Disaster Recovery Corporation, a contractor for the City of Houston will soon begin debris removal on the San Jacinto East Fork.
Scope of Work
The scope of this particular phase of debris removal extends from just north of the southern tip of Lake Houston Park to about halfway up the east side of the 5000 acre park. See the start and stop points on the satellite image below.
The City of Houston should begin debris removal on the east side of Lake Houston Park next week.
The distance covered equals 2 miles as crow flies or 3 miles as the fish swims.
Debris Includes…
Here are FEMA guidelines for debris removal. Debris can include trees, sunken boats, old tires, vehicles, and other things washed downstream in floods. It is basically any debris in the water, or below the surface at a depth that is equal to the maximum draft level of the largest vessel that would use the waterway plus 2 feet. Debris also includes trees that are leaning or that pose a threat to public safety.
Beginning First Week in June
Work should start the first week in June. Authorities eventually expect the work to extend up to the Harris County line at FM1485 near the extension of the Grand Parkway.
The trees pose hazards to navigation and can form logjams that back water up in floods, threatening homes and businesses. They also can get hung up on bridge supports and the Lake Houston Dam, threatening infrastructure.
During Harvey, trees swept downstream and caught up in the supports for the Union Pacific and the southbound Highway 59 bridges over the West Fork in Humble. Both bridges had to be replaced. Trees also blocked flow at the FM1960 bridge and the rail bridge in Lake Houston.
Trees enter the waterway when floodwaters undermine river banks or simply rip trees out by their roots.
Downed trees on West Fork after Hurricane Harvey flood. Photo taken September 14, 2017Dead tree removal on Lake Houston in June 2018.This pontoon carried dead trees as well as fencing that had been swept into the river. September 2018.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/29/2020
1004 Days after Hurricane Harvey and 253 since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/SJR_525_053.jpg?fit=1800%2C1200&ssl=112001800adminadmin2020-05-29 11:24:462020-05-29 11:31:22City of Houston Contractors to Begin East Fork Debris Removal
Residents of Harris County and surrounding areas now have and easy way to assess flood potential near them in near real time. It’s called the Harris County Flood Warning System website. It offers near-real-time information from 100+ gages on major streams and rivers throughout the entire region.
Below, you can see part of the welcome screen, zoomed into the North Houston area. It shows the amount of rainfall at each gage.
Most of north Harris County received less than an inch of rainfall yesterday. However, areas to the west, north, and south received up to three inches. Areas upstream from Kingwood received five to six times more rainfall that the Lake Houston Area.
Rainfall patterns like that can lull people into a false sense of security because flooding originates upstream and works its way down.
Given the severity of yesterday’s storms, several people asked last night and this morning, “What is the potential for flooding?” The Harris County Flood Warning System provides answers. Here’s how to use it for maximum effect.
Customized Alerts from Flood Warning System
First, note that The Flood Warning System allows you to create an account and customize alerts. While not necessary, it helps reduce extraneous information in emergencies, so you only receive messages that affect you.
For instance, the San Jacinto West Fork, Spring Creek and Cypress Creek affect those living in the Humble/Kingwood area. All three converge just west of the US59 bridge. So you could sign up for alerts only from gages in those areas.
Data-Driven Mapping System
Note that the Flood Warning System lets you select several map view options to help you understand conditions near you as well as upstream. For instance, if you click “Watersheds” and “Channel Status,” you can see:
Which watershed you live in
The near-real-time status of gages in that area
Where flood danger or possible flooding exists
Harris County Flood Warning System as of 5/28/2020, 11am.With Channel Status and Watershed options selected.
Drilling Down to Areas of Interest
From there, you can click on gages of interest. The green squares indicate “no flooding danger.” The yellow triangles mean “potential danger.” Red means “flooding.”
So, clicking on the yellow triangle by Shenandoah in the Spring Creek Watershed lets me investigate what’s happening at that gage. See below.
Source: Harris County Flood Warning System at 11:13 a.m. on 5/28/2020.
From this information, I can see that the channel is higher than normal, but still well within its banks. The top of bank (TOB) is at 156.26 feet. But the current water level is only at 154.33 feet. More important, I can see from the graph that the water level has peaked and is trending down.
With all other reporting stations in my watershed showing “green,” I can breath easy. Unless we get major rainfall upstream this afternoon. After all, this creek rose 3.5 feet yesterday after receiving about 2 inches of rain upstream. Today, soils are highly saturated and the creek is only about 2 feet from coming out of its banks. Another two inches of rain could cause flooding. (See forecast at bottom of this post.)
Other Valuable Features
Among other features, Harris County’s Flood Warning System offers:
Historical data so that you can compare current water level data to past floods that may have threatened your home.
