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Could This Be the Start of Hurricane Season?

After four days of heavy rains, today looked like a respite. This morning’s predictions mentioned another inch or two on Friday and Saturday. But then this the National Hurricane Center posted this within the last few minutes: a warning about what could turn into the season’s first tropical depression. And hurricane season doesn’t officially start for another ten days.

*20% chance of formation for yellow area in next two to five days*

20% Chance Before Official Start of Season

According to Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist, “The old complex of thunderstorms that moved off the Texas coast yesterday has festered over the west-central Gulf of Mexico today. While the satellite images look impressive, there appears to be no closed low pressure system at the surface and instead a surface trough extending across the region. Thunderstorms have been weakening this afternoon and there is no new development.”

*Radar this morning showed storm festering in Gulf with a stationary trough drawing moisture up through Texas and Lousiana.*

“So far this evening,” continued Lindner, “there is a large area of dry air to the west of the feature in the Gulf. The dry air will likely become entrained over time. However, some models show additional development for this feature as it moves generally toward the NW or NNW in the general direction of the Texas and Louisiana coastlines.”

NHC suggests the yellow feature has a 20% chance of developing into a tropical cyclone over the next 2 days.
National Hurricane Center

This feature could help to enhance rainfall amounts over SE Texas this weekend, but any additional impacts beyond that at this time appear to be minimal, according to Lindner.

Preparedness

This should serve to all that hurricane season begins in ten days. Don’t be caught unprepared. My Links page has many sites with helpful tips. You may also want to take this opportunity to bookmark the National Weather Service, National Hurricane Center, and Harris County Flood Warning System. They offer round the clock updates.

Take some time getting to know them know. During an actual storm, power outages and crowded bandwidth may make leisurely learning difficult.

Two other important sites for this area are the San Jacinto River Authority for Lake Conroe releases/levels and the Coastal Water Authority for Lake Houston levels. At this hour, the Lake Conroe is holding steady while releasing 2665 cubic feet per second. Lake Houston is still rising slightly with the flood gates wide open.

*Lake Conroe Dashboard as of 7:30 PM on 5/20/21*

Posted By Bob Rehak on 5/20/21 Based on Information by NWS, NHC, HCFCD, SJRA, and Coast Water Authority

1360 Days since Hurricane Harvey

A Breather: Rain Mainly South of I-10 For Most of Day

Today, the Lake Houston Area may finally get a breather from non-stop storms that blanketed the area for the previous three days. That doesn’t mean that we won’t get more rain. And it doesn’t mean flooding is not possible. It just means streams and bayous may get a chance to drain.

According to Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist, “Light rainfall continues mainly south of I-10 across the area.”

RadarScope Pro as of 10:54AM Houston time shows a large complex of storms to Houston’s south and west. They are moving north but have been dissipating as they move past the I-10 corridor for most of the morning.

Says Lindner, “A complex of thunderstorms is moving well into the NW Gulf. Another moving offshore of south Texas will likely keep southeast Texas stable today with only passing light or moderate rain showers and those will mainly focus south of I-10. Additional showers and thunderstorms will be possible on Thursday and Friday with continued high moisture levels over the area. However, the activity looks more scattered in nature and not as organized or intense as the last 48 hours.”

Additional rainfall amounts of 1-3 inches can be expected over the next 48 hours with the higher totals likely focused south of I-10.
Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist

Rainfall In This Event Almost Half of Year’s Total So Far

My digital rain gage indicates that we’ve received almost as much rain in the last three and a half days as we have year to date. That’s 138 days.

Here’s a breakdown:

Year to date: 23.64 inches
March: 1.95 inches
April: 4.01 inches
May to date: 11.38 inches
May 16: 1.22
May 17: 5.57
May 18: 1.64
May 19 so far: 1.22

According to the National Weather Service, the normal cumulative precipitation for May (up to the 19th) is 3.12 inches. And the normal yearly precipitation through today is 16.42 inches. Before this is all over, we could skew those averages a bit. We’ve exceeded the monthly average to date by a factor of two in the last two days!

