On a flyover of the Harris/Montgomery county line last month, I spotted something unusual: a detention pond with an outlet bigger than its inlet. And it was in Woodridge FOREST. You may remember that after Imelda, Woodridge Forest advertised homes that did not flood on signs posted in nearby intersections…around downstream homes that did flood!
Detention Pond that Isn’t
Wide shot, looking east toward St. Martha’s Catholic Church and Kingwood Park High School. Photo taken 1/20/2020.
Below is a closeup of the suspect pond cropped from the image above.
Water flows from bottom left to upper right in this image. During Harvey, the outlet for this detention pond blew out. Imelda enlarged it even more. No one has repaired it, meaning it retains no water in a flood. Water from this part of the subdivision does not even go through the pond.Note the location of this outlet in the photos above and below.Satellite image shows clearer comparison. Detention pond has bigger outlet than inlet and a creek that runs around it.
Detention ponds usually work by capturing water coming in a fast rate, storing it, and releasing it at a slower rate that minimizes downstream flooding.
This pond provides very little, if any detention capacity. In fact, Ben’s Branch runs BOTH around and through it!
The berm that forms the north side of the pond in the image above does little more than take up valuable space in the flood plain.
On its way from 59 to Woodland Hills, Ben’s Branch goes through a series of “detention ponds” along the southern edge of Woodridge Forest. What purpose does of this one serve? And are the others doing their job?
The pond should also have a 30-foot wide maintenance road around it (also section 7.2.8), but does not. The developer built the pond in 2016, but no one seems to have noticed the absence of the maintenance road yet. That missing maintenance road might have helped in the repair of the pond after Harvey.
And the “Rub-Your-Nose-In-It” Award Goes To…
Who knows how much this pond could have helped reduce flooding on May 7th and September 19th last year?
The truly appalling thing about this: shortly after Imelda, Woodridge Forest posted signs in the area informing buyers, “We don’t flood.” Well, when you’re not retaining all the water you should…
Montgomery County is on an unsustainable path. Every week, I get complaints from Montgomery County residents about flooding there. MoCo is already starting to reap what it has sown. Someday, MoCo, too, will be downstream from another rapidly growing county. And then the tragic precedent MoCo has set will make payback inevitable.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/13/2020
898 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 147 since Imelda
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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In the continuing saga of sand mining on the East and West Forks of the San Jacinto, I present the results of my January 20, 2020, flyover. I found three breaches and two near breaches between I-45 and the East Fork. See below.
Liberty Materials Mine in Conroe
Let’s start upriver on the San Jacinto West Fork near Conroe. These first two images come from the Liberty Materials Mine that the TCEQ cited for allegedly discharging 56 million gallons of white slime into the river.
In this photo you can see that road (upper right) has repairs blocking a previous breach. However, discharge continues to flow through the dike. This indicates potential structural instability that might jeopardize the dike in a major flood and cause another massive discharge.A couple hundred yards away at the same mine, there’s so little road left, driving a car across it could cause collapse of the remaining dike. That jeopardizes safety of workers and the safety of drinking water. Only four or five feet separates a massive mining pond from the West Fork in the foreground.
There sure is a lot riding on that little spit of sand. If this one blows out, I pray the TCEQ and Attorney General goes after them for gross negligence. How could they ignore this?
Hallett Mine in Porter
The next two shots come from the Hallett Mine in Porter. They show the same issue from two different angles.
Looking toward the pond.Looking toward the West Fork. Another portion of the mine lies on the far side of the river.
Abandoned Mine in Porter
This is the drainage ditch that parallels Northpark Drive before it enters the river. This mine appears to be abandoned. Regardless, sediment, seems to consistently wash out of it. This breach has been open for since 2015.
Triple PG Sand Mine in Porter on Caney Creek
The Attorney General is suing this mine for breaches that remained open for months after the May floods last year. Currently, the mine is operating (but not dredging) under a temporary injunction until the case goes to trial on June 22. While mine owners have closed other breaches on White Oak and Caney Creeks, this breach remains open. Technically, it doesn’t connect with with river until a flood. But during floods, photographic evidence shows that Caney Creek reroutes itself through the mine, raising pressure that causes dikes in other places to collapse.
The shot below shows headward erosion toward five pipelines carrying highly volatile liquids.
Such breaches and near breaches create a good argument for creating minimum setbacks for mines from the creeks and rivers that supply our drinking water.
Sadly, legislation that could have done that died in committee during the last session. But there’s always next year. I will continue to monitor how well the mines do until new measures can be reintroduced. Pressure is building throughout the state to control air and water pollution from aggregate mines.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/12/2020
897 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.
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I have a friend who is fond of saying, “If rain falls on your roof, you need flood insurance.” Here are two telling statistics from the final Harvey report issued by Harris County Flood Control that dramatize that point. But there’s more than one type of flood insurance.
In Harvey, Two-Thirds of Flood Victims Had No Insurance
Of the 154,170 estimated homes flooded across Harris County from Harvey, only 36% had active flood insurance policies in place.