Rainfall alarms that tell you when particularly heavy downpours have occurred near you that could trigger street or stream flooding.
Inundation mapping that shows the extent of flooding during flood events.
Color-coded channel status maps to show you at a glance where streams are flooding
Links to weather alerts
All in all, Harris County Flood Control District has built a powerful tool with its Flood Warning System. It’s intuitive, uncluttered and easy to use, giving you the information you need, when you need it, where you need it, in the form you need it.
It’s fun to explore all the options. If it rains again this afternoon, use the opportunity to teach your family how to use it.
With the information on this web site, Lake Houston Area residents who flooded during Harvey could have seen the 80,000 cubic feet per second released from Lake Conroe barreling down the West Fork toward them…despite the breakdown in the emergency warning system. They could have evacuated sooner. They could have saved vehicles, valuables, and in some cases even lives.
Everyone should become familiar with the Flood Warning System, learn how to use it and bookmark it. If I were a science teacher in this area, learning how to use this site would become part of my curriculum.
Unsettled Weather Continues Today
Chances of additional heavy rainfall in the Lake Houston Area are lower today than yesterday. However, potential for scattered thunderstorms by early afternoon remains, according to Jeff Lindner, Harris County meteorologist.
Lindner adds, “…given the developing instability and cold air aloft, large hail and gusty winds are possible. NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center (SPC) does have nearly all of the area in a “marginal” risk for severe storms this afternoon with a higher threat to our west across southwest and south central TX.”
It will be hard to predict the exact location of these storms, says Lindner. “We could see some additional very heavy rainfall with the storms this afternoon (1-2 inches) in an hour or less. And while grounds are becoming saturated from all the recent rain, only street flooding is expected.”
“With that said, upper Spring and upper Little Cypress Creeks are elevated and should heavy rains impact NW Harris County, there could be some minor lowland flooding along the headwaters of those channels.”
“Upper level high pressure begins to build into the area Friday and will gain a foothold over the region this weekend into next week. Expect rain chances to taper back to only 10-20%. We can probably cut chances completely by Sunday,” says Lindner.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/28/2020
1003 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Channel-Status-5.28.jpg?fit=1500%2C906&ssl=19061500adminadmin2020-05-28 13:36:092020-05-28 13:47:23Easy Way to Assess Your Flood Potential in Near Real Time
My phone has blown up with unexpected severe storm warnings in the last hour. A line of strong thunderstorms is racing toward Southeast Texas and the Houston region.
For your protection, they advise moving to an interior room on the lowest floor of the building you are in. Put cars in a garage if you can.
People in the affected area are urged to seek shelter immediately in an interior room without windows and on the lowest floor of a building. People should bring their pets inside and delay travel or outdoor activities until the storm passes. If travel is unavoidable, reduce your speed to avoid hydroplaning. Heavy rains may also impact the area and only a few inches of water can float a vehicle. When you see water covering the road, Turn Around, Don’t Drown®.
Radar from IAH as of 3:39
The immediate danger as of 3:49 pm is in Waller and Montgomery counties. The watch lasts until 9PM or until cancelled. The NWS cancelled a tornado watch associated with this storm at 3:45 PM.
Jeff Lindner, Harris County Flood Control meteorologist, predicts, “This should be the final round of weather associated with this slow moving upper level low as high pressure begins to build over the area Friday into the weekend.”
Posted by Bob Rehak based on NWS warning on 5/27/2020 at 3:55 PM
1002 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Attachment-1.png?fit=1242%2C2454&ssl=124541242adminadmin2020-05-27 15:56:062020-05-27 16:21:58Keep Eyes on the Skies: Severe Storm Warning Through Tonight
When the developer sought approval of their general plan from the City of Houston Planning Commission, the City deferred approval. Instead they asked the developer to consult with the City Engineer and Harris County Flood Control, before coming back to the commission.
Despite the location of the development in the floodplain and floodway of the West Fork, ironically, the City had only procedural comments on the plans. The comments had to do with things like the spacing and labelling of streets. Incredibly, they did not refer to potential flooding or wetlands issues.
Pending Regulation Changes Could Affect Development
Specifically, the County wants the City to change Article III: Standards for Flood Hazard Reduction in the Houston Code of Ordinances, Chapter 19 Floodplain (September 2018):
19-33(a) Base Flood Elevation Requirements –Must also include a provision that no fill will be allowed to elevate structures proposed for the 100-year floodplain. These structures must be on open foundations designed by a structural engineer.
Where Property Is
Here’s where the property is. It wraps around the Barrington, which was elevated significantly and still flooded during Harvey. It also wraps around River Grove Park Kingwood Country Club, and Deer Ridge Park.
