Houston Area voters of their right to vote in the next election by putting them in an odd-numbered precinct.
How Ellis-3 Redistricting plan affects Lake Houston Area. Formerly split between Precincts 2 and 4, now everything is in Precinct 3 except for Summerwood and will not be able to vote in the next county election.
The Ellis-3 Plan moves voters from even-numbered precincts into odd-numbered precincts as follows:
7,192 move from Precinct 2 to l
139,434 move from Precinct 2 to 3
215,142 move from Precinct 4 to 1
764,169 move from Precinct 4 to 3.
Accordingly, last month’s adoption of the Ellis-3 Plan will prevent more more than 1.1 million people from voting in the next election who otherwise would have voted. The lawsuit calls that “a total and complete abrogation of their constitutionally mandated right to vote.”
17.71% Disparity in Population Made Redistricting Necessary
The lawsuit acknowledges that redistricting was necessary. Under state law, precincts are supposed to have equal-sized populations…or as close as you can get. But in no event should variation from the ideal exceed 10%.
However, prior to redistricting, unequal population growth between 2010 and 2020 exceeded that 10% maximum.
2020 Census data on the Harris County Attorney’s website shows precinct populations varied from the “equal-sized” ideal by the following percentages:
P1 -0.36%
P2 -10.47%
P3 +7.24%
P4 +3.59%
That created a population disparity of 17.71% between the largest and smallest precincts, almost double the amount allowed under state law.
2 Million Move Precincts when 200 Thousand Would Have Sufficed
However, the lawsuit also claims that the Ellis-3 Plan moved 2.2 million between precincts (both odd- and even-numbered) when constitutional requirements could have been met by moving only 201,713.
Plaintiffs also claim that they have created a “demonstration map” where population deviations were addressed but ZERO citizens lost their right to vote in the next election. (However, Plaintiff’s did not include that map with their legal filing.)
Plaintiffs offer a simple explanation for why excessive shifting occurred. They assert that “Commissioner Ellis wanted to do whatever it would take to draw a new map that would create three (3) Democratic seats.”
The original petition claims, “…the Ellis 3 Plan does just that.”
“It maintains Ellis’ Precinct I as a reliably Democratic district, making sure that Latino voting strength is too weak to beat him in a primary election, especially given the African-American support he enjoys in that precinct regardless.”
“It strengthens Precinct2’s democratic strength in the hopes that Commissioner Adrian Garcia can withstand a general election challenge by a Republican.”
“It packs Republicans into Precinct 3, such that the likelihood of Commissioner Ramsey being reelected is high.”
“By strengthening the Republican voting strength of Precinct 3, the consequence is to flip the likely partisan nature of Precinct 4 from Republican to Democrat.”
But to do all that, the lawsuit alleges, the Ellis-3 Plan disenfranchised 1.1 million innocent voters.
While generally mocking the lawsuit, even the left-leaning Houston Chronicle admitted today that, “The adopted Ellis map gives Democrats a 50 percentage advantage over Republicans in Precinct 1, 12 points in Precinct 2 and 12 points in Precinct 4.”
The Chronicle continued, “The endgame is that the Democrats can secure a 4-1 majority, which will give them the freedom to set tax rates with a quorum of four members and avoid a minority of two Republicans sitting out and derailing the vote.
Lawsuit Chances
Not one of the experts interviewed by the Chronicle writer gave the suit a snowball’s chance. One dismissed it as “political theater.”
Judge Dedra Davis has been assigned to the redistricting case.
One Harris County insider who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “She is one of the judges Ellis got elected. There are several of them. The lawsuit has no chance. They will have to appeal up to a higher court.”
A second person sent me this photo. It validates the insider report.
Judge Dedra Davis at Campaign Event with Rodney Ellis, whose plan she will rule on.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/17/2021and modified on 11/18 with addition photo of Ellis and the Judge in his case.