Of those 154,170 homes flooded, 105, 340 were outside the mapped 1% (100-yr) floodplain – 68%.
From these two statistics, you can tell that people thought being outside a mapped flood zone meant SAFETY. You can also see how tragically wrong they were.
Virtually ALL Humble Area Retired Teachers Have Flood Insurance
Monday morning I gave a talk to the Humble Area Retired Teachers Association (HARTA). There were probably 150-200 teachers in the room. I asked for a show of hands to see how many had flood insurance. Virtually every hand went up. Given the aforementioned statistics, this SHOCKED me.
There are two possibilities.
People learned a lesson from Harvey and Imelda.
The teachers in the room were smart!
I’m sure it’s a combination of both in this case. Teachers tend to be fast learners. But it was such a pleasant surprise. They set a great example for everyone!
FEMA needs to study HARTA to find out how to market flood insurance to the rest of the world.
Static Maps in a Changing World
How could the flood maps during Harvey have been so far off? It was a combination of things.
Of course, Harvey was a far larger-than-normal storm – the biggest ever to hit the continental US.
Second, flood maps are a stationary snapshot in time. They assume nothing changes.
But we also know that things DO change:
The river changes every time it floods.
There has been massive development upstream from us in Montgomery County in the last two decades.
Conroe has been one of the fastest growing cities in America.
That development increases runoff, shortens the time of accumulation for floodwaters, and causes higher flood peaks.
The one thing that hasn’t changed: Montgomery County flood maps. The County has not updated the data behind them since the 1980s. Parts of the county remain unmapped. And the County does not even employ a surveyor, according to an inside source.
Radical Example of Impact of Upstream Development
Uncontrolled upstream development can totally change the game. Here’s a personal example.
Back in 1980, I bought a home on Spring Creek in the Dallas area. It was built two feet above the hundred year flood plain. The next year, developers built the 250-acre Collin Creek Mall upstream from me in Plano. The creek behind my house started flooding on minor rains of less than a half inch. A three city commission between Garland, Richardson and Plano asked the Army Corps to investigate.
The Corps found that I was now 10 feet BELOW the 100-year flood plain instead of two feet ABOVE it. A 12-foot delta!
That’s how radically and quickly things can change from upstream development as the people in Elm Grove discovered.
Elm Grove’s Game Changer: Woodridge Village or what some now call “Village of the Damned“
New Flood Maps Being Developed
NOAA’s new Atlas-14 Rainfall statistics for this area are causing flood maps to be redrawn. The statistics reflect about 40% more rain for a 100-year flood. That means flood zones will expand.
When released in the next year or two, the new maps will open a lot of eyes for people who have not yet purchased flood insurance.
Net: If you don’t have flood insurance, get it.
Another Type of Flood Insurance
That brings us to another type of flood insurance not covered by FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program. It’s the kind of insurance that comes from situational awareness and community engagement.
The more aware we are of the causes of flooding…
The more engaged we are as citizens…
The more we insist that developers follow best practices…
…the safer we become.
NFIP insurance will partially reimburse you if you flood. But awareness and activism may keep you from flooding in the first place. We need both types of insurance. One without the other is a recipe for disaster.
We should not assume that some benevolent government agency in Montgomery County is watching over new development, protecting us. They are not. Period. They have other priorities and protecting downstream residents is rarely one of them. Even though Harris County is redrawing its flood maps, Montgomery County is not. That will make MoCo’s even MORE OUTDATED. That’s why we need vigilant, involved citizens.
Need Regional Flood Control
And even more, that’s why we need regional flood control, much as we have regional groundwater control. With groundwater withdrawals, one conservation district must get its plans approved by neighboring districts. Wouldn’t it be beautiful if we had a similar arrangement for flood control?
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/11/2020
896 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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Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist but put this notice thus morning. He said wet weather will persist until mid week.
Slow-Moving Cold Front Stalls Out
A slow-moving cold front currently extends from Longview to north of Austin and is creeping southward. Ahead of this boundary a warm and moist air mass covers all of SE TX this morning. Meanwhile, north of the boundary a colder and somewhat drier air mass is in place.
Radar is fairly calm this morning with a couple of lines of showers lifting north over the region in the warm air advection pattern in place.
Surface cold front will move to near a Madisonville-to-College-Station line later this morning and then likely stall in that region today. Focus for rainfall today will be mainly across the northern half of the region closest to the front. Rainfall amounts today could average 1-2 inches north of HWY 105 as another upper level disturbance approaches from the WSW and interacts with the slow moving front.
Front Pushes South Tonight
Front will get another push this evening and likely progress southward toward the coast tonight. With the afternoon and evening short wave disturbance moving off to the ENE expect a lull in any heavier rains by late evening across the northern portions of the area.
Mainly light showers will impact the southern portions of the area this evening and overnight as the surface front stalls near the coast.