Purple area represents proposed site of Romerica’s Orchard Seeded Ranches Development.
Large Concentration of Forested Wetlands
All aerial photos below were taken on 5/11/2020.
Looking southeast from the southwest corner of Romerica’s property. Hamblen Road enters the from on the middle right. That’s the San Jacinto West Fork cutting through the top of the frame.Looking southeast while hovering over Woodland Hills Drive. The northern part of Romerica’s property lies between the front and back nines of the Kingwood Country Club Lake Course. That’s the Barrington on the right.Those same trees serve as a nesting ground for hundreds of great egrets.Looking southwest from near the entrance from Barrington. Deer Ridge Park wraps around the water tower.Looking SE over Woodland Hills and the Barrington entrance. The property contains three artificial lakes, which I believe were excavated to elevate the Barrington.Note how high lake level/water table is. River Grove soccer fields are on right. Look closely and you can also see the Kingwood Diversion Ditch entering the park from the lower right.
From the ground, beneath the dense canopy of trees, you can see palmettos galore. Palmetto plants are an important biologic indicator of wetlands. They only grow where the ground is underwater at least part of the year.
“Wetlands function as natural sponges that trap and slowly release surface water, rain, … and flood waters. Trees, root mats and other wetland vegetation also slow the speed of flood waters and distribute them more slowly over the floodplain. This combined water storage an braking action lowers flood heights and reduces erosion,” says the Agency.
They continue: “Wetlands within and downstream of urban areas are particularly valuable, counteracting the greatly increased rate and volume of surface- water runoff from pavement and buildings. The holding capacity of wetlands helps control floods… Preserving and restoring wetlands together with other water retention can often provide the level of flood control otherwise provided by expensive dredge operations and levees. The bottomland hardwood- riparian wetlands along the Mississippi River once stored at least 60 days of floodwater. Now they store only 12 days because most have been filled or drained.”
Fence separating Romerica property from Hamblen road after Harvey.
All those concerns still exist. Romerica should take a cue from the Humble ISD. They’ve had two ag barns in this area. The District abandoned one (that was actually on Romerica property), moved to higher ground, is trying to abandon the second, and hopes to move to higher ground yet again.
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/2020/05/20200511-RJR_2403.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-05-27 15:05:412020-05-27 15:15:06Development Watch List: Orchard Seeded Ranches From the Air
After six months of virtual inactivity, Perry Homes’ new Woodridge Village contractors have significantly stepped up work on three detention ponds. All detention ponds are on the northern section of the development. However, recent heavy rains have saturated the soil. The rain also filled two of the three ponds one-third to one-half full. The result: a big muddy mess.
Tuesday, according to Elm Grove resident Jeff Miller, only one excavator was moving. It was trying to let water out of the N1 pond so that work could continue.
Twelve Aerial Photos Taken on Memorial Day
Below are 12 aerial photos of the site taken on Memorial Day, 5/25/2020.
Looking north along the western boundary of Woodridge at the tail of the N1 Pond.Further north, you can see where work has stopped on the tail of N1 (foreground), the Webb Street Entrance in Porter (left), and the N1 pond itself are at the top.
The N1 pond has the least development. Most work to date has focused on the tail. That’s presumably so contractors can keep the entrance to the site open. N1 will probably be the last pond they finish. And they will probably complete it only after they develop a second entrance to the site off Ford Road (see below).
Only Work Tuesday Was Trying To Drain N1
Looking south along the western boundary from over N1, you can see where the tail ends. The tiny trench letting water out of the tail slows down water. It will eventually be replaced by the four-foot culverts you see on the left.
That tiny trench is where the excavator was working today.
Site Holds More Water than N2 Detention Pond
Still looking south, but further down the western boundary, we can see the old and new portions of the N2 detention pond. It is not currently holding much water because contractors have already opened up the sides. That allows water to escape into Taylor Gully (top center).
Note how there’s more water on the site than in N2.Closer shot shows how workers opened up N2 to Taylor Gully (left of top center). They also continue to widen and deepen the pond toward the upper right corner.Rotating about 90 degrees, we can see how saturated the soil is. The northern portion of the site contains an amazing amount of standing water that isn’t yet able to reach the detention ponds.
The northern portion of the site is roughly 200 acres. Assuming an average of three inches of standing water (one quarter foot), that means the northern portion may contain 50 acre-feet of standing water!