*Two-day rainfall totals for most Harris County gages as of 5/19/2021 at 10AM.*

Run-off

Run-off continues from the rainfall over the last 48 hours with widespread totals of 3-5 inches over much of the area and an isolated amount of 8.56 inches in the Huffman area. Here’s how that is affecting local rivers and streams.

Rivers and Stream

Creeks in the northwestern portion of Harris County remain elevated and in some cases near bankfull. So do the middle and upper portions of Cedar Bayou and the West and East Forks of the San Jacinto River. Creeks in the northwestern portion of Harris County will crest and slowly fall this afternoon while rises will continue along the West and East Forks of the San Jacinto River. Peach Creek at 2090 is flooding.

From Harris County Flood Warning System at 10am 5/19/2021

*East Fork at New Caney should experience minor to moderate flooding in next five days.*

*West Fork at 59 should experience minor flooding in low lying areas by Saturday.*

*Peach Creek at FM290 is already out of its banks according to the Harris County Flood Warning System.* *As of 11 am, elevation was 99.1. A ten-year flood at this gage is 99.3.*

Lake Report

Lake Conroe is at 201.64 feet (normal is 201) at this writing and and releasing 2,665 cubic feet per second. Notice that they no longer have a box for seasonal lowering. They now call that COH (City of Houston) Diversion. It’s not that they have discontinued the seasonal lowering; they’ve just changed the way they account for it, according to Jace Houston, SJRA’s general manager. When the Lake is above 201 and water is inbound as it is now, SJRA is allowed to release water without it coming from the City of Houston’s portion.

When the flood threat has passed, if and when the City calls to resume seasonal lowering, the rate will show up in the COH diversion box. SJRA seems to be trying to lay responsibility for any inconvenience to Lake Conroe boaters at the feet of the City of Houston, which has already been dismissed from the Lake Conroe Association lawsuit.

Meanwhile, Lake Houston is up about a quarter foot so far this morning, despite the flood gates being wide open.

*How Lake Houston Levels have varied during the last 7 days. Graph shows up to noon on 5/19.*

If rain during the rest of today remains light, SJRA may be able to avoid flooding people upstream and downstream, just as they did on May 1st, when the areas upstream from Lake Conroe received 8-10 inches of rain.

Flash Flood Watch Remains in Effect Through Thursday Morning

In the meantime, a flash flood watch remains in effect for the Houston region through tomorrow morning. Chance of precipitation is 60% this afternoon, going up to 90% this evening. NWS predicts up to 1.25 inches of rain today and up to .75 tomorrow for the Kingwood area.

As of this morning, here’s how White Oak Creek looks from the back yard of Woodstream Forest resident.

*Photo from a video courtesy of Donald and Kristi Brown. Taken on 5/19/2021*.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/19/2021 at Noon based on information from the NWS, HCFCD, Coastal Water Authority and SJRA

1359 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Close Call for St. Martha School, Kids in Action Yesterday; More Heavy Storms Possible Tonight, Tomorrow

Update: The tornado watch mentioned below turned into a tornado warning at 9:15 pm when radar spotted rotation in storms on the west side of Houston. with hail as large as 1.75 inches.

On Monday afternoon, May 17, Kingwood received approximately 5.5 inches of rain. It fell at the rate of more than an inch in 15 minutes at one point. The downpour flooded streets and Ben’s Branch near the St. Martha School on Woodland Hills came out of its banks. Luckily, no buildings flooded, but these pictures show how close the water came. The video and all photos below were taken by John Sedlak as the rain ended.

Frustration shows on the face of staffers as they watch floodwaters race across the parking lot and near their steps.

*View of main parking lot of St. Martha School. Bens Branch is in background.*

*At the Woodland Hills Bridge, Bens Branch briefly came out of its banks and threatened Kids in Action also.*

At this point on Ben’s Branch, the man-made channel transitions to a natural one. Backups usually occur where that happens.

*Compare this picture of the statue of Jesus taken yesterday with the one taken during Imelda below.*

*St. Martha School during Imelda on 9/19/2021*

During Imelda, water DID get in the school. The damage took months to repair. As part of that process, the school “flood proofed itself.” Luckily that wasn’t needed yesterday.