1541 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/20211117-Screen-Shot-2021-11-17-at-9.12.02-PM.jpg?fit=1200%2C798&ssl=17981200adminadmin2021-11-17 21:35:342021-11-18 12:44:59Lawsuit Alleges Harris County’s Ellis-3 Redistricting Plan is Unconstitutional
That’s quite true of flood control where, as a society, we seem to have a knack for eroding margins of safety by paving over wetlands, clearcutting trees, understating detention requirements, avoiding floodwater detention, destroying riparian vegetation, building in floodplains, developing next to rivers, sand mining in floodways without minimum setbacks, and more.
Ex Post Facto Analysis Won’t Be Needed After Next Flood
I could cite hundreds of more examples, but you get the idea. This is like death by a thousand cuts. When the next big flood comes along, someone will ask, “How’d that happen?” And the answer will be, “We reaped what we sowed.”
It’s been 1536 Days since Hurricane Harvey. If ever there was a wake-up call, Harvey was it.
More than one out of every ten structures in Harris County flooded.
60,000 people had to be rescued by government agencies.
Civilian resources rescued tens of thousands more.
300,000 vehicles flooded.
22 major freeways were cut off and impassable.
Damage totaled $125 billion. FEMA:
Processed 47,000 flood insurance claims.
Made 15,800 small business loans…
And approved 177,600 individual assistance grants.
68 people died directly in Harvey, most from being caught in fast-moving floodwaters.
And we’re spending more than $5 billion on flood mitigation projects in Harris County.
“It Didn’t Have to Be that Bad”
The saddest part is…it didn’t have to be that bad.
A lot of death, damage and destruction could have been avoided…FOR FREE. If only we had learned to listen to and respect Mother Nature more.
That’s a conclusion I have reached after four years of research into flooding in the North Houston area.
My voyage of discovery turned into this website where I share what I learn virtually every day and sometimes twice a day.
The next step in my journey will be to condense everything I’ve learned into a book that hopefully becomes a case study in how to reduce flood damage.
The major themes will be:
Understanding the causes of flooding
How nobody ever wins an argument with Mother Nature.
Learning to respect rivers and giving them room to roam.
Ending the war on wetlands.
Respecting individual property rights while recognizing our interdependence.
Finding a workable balance between upstream and downstream interests.
How conservation and preservation can be so much more effective than mitigation.
How quickly we forget…and trick ourselves into thinking next time will be different.
In the coming weeks, I hope to explore solutions to some of the problems above. If we can learn to work together, we can live together. And if we protect Mother Nature, Mother Nature will protect us. Let’s reap what we sow in a positive sense next time.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/16/21 with grateful thanks to Bayou Land Conservancy and its supporters
1540 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/20210802-DJI_0286.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2021-11-16 18:33:012021-11-16 21:39:10Sowing the Seeds of the Next Big Flood
The original deadline for Hurricane Harvey Homeowner Assistance applications has been extended from this Friday to New Year’s Eve at 5 P.M. Applications do not have to be completed by then, just started by then. So if you still hope to receive aid, move quickly. Money is running out and eligible applications will be prioritized based on who applied first.
The process involves a large number of documents and complex rules that govern eligibility. Here is the full text of this morning’s press release from the GLO. It includes information on where to apply.
What remained of a home washed downstream during Harvey. Photo by Dan Monks.
AUSTIN — The Texas General Land Office (GLO) has extended the deadline to submit applications for the Homeowner Assistance Program (HAP) to 5 p.m. Dec. 31, 2021. All potential applicants must submit draft applications by the deadline to be considered for eligibility so long as funding is available.
We encourage the community to remember that applications do not need to be fully complete to be submitted. Once application intake concludes, additional program resources will be dedicated to processing applicants for eligibility, through the permitting process and into construction. Applications can be submitted even if documentation is missing as HAP applicant coordinators continue to help applicants who are missing documentation.