Taylor Gully Did Not Appear to Overflow
Looking southeast at North Kingwood Forest (left) and Elm Grove Village (right), areas where hundreds of homes flooded twice last year.A closer shot shows where water in Taylor Gully, when high, is forced to make multiple turns within a few hundred yards to bypass a 3 foot pipe that connects the channel on either side of the county line. Luckily, water did not reach the overflow spillway from the concrete-lined channel during recent heavy rains, according to Jeff Miller.
N3 Pond Greatly Reduced Flow in Taylor Gully
The pond below (N3) sits directly above the portion of Taylor Gully that flooded Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest twice last year. The vast majority of this excavation took place earlier this month.
Rotating to the northeast, you can see the N3 detention pond, now mostly excavated. Miller estimates it’s still one half to one third full. Traveling up the eastern side of Woodridge, we can see tremendous erosion along the banks of N3. Those parallel stripes running down the sides of the pond are called rilling, shallow channels cut in the surface of soil by running water.
Simply Excavating Ponds Does Not Mean They Are Complete
Above, you can see that contractors did not yet have backslope interceptor swales in place. Nor did they have the pipes installed to channel intercepted runoff to the detention pond. Accordingly, runoff went over the edges of the pond and washed sediment into it.
The ponds will not be complete until backslope interceptor swales and pipes have been installed and grass planted along the edges of the ponds to prevent future rilling. The ponds also need concrete pilot channels to prevent erosion in the areas of constant use.
New Entrance on East
The new entrance to the subdivision (background below) will be an extension of Mace Street in Porter on the West. It will connect to Ford Road on the East.
Looking straight east from the top of N3. Note two things: a channel designed to funnel standing water to N3 and the new entrance to the subdivision cut into the woods in the distance.
Mace enters the western side of the subdivision just to the left of that silver roof in the distance of the shot below.
Looking directly west across Woodridge Village while hovering over N3 on the eastern border.
There may be a connection between the type of property Perry develops and the problems that customers later develop. If Perry builds on this property, I pity any poor unsuspecting customers who fail to research its history.
No New Statements on Potential County Buyout
To my knowledge, neither Harris County, the City of Houston, nor Perry Homes have issued any public statements about the status of a buyout of this property. Harris County Flood Control District was considering using it to build a regional flood-detention facility. But County Commissioners added new conditions on any buyout in their last meeting.
Twice-flooded residents in Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest eagerly await new details on the deal. Even if Perry completes work on all the ponds, it will likely not be enough to handle a true hundred-year rainfall event.
Ponds Still Would Not Likely Detain Hundred-Year Rain
Perry rushed to get plans permitted before new Atlas-14 rainfall standards went into effect. They would have required 30% to 40% more detention than the plans that the City and Montgomery County approved.
In the meantime, though, the new detention ponds will greatly reduce the risk of flooding from lesser storms. Also, the National Weather Service has reduced the risk of rain in the next several days. That may give Woodridge Village time to dry out and downstream residents time to catch up on their sleep.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/27/2020 with reporting from Jeff Miller
1002 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/2020/05/20200525-DJI_0054.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=19001200adminadmin2020-05-26 19:41:262020-05-27 11:55:21Update on Woodridge Village Detention Ponds After Recent Heavy Rains
On my most recent flight down the San Jacinto West Fork, I was treated to a rare experience. Just as we flew over US59 heading east, what seemed like a mile-long train started to cross the new Union Pacific rail bridge. As we crossed over the train, the engineer saw me leaning out the door of the helicopter to grab the perfect shot. I think he knew we were documenting progress of the bridge. In salute, or maybe out of pride, he let out a massive blast from his giant air horn. Both the helicopter pilot and I broke out into huge smiles.
A Stirring Moment
It was a stirring moment for someone who has always admired trains. Railroads opened up this country, supported the growth of our cities, and still carry the much of the commerce of our nation on the backs of their rails.
Harvey destroyed the ancient Union Pacific bridge over the West Fork.
Shot taken on March 3, 2018, approximately six months after Harvey. Repairs on the old bridge were still in progress at that point.
First UP had to restore the old bridge to keep traffic flowing.
Then the company had to build a new bridge between the supports of the old bridge.
Finally, once the new supports were in, they had to remove the old ones.
All of that took a little less than a thousand days. And it was fascinating to watch. The result is a tribute to the genius of American engineering and know-how.
Second Major Mitigation Project to Be Completed in Area
This marks the completion of second major flood mitigation project in the Lake Houston Area. The first was TxD0T’s reconstruction of the US59/I69 bridge a few hundred yards to the west. That delayed hundreds of thousands of commuters for 11 months.
The train stretched almost a mile toward Kingwood Drive as it barreled southward. Hopefully, the new bridge may also help reduce train delays at major intersections.