Weather Tonight, Tomorrow Includes Tornado Watch Till 2 a.m

As I write this, my cell phone is blowing up with weather warnings, including a tornado watch. And I can hear distant claps of thunder.

Another line of thunderstorms is moving from the southwest to northeast, but also sliding toward the Lake Houston Area at the same time.

*Image from KHGX radar taken from RadarScope Pro, an amazing app to increase situational awareness in extreme events.* *It provides coverage of most radars in North America.*

Here’s the National Weather Service discussion associated with these storms. Highlights:

A tornado watch (#190) has been issued for most of the area until 2 a.m.
Flash flood watch expires Thursday morning.
Watch for rises on the East Fork of the San Jacinto and the Trinity.
In Harris County, Spring Creek and Cypress Creek remain high and will need to be watched if heavy rain develops.
Releases from area reservoirs such as Lake Conroe will play a role in streamflow and water levels

An additional 1 to 3 inches of rain with locally higher totals will be possible today. A stronger upper level disturbance will bring yet another round of heavy rain Wednesday into Thursday with additional totals of 2 to 4 inches of rain with again locally higher totals possible. Storm total rainfall by Thursday morning will average between 4 and 8 inches with isolated totals possibly exceeding 10 inches. The flood threat will be strongly dependent on where the rain falls and how quickly it falls.

Protective Actions for Tornadoes

Be Prepared. Have a safe room available and be ready to shelter quickly if a Tornado Warning is issued for your area or if you suspect a tornado is near. Bring pets indoors and delay travel until the threat of severe weather has passed.

If a Tornado Warning is issued for your area:

Get In: Get inside a sturdy structure, find shelter in an interior room, away from windows.
Get Low: Seek shelter on the lowest floor possible, or underground, if possible.
Hold On: Grab on to a sturdy object and hold on.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/18/2021 at 8:30 p.m. based on information from HCFCD, NWS and Alert Houston

1358 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Tuesday AM Rain Outlook: Heating Up, Flash Flood Watch Remains in Effect

A Flash Flood Watch remains in effect through Thursday morning.

A serious flash flood threat remains in place over all of SE TX and much of eastern TX into Thursday.

According to Harris County Meteorologist Jeff Lindner, “After the storms from yesterday, deeper moisture has been pushed toward the coastline and offshore, but will rapidly return today.

A slow moving line of thunderstorms moved through the area on Monday producing generally 1 to 4 inches of rain across the area with localized areas of 6 to 8 inches in Liberty, eastern Montgomery, and northeastern Harris County.

The National Weather Service says that a lull in the precipitation occurred overnight, but the chance for heavy rainfall returns this morning as an upper level disturbance moves through the area. An additional 1 to 3 inches of rain with locally higher totals will be possible today. A stronger upper level disturbance will bring yet another round of heavy rain Wednesday into Thursday with additional rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches of rain with again locally higher totals possible. Storm total rainfall by Thursday morning will average between 4 and 8 inches with isolated totals possibly exceeding 10 inches. The flood threat will be strongly dependent on where the rain falls and how quickly it falls.

Today-Tonight

Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop with heating today. But it continues to be hard to pinpoint where storms may develop. By this afternoon, storms will likely begin to approach southeast Texas from the west and northwest. They may also possibly approach again from the northeast or north into the evening and overnight hours. See the satellite photo below.

*Satellite image as of about 8 a.m. Houston time this morning.*

Wednesday-Early Thursday

An upper level trough will transport extreme moisture into the region along with the jet stream. Models many possible scenarios from slow moving lines to quickly approaching complexes from the west. Regardless, the overall pattern favors heavy rainfall, flash flooding, and severe weather.

Rainfall Amounts

Lindner expects additional rainfall totals of 4-6 inches over the next 48 hours with isolated totals of 10-12 inches. Much of what falls is going to come in short intense bursts of rainfall, he says, and not spread out evenly over time.

The National Weather Service gives our eastern and northern counties a moderate risk of flash flooding today. The risk area should enlarge tomorrow across the entire region.

*Excessive rainfall outlook for Wednesday and Thursday.*

The orange areas indicate moderate risk. That means a 20-50% chance of excessive rainfall.