The HAP regional offices will remain open, and processing of applications will continue indefinitely until program funds are fully expended. Applications will be considered for award on a first-come, first-served basis, according to the priorities outlined in the Regional Housing Guidelines.
Submitting a complete application does not guarantee eligibility nor funding availability, but applicants must submit a complete application by the deadline to be potentially considered for assistance.
Those residing inside the Houston city limits should apply at recovery.texas.gov/hap/houston, while non-Houston residents of Harris County should apply at recovery.texas.gov/hap/harriscounty. New applicants can also call the toll-free intake center line at 1-866-317-1998.
Harris County and the City of Houston received direct allocations of funding for residents in their jurisdictions. Applicants who previously applied to and are receiving assistance from Harris County and the City of Houston directly should continue to work with their program representatives.
In the City of Houston, applications being processed for eligibility already outnumber available funds, but funds remain available in non-Houston Harris County areas. HAP continues to take waitlist applications in Houston in case additional funding becomes available.
Waitlisted applications will be reviewed for eligibility in the order received based on their submission date, should additional funding be approved. Applications that are started, but not yet submitted by 5 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2021, cannot be considered for assistance.
Thus far, in all 49 counties eligible for Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the GLO has approved nearly 6,900 applications for construction, with about 850 homes currently under construction and more than 4,000 completed with keys in the hands of homeowners.
The GLO continues processing completed applications with the expectation of rebuilding up to 10,000 homes total for those needing assistance with available funds, with approximately 3,000 of those homes expected to be rebuilt in Harris County and the City of Houston.
Individuals affected by Hurricane Harvey may qualify for assistance through the Homeowner Assistance Program if:
They owned their home
It was damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Harvey
It was their primary residence at the time of the storm
Other eligibility factors also apply.
The program offers qualified homeowners assistance to repair, rehabilitate or rebuild homes damaged by Hurricane Harvey. Potential applicants should review the Homeowner Assistance Program Checklist to have all applicable documents ready prior to applying.
Applications, including all necessary documentation, must be completed and submitted BEFORE the GLO and its partners will begin processing it for eligibility. Each application submitted must be individually evaluated to determine eligibility. If applicants or potential applicants have questions, please contact 346-222-4686 or 1-866-317-1998 (toll free).
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/15/2021 based on a Texas GLO press release.
1539 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/siding.jpg?fit=1885%2C1060&ssl=110601885adminadmin2021-11-15 15:00:202021-11-15 15:03:07GLO Extends Deadline for Harvey Homeowner Assistance Applications
The recent redistricting of Harris County precincts could not have been more disruptive. More than half the county’s residents changed both precincts and commissioners. Can you say, “Tossed Salad”? It will take some time to work this out. In the meantime, “Many are asking how will new precinct boundaries affect flood-mitigation priorities?”
Officially, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) does not allocate flood-bond mitigation money by precinct. They allocate it by watershed and project – with the most money going to the most heavily flood-damaged areas.
But those who watch Commissioners Court regularly know that Commissioners control HCFCD priorities, and no project moves forward without their approval.
Lake Houston Dam Example
All this raises the question, “How will the re-alignment of Commissioner’s precincts re-align flood-mitigation priorities?”
For instance, the Lake Houston Dam was half in Precinct 1 and half in Precinct 2 both controlled by Democrats. But P2 Commissioner Garcia has given that area up. The east side of the dam will now be in Precinct 3 now controlled by Republican Tom Ramsey. Ramsey will now also control virtually all the homes around the lake with the exception of a small area in Summerwood. The flood bond allocated $20 million to help support expansion of the flood gates on Lake Houston (Project CI-028). How solid is that commitment now that Democrats have given up most of the area?
Across the county, from Cypress Creek to Armand Bayou, people have dozens of questions like that about projects affecting them. The answers will take time to sort out.
New High-Resolution Precinct Maps Finally Available
Until a few days ago, the lack of resolution and streets in redistricting maps made it difficult to tell exactly where the new precinct boundaries were.