Other Mitigation Projects Still in Development or Being Studied
Other major mitigation projects still in progress or development include:
West Fork dredging to restore conveyance and channel of the river
Additional floodgates for the Lake Houston Dam, to let water out faster
The search for suitable upstream detention to help hold back water during floods
Multiple ditch repairs throughout the area
Drainage studies throughout the San Jacinto River Basin that will undoubtedly lead to additional mitigation projects
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/26/2020 with gratitude to the men and women of Union Pacific
1001 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/20200511-RJR_2221.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-05-26 16:44:442020-05-26 16:46:31Union Pacific Traffic Over San Jacinto West Fork Now Fully Back and Better
The latest interview in my Impact series:Just months before Hurricane Harvey, Jennifer Coulter and her husband, Chris, decided to start a new company called Texas Power Agents. The SBA used the timing of that decision to deny them a loan. And because they were then forced to liquidate their 401Ks to repair their home (a move which Jennifer thought counted as income), the City then denied them a Homeowner Assistance Grant. Through it all, they managed to rebuild their home, grow their company, and grow closer as a family. Long ago, they stopped expecting help from the bureaucracy and rebuilt their home with their own hands and the help of friends. Now, one thousand days after Harvey, they look back at the whole experience as a blessing in many ways.
Bob Rehak: Harvey flooded your home. How badly?
Jennifer Coulter: Almost two-feet. But we gutted up to four feet. The house was unusable for a long time because it’s a one story house.
Jennifer Coulter is dwarfed by the pile of debris in front of her home.
The Great Post-Harvey, Year-Long Camp Out
Bob Rehak: You lived in a camper in your driveway for about a year.
Jennifer Coulter: That was our best move! We went to a friend’s house for a week. And then another friend’s. Once we figured out this was a long-term process, we got a rental property. But the landlord tried to change the amount of the lease after we moved in. So we moved on.
Jennifer Coulter: Then, a friend whose mother’s house had been vacant in Oakhurst for five years invited us to move in and just pay the utilities. But after two months, the family trust decided to sell the home.
That’s when we bought the trailer. We knew we needed to be in control of our living situation. The only way we could do that affordably was with a trailer. But we had to buy a new one; there were no used ones available. And so, yeah, we went to Oklahoma, bought a trailer and lived in it for almost a year in our driveway. Two adults. Two kids. Two cats. And one dog. That actually turned out to be the right decision. We wish we had made that choice first.
Birthday party in the driveway with the new trailer.
Fruitless Search for SBA Help
Bob Rehak: So this whole time you’re working on your house?
Jennifer Coulter: We were gutting it. But we had no means to finance the rebuild. We were trying to figure that part out. So, we applied for an SBA loan. People told us that was our only option, since we didn’t have flood insurance and there was no way to get a home equity loan.
The Coulters ran out of room in their garage and started storing carts and construction materials in their living room.
Bob Rehak: Why didn’t you have flood insurance?
Jennifer Coulter: We live more than two miles from the West Fork in the 500-year flood plain. It was a bad miscalculation.
Bob Rehak: So you started the process of getting an SBA loan?
Jennifer Coulter: Yes,we filled out the application. And because we started a small business just six months before the flood, we were not eligible. We didn’t have two years of tax returns on the business. And we were not receiving paychecks from an employer. They denied us for “inability to repay the loan.” Even though we had great credit and assets well in excess of the amount we were asking for, the SBA denied us.
Drawing Down 401Ks to Afford Repairs
Bob Rehak: Where did you go next?
Jennifer Coulter: To our 401Ks. I had two small retirement accounts and Chris had a sizable one. Taking money out of those would later prove to be yet another fateful decision.
Bob Rehak: You were your own general contractor.
Jennifer Coulter: Yes, we did not have money to pay one. But that meant we had to figure out how to do it ourselves. That created extra stress while we were trying to grow a new business.
Chris and Jennifer Coulter in their front yardworkshop during the rebuild.
Bob Rehak: Back to the search for aid. You eventually applied for a homeowner assistance grant.
Jennifer Coulter: I applied the first day you could back in February 2019.
Bob Rehak: Tell me about that process. Did you start online and then go downtown to finish?
Jennifer Coulter: They never invited us to go that far. The first step was to fill out a survey that screens people. You just give general information about damage to your home, your income level, and that sort of stuff.
Tapping 401Ks Counts Against Them
Jennifer Coulter: So when asked about income, I put what was on our 2018 tax return because I thought that was what they required. But we were cleaning out retirement funds to repair the home, because the business had not yet taken off. I was told that within days or maybe two weeks that someone would reach out to us. And at that point, we would fill out a formal application. Then we would receive whatever funds we may or may not be eligible for. No one ever called back.