River, Stream Report

Run-off continues across the region this morning from the heavy rainfall yesterday. Cedar Bayou upstream of US 90 remains high, but has crested and is slowly falling. Spring Creek is rising as upstream run-off from northern Waller County moves into the mainstem of the creek. Not flooding is expected, but the creek will be elevated through the day. West Fork of the San Jacinto River is rising due to inflow from Spring and Cypress Creeks and will crest later this morning.

Both the SJRA and Coastal Water Authority are releasing water from Lake Conroe and Lake Houston preemptively. However, both lakes remain a few inches above their normal levels at the moment.

Additional rainfall over the next few days will quickly run-off resulting in new rises on area creeks, bayous, and rivers. Some flooding of creeks, bayous, and rivers will be possible.

Forecasted Rainfall Next 72 Hours

*Predicted accumulations through Friday. Source: National Weather Service*

Photo of White Oak Creek from Yesterday

*White Oak Creek yesterday flowing near the Woodstream home of Donald and Kristi Brown on Brook Shore Court after a 5.5-inch rain fell on most of Kingwood.*

As I write this, the rain has started already this morning. Let’s hope the rain is spread out enough that the creeks can handle it. As predicted, so far it’s coming down in sporadic bursts mixed with light drizzle.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/18/2021 based on information provided by the NWS, HCFCD, and Donald Brown

1358 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Street Flooding Rampant Throughout Kingwood, Streams Near Capacity

Had Harris County Flood Control not recently excavated parts of Bens Branch and Taylor Gully, both streams would have likely come out of their banks today. The skies opened up and dumped 4.98 inches on my rain gage in a little more than two hours. That’s about a 10-year rain according to the new Atlas 14 statistics below.

*Atlas 14 Rainfall Statistics for the Kingwood Area.*

Photos from Around Kingwood

At 5 pm both streams were near the tops of their banks but well within them. That might not have been the case just a couple months ago before the flood control district widened and deepened them to restore their original conveyance. Parts of Ben’s Branch were down to a two year level of service. That’s means they would flood in a two-year rain…obviously less than today’s.

*Bens Branch at Kingwood Drive at approximately 5pm on 5/17/2021* *after receiving 4.88 inches of rain in about 2 hours.*

Taylor Gully at approximately same time taken from the Maple Bend Bridge in Woodstream Forest. Photo by Nicole Black-Rudolph. Finished in the nick of time. Note the construction equipment still in the right corner of the frame.

*Photo by Jeff Miller around same time. This shows Taylor Gully at the bridge over Rustic Elms*, *farther upstream toward Woodridge Village.*

Video by Paul Campbell at approximately 3pm on 5/17/21. Shows the level of Ben’s Branch behind his apartment in Kingwood Town Center, also recently excavated by HCFCD.

*Street flooding on West Lake Houston Parkway near Kingwood Drive at 5pm. I saw scenes like this all over Kingwood this afternoon while trying to return from a lunch in the Woodlands.*

Forecast for Remainder of Evening

As of 5:30 pm, Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist said, “Heavy rainfall continues to progress WSW across the area while a second area of heavy rainfall is moving SE across western Montgomery, N Waller, and NW Harris County. This area to the northwest is the remains of a line of thunderstorms from central Texas.”

“Rainfall amounts have averaged 2-3 inches over the northern half of Harris County with 4-6 inches over the Humble, Kingwood, Crosby, and Huffman areas,” said Lindner. “Significant street flooding has occurred over the northeast and northern portions of the county into Liberty and Montgomery Counties. While the activity is continuing to progress through the area, recent radar and HCFCD gage rainfall sensors indicate the hourly rainfall rates have weakened into the .50-1.5 inch range which is significantly lower than the 3-4 inches per hour recorded earlier this afternoon.”

“Street flooding will continue into the early evening hours and slowly subside over the area, while creeks and bayous continue to respond to the heavy rainfall. At this time all creeks and bayous are well within banks.”