But just last week, the Harris County Attorney posted a new high-resolution map showing new boundaries. The map also shows major streets and voting precincts (in addition to the county precincts).
The plan, designed and approved by Democrats, will force Commissioners Cagle and Ramsey to run for re-election in areas where they are relatively little known – unless they want to move their residences. Commissioner Rodney Ellis carefully drew district boundaries so that Cagle and Ramsey would no longer live in precincts they once represented. And by law, Commissioners must live in the precinct they represent.
Ramsey and Cagle will now have whole new watersheds to learn.
Watershed Boundaries Not Yet Shown on New Precinct Map
Unfortunately, the new high-res precinct map does not show watershed boundaries, although it shouldn’t be hard to create one – for someone with better Photoshop skills than mine!
At the moment, to see how your watershed could be affected, compare two maps side by side.
The latter shows watershed boundaries if you click on the Watershed button in the left-hand column.
Most of the Lake Houston Area including Huffman, Kingwood, Humble (east of Bush Intercontinental Airport), Atascocita, Crosby and Spring will now be in Precinct 3 with Commissioner Tom Ramsey.
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
When examining the floodwater detention pond capacity for the Kingwood Area’s first RV park at 1355 LAUREL SPRINGS LANE, it seemed impossibly low. The park will build a pond with 7.68 acre feet of stormwater detention. That’s more than the required 6.675 acre feet, but about half of what the City of Houston (COH) would require under new guidelines that went into effect within 90 days of the plan’s approval.
Because of that 90-day grandfathering loophole, the RV park will escape current City and County requirements for floodwater detention.
Current Regs Would Require 13 Acre-Feet of Detention Pond Capacity
Under today’s requirements, a 20.032-acre RV Park would require 13 acre-feet of detention pond capacity (20 acres x .65 = 13 acre feet). That’s because the COH 2021 infrastructure design manual makes properties larger than 20 acres follow HCFCD guidelines (see below).
New Harris County guidelines require a minimum rate of .65 acre-feet per acre.The RV Park is slightly larger than 20 acres.
This requirement is based on NOAA’s new, higher Atlas-14 rainfall probability tables adopted in the wake of Harvey.
COH 2021 Infrastructure Design Manual Defers to HCFCD Regs for Lots This Size
The City’s Infrastructure Design Manual imposed new criteria in July 2021 that would have required developments greater than 20 acres to follow the HCFCD standard for detention pond capacity. See screen capture below which bridges two pages.
Differences Between Old/New Versions of City/County Regs
Two primary differences exist between the City and County regs in 2020 and 2021.
The first is the basis for calculations. In both years:
The County bases required detention pond capacity on the total size of the site.
The City, except where it defers to HCFCD regs, bases detention pond capacity on the amount of impervious cover within the site.
The City also changed the minimum lot size required to follow HCFCD regulations between 2020 and 2021.
Sites larger than 50 acres had to follow HCFCD guidelines in 2020.
Sites larger than 20 acres had to follow HCFCD guidelines in 2021.
The 2020 requirements apply in this case because of when plans were first reviewed (January 2021). The 2020 Infrastructure Design Manual read as follows:
COH 2020 Infrastructure design manual requires 20- to 50-acre tracts to have detention volume (in acre feet) equal to half of the impervious cover.
Developer Applied Before Detention Pond Capacity Increased
Using that formula, the developer planned a detention pond that holds 7.68 acre feet of storm water detention, an acre foot more than required at the time the plans were first submitted, even though they were finally approved four months after the new regs went into effect. But that’s still far less than the 13 acre-feet required under today’s regulations.
I question whether the amount of impervious cover above is correct. That’s because the developer’s permit allows 182 RV spaces, but the plans show 226 – about a 24% increase. However, the impervious cover shown on the plans before and after the permit approval didnotincrease. That could also affect detention pond capacity requirements.