So I called them back. At least six times. But every time, I was told, “Well, you’re in priority group six; we’re still working on priority groups one and two.”
We never even made it to the application phase to be considered for anything.
City Won’t Let Them Undo Mistake
Bob Rehak: You said at one point that you reported the withdrawal from your 401Ks as income and you eventually came to realize that was a mistake. Did you try to undo that?
Jennifer Coulter: Yes, I called and said “I’ve made a mistake. I think I put something as income that really shouldn’t be income. How can I amend my survey?”
She said, “Well, we’re addressing them in the order of receipt. So if you changed it, that puts you at the back of the line.”
Bob Rehak: Really?
Jennifer Coulter: I was told not to change a thing, that I had a better chance of moving down the line if I left it as it was. And when I got further into the process and got to speak with an agent, I could work out details then.
Bob Rehak: Who were you talking to at this point?
Jennifer Coulter: The people that answer the phone at the Homeowner’s Assistance Program website.
I haven’t called in several months. It was a total waste of time. This money was allocated to help people like us. But the Small Business Administration denied us a loan, because we had just started a small business. The logic or lack thereof is just mind boggling!
Bob Rehak: So sad!
Turning Corner With Community Support
Jennifer Coulter: We’re not alone. But at least our business is growing. We have great community support. Most of our customers are in the Kingwood and Lake Houston area. And the business is growing by word of mouth. We feel so very fortunate.
We know that our recovery will be a long one. But we’ll get there, whether we receive aid or not.
First Christmas back in the house, even if it didn’t yet have all the comforts of home.
Bob Rehak: Where do you go from here? Are you just going to gut it out or do you still have hope for the loan or the grant?
Jennifer Coulter: I’ll probably see if I can get through to the GLO and give it one last ditch effort. But I assume it’s never gonna happen.
Where’d The Money Go?
Jennifer Coulter: It hurts. We saved so hard and vowed we would never touch that money until retirement. The City of Houston got hundreds of millions to help people like us. And then, according to Channel 13, they’ve managed to rebuild less that four dozen homes in more than a year.
It just makes college for the kids and things like that a big question mark. But we’ll figure it out. We will. We believe in our business and we believe we’ll be successful.
Someday this will all be a distant memory. We’ll work it out. That’s what we do. We put our heads down, work, and move forward.
The Silver Lining
Bob Rehak: How would you characterize this whole experience in a phrase?
Jennifer Coulter: Both a blessing and a curse. At the time, it was dark and scary and heartbreaking.
But then, you know, you pick your head up and you realize that you are surrounded by amazing people. They are willing to share blood, sweat and tears…literally. They helped us tear our house apart and put it back together. They’ve supported our kids. They’ve shared what they can. And that’s more valuable than money.
Chris and I truly feel blessed. Our kids have learned amazing lessons about what is important in life. And we now have this beautiful home that we’ve been able to remake just the way we wanted. As a family, we all had input. We all got to pick things out we wanted.
But we are no happier than when we were living in that trailer together.
Making Us Stronger
Jennifer Coulter: I have no doubt we can handle anything that comes our way, because we have, and we’ve come out ahead. And we would again. It was hard and it was sad, but it wasn’t the end of the world.
Chris kept it in perspective by saying, “This is not a tragedy. This is a major inconvenience.” He maintained that as long as we were healthy and together, we would get through it and come out on the other side. Hearing us say those things and watching us live them enabled all of us to come out of it together – both stronger and happier.
Bob Rehak: Your experience would have torn many families apart. What kept you together?
Jennifer Coulter: Laughter. We laugh together. And we love one another. And we allowed ourselves to have our bad moments and gave each other space when we needed it. But we were always there for each other.
Children made the experience harder because we were aware that everything we said and did was being taken in by them. But we were very honest with them. When we were having a bad day, we let them see us cry. We let them see us be angry and frustrated.
We’d say something like, “We’re having a bad day. But it’s OK. You know, tomorrow will be better.” And it was. And so they got to see that light. That’s real life. You get down. You pick your head up and get up the next day and move forward.
You just do it. You don’t belabor the point that somebody is not giving you something. Make it happen yourself.
Bob Rehak: Would you like to share anything else with people?
“Home is Where Your People Are”
Jennifer Coulter: We lived that motto. We made the best of every place we lived and at every point throughout the process.