More Yet to Come

Heavy rainfalls like this afternoon’s should continue through Thursday when the chances start to diminish through the weekend. Runoff should increase as grounds are now thoroughly saturated. Stay cautious. I almost drove into the water that rose to the bumper of that semi above. It didn’t look that deep but obviously could have stalled my Tahoe. Remember, if water gets over your tailpipe, it will cause your engine to stall. Game over.

Posted by Bob Rehak on May 17, 2021 based on personal observation and information supplied by HCFCD, Jeff Miller, Paul Campbell, and Nicole Black-Rudolph

1357 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Monday AM: All SE Texas Now Under Moderate Risk for Flash Flooding This Week

The National Weather Service has produced a 3-day excessive rainfall map that show all of SE Texas under a moderate risk for flash flooding this week. “Moderate” means we have a 20-50% chance of exceeding flash-flooding guidance. Flash flooding occurs when short-duration, high-intensity rains exceed the drainage capacity in areas.

*Issued Monday at 3AM Houston time by the National Weather Service.*

Jeff Lindner, Harris County’s meteorologist, sees heavy rainfall and flash flood threats increasing through the week. “A flash flood watch will likely be required for portions of the area later today,” he said.

Chance of Thunderstorms 70% and Increasing

The National Weather Service predicts a 70% chance of thunderstorms for the Lake Houston Area through Tuesday night. The chance increases to 80% for Wednesday and Thurday. The chances decrease to 70% for Friday, 60% for Saturday and 40% for Sunday.

It is difficult to predict exact amounts of rainfall for any specific location, such as Lake Houston, that far in advance. However, conditions are in place to produce heavy rainfall. The main threat for today is slow moving storms that could produce street flooding this afternoon. But chances increase tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday.

“This pattern will support heavy rainfall and flash flooding especially during the mid-week period. But really every day this week has potential,” says Lindner.

Space City Weather likens the conditions in place to those that produced the May 2019 floods in Kingwood.

Rainfall Amounts

Since yesterday, there has been no change. Models suggest a fairly high limit on potential totals. “As seen yesterday, this air mass is capable of excessive short term rainfall amounts. Widespread amounts of 4-8 inches will be likely over much of the area over the next 5 days with isolated totals of 10-12 inches or more. Short duration rainfall rates of 2-4 inches per hour will be possible leading to rapid urban flash flooding,” says Lindner.

Grounds in the Houston area are already wet and water supply lakes near full capacity. As of this morning, the City has started lowering Lake Houston by one foot. The SJRA is not releasing water from Lake Conroe.

*From SJRA.net as of Monday 5/17/21 at 9am.*

Lindner says that rises on area watersheds are likely given the widespread nature of this event. “It is certainly possible some watersheds will experience flooding at some point this week. Which watersheds potentially get hit the hardest remains uncertain…but the risk for flooding will be increasing,” he says.

Posted by Bob Rehak on Monday morning at 9 am, 5/17/21 based on information by HCFCD, NWS, and Space City Weather

1357 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Wharton County Receives 13.47 Inches So Far Today

Rain is winding down for today, but areas southwest of Houston along US59 received massive amounts today. Ganado in Wharton County reported 13.47 inches at one gage and 10.87 inches at another. Radar totals indicated 10-14 inches…much of that falling in a 4-6 hour period. According to Atlas 14, that’s a 100- to 200-year rain.

*Atlas 14 Rainfall Frequency Chart for this area*.

A Portent of Rainfall to Come

“This shows the capability of the air mass we will be dealing with nearly all week,” said Jeff Lindner, Harris County’s meteorologist. “Expect additional “big totals” over parts of the area through the week.”

Ganado is on US 59 between Victoria and El Campo in Wharton County, southwest of Houston.

Heaviest Rains Spreading Toward Houston Later This Week

The threat of heavy to excessive rainfall will continue for the next several days and spread northeast into the Houston area. The threat of flooding and flash flooding will increase during that time, according to Lindner’s Sunday afternoon update.

Lindner predicts that we should get a break tonight, but another wave approaches on Monday late morning into the afternoon. Expect another flare up of showers and thunderstorms. “We will likely see another break on Monday night and then additional showers and storms on Tuesday,” he says.