Timing, Impervious Cover Issues Raise Public Safety Questions
Assuming the impervious cover calculations above are correct, and that’s a big assumption, the developer is providing more than the minimum amount of required detention under 2020 requirements. But if they are not correct, the developer would be short.
And if the 2021 requirements applied, the developer would have to provide virtually twice as much detention.
A half-sized detention pond would require the RV Park to pump water into Lakewood Cove’s drainage system sooner and faster than with a larger pond. And under severe conditions, when Lakewood Cove’s drainage is already stressed, the extra water could over-stress it.
No Drainage Impact Analysis
I’ve requested a drainage impact analysis from the City for the RV Park on at least two occasions and have not received one. I therefore deduce that one does not exist. Such an analysis would quantify the impact on Lakewood Cove, Edgewater Park and surrounding roads.
Detail from most recent approved construction plan shows all water from detention pond going under Laurel Springs to Lakewood Cove storm sewer systemtoward homes below.
All the runoff from the 20 cleared acres will be funneled via a 24″ pipe toward the homes in the foreground.
Bottom Line: Park Will Provide Half of Today’s Detention Requirement
If this developer, LS RV Resort, LP, submitted plans today, it would have to provide almost twice as much detention pond capacity.
2021 requirements call for .65 acre feet per acre times 20 total acres. That equals 13 acre feet of detention.
2020 requirements call for .5 times the claimed 13.349 acres of impervious cover. That equals 6.675 acre feet of detention.
And we wonder how floods happen! Remember this the next time you see water rising toward your home.
I wonder if investors in the RV Park will be notified of the potential liability in a prospectus. Undersized detention ponds based on a similar grandfathering loophole in Montgomery County regulations became the central issue in lawsuits by hundreds of Elm Grove residents against Perry Homes, its subsidiaries and its contractors. The defendants recently settled those lawsuits.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/13/2021
1537 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/20211111-DJI_0850.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2021-11-13 17:18:552021-11-14 19:38:02Loophole Cuts RV Park Detention Pond Capacity Requirement in Half
Construction of the new Kingwood Middle School appears on schedule for opening with the next school year in 2022. Compared to my October update, no new major milestones have been reached. Everything just looks a little further along.
Kingwood Middle School Construction Sequencing
Construction started on the west and is moving toward the east. As subcontractors finish one phase such as foundations or structural , the next group picks up the baton and works on roofing, exterior walls, windows, etc.
The most visible change between October and November: progress on exterior walls and roofing.
I took all the pictures below on Saturday, November 6, 2021.
Looking W.Judging from the amount of erosion around the banks, the temporary detention pond appears to be getting a lot of use. This pond will be replaced with a larger permanent one after the old school is demolished to make room for it.Insulation, vapor barriers, brick and glass now surround more than half the site now. Roofing on the westernmost section looks complete. But many roofing materials remain stacked on other sections.Looking south with the old school visible in the top of the frame.Masons have completed the brickwork on large portions of the westernmost section. Shot taken from over Woodland Hills, looking east.Portions of the exterior at the west end still need work, but it’s more done than not.A view from the SE looking NW clearly shows the degree of finish evident in the left, middle and right sections.Low level shot shows middle section on left.
Next Steps for KMS
Next steps will be to dry-in the structure by completing the exterior walls, windows and roofs. The other trades will then start working on interior walls, electrical, wallboard, paint and flooring – all the things that could be destroyed by blowing rain.
I put two kids through the old Kingwood Middle School who became happy, healthy, successful adults. As I look at these pictures, fond memories of plays, recitals, teacher conferences, and athletic contests come to mind. Each month, as the old school comes closer to demolition, I become increasing nostalgic. We will soon witness the end of one era and the start of another in Kingwood.
And cross your fingers! Despite double the impervious cover now on the site, I have received no reports of flooding from neighbors.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/11/2021
1535 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/20211106-DJI_0804.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2021-11-10 14:34:542021-11-10 14:34:57Kingwood Middle School: November Construction Update