The power of people is just really remarkable. And this is a really special place. A lot of people say that. But the love and the support that just came at us from so many people was just really, really remarkable. We’re just very lucky to live in this community.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/25/2020 with input from Jennifer and Chris Coulter
1000 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Cart-in-Living-Room.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=19001200adminadmin2020-05-25 06:00:002020-05-25 06:05:571000 Days After Hurricane Harvey, Jennifer and Chris Coulter Feel Blessed in Many Ways
Jeff Lindner, Harris County Flood Control Meteorologist just issued a heavy rainfall warning. Lindner notes that the line of strong thunderstorms currently moving across the area will drop rainfall amounts of 1-3 inches.
The good news: the leading edge of this line is becoming detached from the outflow boundary. That suggests storms will weaken as they move southward. Rainfall rates which were 2-4 inches earlier over N Waller and Montgomery Counties have lessened to near 1-2 inches. The main threat now is short duration street flooding in areas with the heaviest rainfall.
Tonight’s Forecast
Lindner points to extremely active radar out west along the Rio Grande. He says that’s where the next round of weather will be developing. He expects it to move quickly toward our area tonight. Models show this line of storms quickly reaching the area between midnight and 400 a.m. But at the speed it’s moving, he predicts only another 1-2 inches for most areas with this line.
Intercontinental Radar as of 8PM Sunday night, 5/24/2020
Monday Prediction
Continued high rain chances. The air may take much of the morning and early afternoon to recover from the early morning line of weather, but temperatures will only need to reach the low 80’s to trigger more storms. It will not take much heating to set things off, he warns. Storm motions could be fairly slow Monday afternoon and this could lead to excessive rainfall rates in a short period of time.
Tuesday-Thursday: Continued Threat
Upper level disturbances remain parked over the state with rounds of storms at nearly any time. Heavy rainfall will continue to be a threat.
Rainfall Amounts Add Up Changing Nature of Threat
Lindner concludes, “Moisture profiles certainly support heavy to excessive rainfall rates as seen today and if storms slow of train for a period of times totals could quickly add up. Grounds will saturate over time leading to increasing and eventually maximum run-off conditions…so the threat may grow from mainly street flooding to potential rises on area creeks, bayous, and rivers.”
Lindner concedes that it’s hard to pinpoint any day or time or location that has a higher flood risk than another. “So we will just have to closely watch each convective episode and be prepared to react quickly,” he says.
Impact of Today’s Rains on Elm Grove
Despite heavy rainfall this afternoon, Jeff Miller, an Elm Grove resident and frequent contributor, drove the streets of Elm Grove this evening. He notes that:
Streets still seem clear as of 8 p.m.
Taylor Gully is about half full, but water is flowing rapidly
Water level is about 2 feet from the top of the twin culverts at the Rustling Elms bridge.
Miller sees the possibility of that culvert being overflowed as a danger.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/24/2020 with reporting from Jeff Miller and Jeff Lindner
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Radar-524.jpg?fit=607%2C1200&ssl=11200607adminadmin2020-05-24 20:14:412020-05-25 05:31:20Heavy Rainfall Threat in Coming Days
A close analysis of swimming pools and river currents in Google Earth satellite images suggests that many San Jacinto East Fork homes were flooded by the West Fork during Hurricane Harvey. Stories from East Fork homeowners suggested as much in the months after Harvey. Many reported water flowing through their property from west to east, not north to south as one might expect. However, to my knowledge, no one presented photographic evidence to support those claims – until now.
Eagle-Eyed Geologist Interprets Satellite Photos
A retired high-level geologist for one of the world’s largest oil companies analyzed satellite images in Google Earth. The eagle-eyed geologist, R.D. Kissling, lives in the Lake Houston area and kayaks that area regularly.
Kissling noted water-borne-sediment coloration changes between the East and West Forks after the SJRA started releasing 79,000 cubic feet per second from Lake Conroe. The image from 8/30/2017 shows West Fork water pushing into the East Fork. Note how water from the East Fork (upper right) and Luce Bayou (far right) are crowded over into a narrow band running down the (east) side of Lake Houston.
Satellite image from 8/30/2017 shows West Fork water (middle left) pushing into East Fork (top right).
Cloud cover obscures images from the previous day.
Flooded Swimming Pools Tell Part of Story
Kissling also examined the color of water in swimming pools. Most homes in Royal Shores on the East Fork have swimming pools that look bright blue on satellite images. See the image below from before the storm.
Swimming pools in Royal Shores appear bright blue before the storm.
But on 8/30/2020 during the storm, many of those had turned brown. Water was starting to recede by then, but note the boat houses still underwater. Above the red line, all swimming pools still appear blue.
Royal Shores on 8/30/2017 during the storm.Note the concentration of brown swimming pools south and east of the red line.North, they are still blue (unflooded).
The photo above is a magnification of the Royal Shores area from the wider satellite image above. Below, I’ve zoomed back out to show the wider image. I’ve also highlighted the Royal Shores homes with brown swimming pools so you can see their their relationship to the West Fork water pushing into the East Fork.