Wednesday-Thursday

Lindner is most concerned about Wednesday into Thursday. Another tropical air mass from the Bay of Campeche will surge into our area. Upper level winds will help lift the surface moisture into thunderstorms. Training of storms from SSW to NNE looks increasingly likely. “Potential formation of a coastal trough or weak surface low near the lower Texas coast will only help to further promote rainfall.” Given the fact that we’re still talking about forecasts three or four days out, Lindner doesn’t want to get too aggressive with rainfall total predictions just yet. But he says that models show an overall pattern favoring heavy rainfall and flash flooding.

Rainfall Amounts

Additional rainfall amounts on top of what has already fallen will average 4-8 inches over the region with isolated totals of 10-15 inches certainly possible. The expected widespread nature of the rainfall along with potential high hourly rainfall rates of 2-4 inches support rapid onset flash flooding and rises on area watersheds especially our river system as rainfall totals pile up over time. Creeks and bayous in urban areas will tend to respond to the short duration higher rainfall rates and will need to be monitored closely.

*NWS estimate of 5-day cumulative rainfall (as of Sunday afternoon, May 16*) *has increased since this morning.*

Make sure you bookmark this page and consult it frequently throughout the week: Harris County Flood Warning System.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/16/2021 at 6PM based on information from NWS, HCFCD, and Space City Weather.

1356 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Wet Week Coming: 4-6 Inches Likely for Region, 8-10 Possible

Jeff Lindner, Harris County’s meteorologist is predicting a wet week ahead for southeast Texas with frequent rounds of thunderstorms and heavy rainfall. He also predicts flooding and flash flood threats that will increase throughout the week.

*National Weather Service 5-Day forecasted rainfall amounts as of Sunday morning.*

Upper Level Disturbances Meet Tropical Moisture Inflow

Says Lindner, “A short wave is approaching the area this morning. Numerous showers and thunderstorms will develop over the area and continue through the day. Storms have already anchored over portions of Matagorda into Jackson Counties this morning. Flash flood warnings are currently in effect for that area and this will be the story this week.”

An upper level storm system over the southwest will eject several disturbances across Texas this week, according to Lindner. These disturbances will interact with a near constant flow of tropical moisture off the Gulf of Mexico to produce rounds of storms and heavy rainfall with each disturbance. Humidity levels throughout the Houston region range from 70% to above 90%.

Given the feed of moisture, the potential for slow moving and training storms, and high moisture levels, heavy to excessive rainfall will be possible.
Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist

Expect Heavy Rain Through End of Week

Heavy rain is likely from today through the end of the week. While it will not rain the entire time, there will be several rounds. Grounds will saturate and run-off will increase during the wet week ahead.

Today’s concern: slow storm motions currently being seen southwest of the city. Such storm motions and rainfall rates over urban areas could quickly lead to street flooding.

Main concern: Wednesday and Thursday. The main upper-level storm will move into Texas. Southeast Texas will develop very favorable conditions for rainfall. A steady stream of moisture and strongly divergent winds aloft will support training of lines and clusters of thunderstorms. However…

…There could be flooding and heavy rainfall at nearly any time from today through Friday.
Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist

Rainfall Amounts

Lindner thinks rainfall totals over the next 5 days will likely average 4-6 inches over the region with isolated amounts of 8-10 inches. Hourly rainfall rates of 1-3 inches will be possible under stronger storms. Rises on area rivers will certainly be possible given the widespread nature of this event along with the multiple rounds of heavy rainfall. While totals will be spread out some over time, the concern of short term excessive rainfall rates resulting in flash flooding is possible in this pattern. Get out the galoshes. It’s going to be a wet week ahead.

Lake Report

At this hour, Lake Conroe is not releasing water and the lake is at its normal level of 201 feet above sea level.

From SJRA Dashboard (10am Sunday morning, May 16, 2021)

*From https://www.coastalwaterauthority.org*

This could get interesting. Lake Conroe is full and if you look closely at the rainfall map above, you will see that the NWS is predicting some of the heaviest rainfall for our area to be upstream from Lake Conroe.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/16/2021

1356 Days since Harvey

Where Will Tomorrow’s Sand Come From?

Even though sand can be found in nearly every single country on Earth, the world could soon face a shortage. Usage around the world has tripled in the last twenty years, according to the United Nations Environment Program. That’s far greater than the rate at which sand is being replenished.

After water, sand is the second most used commodity on earth. It’s used in concrete, glass, computer chips, computer screens, tile, and more. When you look at deserts and oceans, you may think we have an infinite supply. But we don’t. According to this ten-minute video produced by CNBC, we’re using it faster than Mother Nature is creating it.

Seems Infinite But Isn’t

And not all types of sand are suited for all uses. Desert sand, for instance, is windblown and round. That makes it unsuitable for concrete. For strength, concrete requires the more angular type found near and in rivers.

*One small part of the massive Hallett sand mine on the San Jacinto West Fork*

A Short Course on Sand

If you want to understand more, I highly recommend this video produced by CNBC. It’s short – only about 10 minutes. But it’s packed with information that puts production, consumption, and environmental tradeoffs in perspective.

*To see this video, click here or on the image above.*

For instance, do you know how the “tragedy of the commons” can ultimately lead to the collapse of environments?

The video is filled with facts and answers that you can use to amaze friends and family.

Did you know that China used more sand in the last three years than the US did in the last century?
How much sand does it take to produce concrete?
Where will it come from in the future?
What impact will the massive infrastructure bill now pending in Congress have on sand production and therefore the environment?

This video will answer all those questions and more. I highly recommend it.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/14/2021 based on a tip from Chris Manthei

1354 Days after Hurricane Harvey

City of Houston Seeks Proposals for Planning Lily Pads

Could you design a neighborhood center with the resources people need in floods and other emergencies? Could you develop a plan to implement a network of them throughout the City of Houston? If so, then maybe this is for you. The City seeks vendors to help it develop a network of “lily pads” that can act as refuges during emergencies.

Seniors at Kingwood Village Estates trying to evacuate to higher ground during Harvey when floodwaters rose in the middle of the night. Twelve people died: six from injuries sustained during evacuation and six from the heartbreak of seeing their condos destroyed.

Preparing for Emergencies

The City’s first resilience effort was somewhat of a utopian effort. It focused on helping people thrive after floods, not eliminating flooding. This one looks to gain more traction. It will take survival planning down to the neighborhood level and help people dislocated during adverse events such as Hurricane Harvey.

During Harvey, churches, schools, libraries, and businesses became gathering centers. However, many of these spaces were not equipped to serve as temporary shelters. The City seeks to identify and develop a network of unflooded spaces that can become locations for individuals to obtain basic needs, assistance, and recovery resources during floods, heat events, or air quality emergencies. They will become “lilly pads” that help the City distribute food and emergency supplies, telecommunications access, and federal assistance guidance. These spaces will also become gathering centers for the dissemination of relief and recovery for individuals.

Citizen Led, Government Supported

Instead of being led by local government, lily pads are intended to be supported by local government. Community members, community-based organizations, and/or faith-based groups will lead and manage them.

The City hopes such lily pads will help prepare for future disruptions and disasters. The request for proposals states, “For Houston to become more resilient, we must be able to adapt to future risks from chronic stresses such as addressing environmental justice issues and acute shocks including: extreme heat, poor air quality, flooding, hurricanes, and public health emergencies.”

Emphasis on Social Vulnerability

The selection of the strategic location and design elements of each Lily Pad will include social vulnerability and “equity.” The City intends to use these criteria to ensure locations benefit the most vulnerable and disproportionately affected populations. Social vulnerability and equity will also be taken into consideration when developing the lily pad master plan, toolkit and pilot project.

If you work for a company that does this sort of planning, consider responding to the RFP. It certainly sounds like a worthwhile effort as far as it goes. Personally, though, I think anyone rescued half naked from 20 mph floodwaters in the middle of the night deserves help.

You can find additional documents here on the City’s bid website. The City will hold a pre-proposal bid conference on May 26. The bid deadline is June 10.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/13/2021 with thanks to Carla Alvarez for the heads up

1353 Days since Hurricane Harvey