Same image as above but with the part of Royal Shores highlighted that had flooded pools and that was ALSO apparently taking on WEST FORK water.
Conclusions
Of course, by themselves, the swimming pool colors don’t prove that West Fork water flooded East Fork homes. But when considered in conjunction with the first image, they suggest to me the validity of residents’ claims. At a minimum, these images do not contradict those claims, according to Kissling.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/23/2020 based on analysis by R.D. Kissling
998 days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/AOI.jpg?fit=1200%2C855&ssl=18551200adminadmin2020-05-23 15:33:052020-05-23 15:33:15Google Earth Images Suggest East Fork Swimming Pools Flooded By West Fork During Harvey
As mechanical dredging whittles down the part of the San Jacinto West Fork mouth bar that sticks up above water, it’s important to think about longer-term maintenance dredging. Remember three things:
How the sand got there in the first place
Why it will be redeposited over time
What the consequences will be of not removing it periodically
How Sand Got There
Most movement of sediment happens during floods. Sand and silt washes downstream from two main sources: natural and man-made.
The natural sources include erosion from river banks and beds.
So-called mouth bars are giant sand bars formed at the mouths of rivers. They form wherever a river enters an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, or reservoir. Whenever water slows, a river will deposit sediment. And it always slows when a moving body of water encounters a standing body of water. It’s a well understood geophysical process that occurs everywhere around the world. A prime example is the Mississippi delta.
Mouth bars are actually part of river delta formation. As they build up, they force a river to split.
Why Intervention Is Necessary In Populated Areas
As sediment builds up, if left alone, it will eventually choke the headwaters of the lake and form a flat swampy lowland. You can already see this beginning to happen on the East Fork San Jacinto.
Looking north at northern part of East Fork Mouth Bar, which has become vegetated. Note how it causes the river to split. The river is carving itself up into a maze of small channels. Photos taken 5/11/2020.Here’s the area immediately below the shot above. It is near the entrance of Luce Bayou to the East Fork. This area went from 18 feet deep to 3 feet after Imelda according to boaters.Photo taken 3/5/2020. Note how the newest mouth bar is forming in one of the channels formed by the previous mouth bar which has become anchored by vegetation.Looking west toward West Lake Houston Parkway Bridge and the West Fork of the San Jacinto. Note how this mouth bar also caused the river to split. Sediment is now being deposited on both sides, and will eventually cause another splitwithout more dredging.Photo taken 5/11/2020.Looking south toward FM1960 from north of the mouth bar. Notice how shallow this section of the river has become. The loss of conveyance contributes to flooding.Photo taken 5/11/2020.From Harris County Flood Control District’s page on the on-going Kingwood Area Drainage Assessment.
Part of the reason for the buildup of sediment behind the West Fork mouth bar is that Ben’s Branch and another major drainage ditch have been dumping sediment into the river there. Luckily, HCFCD is removing sediment from these and other ditches. That will help reduce the problem in the river, but not eliminate it.
Need for Maintenance Dredging
Erosion is relentless. We can do many things to minimize it (preserve wetlands, use best management practices in sand mining and construction, etc.). However, as long as rain falls, we can’t eliminate it.
To my knowledge, until the emergency West Fork dredging program began in 2018, the upper San Jacinto had never been dredged since the Lake Houston Dam was built in 1953. That’s 65 years. Over that time, sediment build up turned into a $100+ million dredging program. And that doesn’t even include flood damages which likely total another BILLION dollars according to a City estimate. Imagine all the heartbreak and misery that could have been avoided had the City budgeted $2 million for dredging each year.
Dredgers keep nibbling away at the mouth bar like an ear or corn, removing one row at a time.Photo taken 5/11/2020. Unfortunately, the effort to remove the portion of the bar above water may make people think the problem is solved, but it won’t reconnect the upstream river channel with the lake.
Imagine the:
Flood losses we could have avoided
Recreational opportunities we could have realized
Reservoir capacity we could have preserved
Home values we could have multiplied.
For all these reasons, we need to start a serious dialog about maintenance dredging. Even if it’s not every year, we need it after every flood. Think of it as a yearly insurance premium against the next disaster.
The Army Corps estimated this bar immediately downstream from River Grove Park blocked 90% of the West Fork. In the three months before the Corps removed it, River Grove flooded six times. Since then River Grove has not flooded at all.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/22/2020
997 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/20200511-RJR_2501.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-05-22 17:58:532020-05-23 11:39:54Putting Mouth Bar Removal in Larger Context; Need for Maintenance Dredging