Tuesday Front Lifts Back North
On Tuesday the surface front begins lifting back northward as a warm front with a continued chance of showers over the area.
A strong upper level storm system currently digging into NW Mexico will begin to move slowly eastward and toward TX late Tuesday into Wednesday. This will result in the formation of a surface low pressure system over the coastal bend of TX Tuesday night which then moves ENE/NE across SE TX Wednesday.
Showers and thunderstorms will be likely in this period with some heavy rainfall possible.
Clearing Late in Week
This surface low will be strong enough to finally push a stronger front through the region and clear the area out for at least a couple of days before clouds and rain chances return for the weekend.
Yo-Yo Temperatures
Temperatures will be all over the place with the surface front stalling and then creeping across the area. Ahead of the front temperatures will be in the 70’s and then fall into the 60’s and possibly 50’s behind the boundary.
Rainfall 1-4 Inches, Highest to North
Rainfall Amounts:
Fairly tight rainfall gradient will setup across SE TX over the next 72 hours with much of the rainfall occurring north of HWY 105 and much lower amounts near the coast.
Storm total rainfall amounts through Thursday morning will likely average 1-2 inches over much of the region north of I-10 and 3-4 inches in the Lake Livingston area.
South of I-10 amounts of .50-1.0 inch will be possible. While the drought monitor shows dry conditions over much of the area, the time of year combined with lack of any vegetation growth and the widespread nature of the expected rains suggest rises on area creeks and rivers will be likely.
Highest impacted watersheds look to be the mainstem and tributaries of the Trinity River and the San Jacinto basin.
Currently predicted amounts are spread out enough to preclude any forecast to reach flood stage, but we will need to watch rainfall trends today and again on Tuesday especially north of HWY 105.
Should rainfall totals begin to pile up in our NE counties (Polk, Trinity, Houston, San Jacinto) a flash flood watch could be required for those areas.
Excessive Rainfall Outlook (Monday):
The Lake Houston area has only a marginal to slight risk of excessive rainfall today.
Excessive Rainfall Outlook (Tuesday):
Tuesday, the risk for excessive rainfall in our area looks mostly marginal.
Day 1-3 Forecast Rainfall Amounts:
Rainfall in the 3 day period should total 1-4 inches. Higher totals to the north. Lower to the south.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/10/2020 with thanks to Jeff Lindner
895 Days since Hurricane Harvey
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Here’s a construction update for Perry Homes’ Woodridge Village, the stalled development implicated in flooding Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest twice last year.
On January 25, 2020, I flew over Woodridge Village. Not much had changed since my December flyover. However, Perry Homes, had concreted about 280 feet of Taylor Gully on the east side of the development facing North Kingwood Forest. And they started to build a berm between Woodridge Village and Elm Grove. Finally, they have started prep work for building more streets. See images below.
Overview of Construction Activity
Homes in North Kingwood Forest (bottom right) flooded twice in 2019 when water from the Taylor Gulley channel behind them overflowed.In December and January, Perry Homes, the ultimate developer of clearcut area called Woodridge Village, lined a portion of that channel with concrete.Closer View: Perry Homes also erected a berm along the southern edge of the kite-shaped S2 detention pond. Note the lack of activity above the pond.
Slanting Berm Between Elm Grove and Woodridge
Since the January flyover, Perry Homes has continued to build up a berm south of the S2 detention pond. The height of the berm is about 3-4 feet immediately west of Taylor Gulley (grassy channel in lower right). It tapers down to nothing before you get to Fair Grove Drive, one long block to the west (out of frame to the left in picture above).
Note height of berm at end of Village Springs Drive, adjacent to Taylor Gulley.Erosion from berm is already starting to collapse silt fence in numerous areas.Photo taken 2/8/2020.Looking east from opposite end of pond. At Fair Grove Drive, the berm is below the level of Elm Grove homes behind the tree line on the right.Photo taken 2/8/2020.
Whether Perry intends to build up the western portion of the berm is unclear. If they intend to go west beyond the point above and continue the berm south of the S1 pond, they have not yet done so.
The Strange Case of the Elevated Swale
Perry Homes has now dug a ditch at the peak of the berm to act as a backslope interceptor swale. Such a swale is designed to reduce erosion on the slopes of a detention pond by channeling water through pipes instead (note concrete opening of one such pipe in distance).Photo taken 2/8/2020.
Originally, I thought the berm might be the missing maintenance road that Montgomery County regulations specify around detention ponds. However, yesterday, Perry Homes’ contractor etched a ditch in the middle of the berm. I guess this ditch will act as the backslope interceptor swale, another requirement of detention ponds in Montgomery County.
Such swales channel water into ponds through pipes installed at low points. Their purpose: to prevent runoff from surrounding areas from flowing over the edge of ditches and causing erosion.
Except in this case, water from the surrounding areas would have to flow uphill several feet to get to the swale. So the swale will only channel water that falls directly on it.
No New Detention Ponds
No new detention ponds have been created since last August.
Prep Work for New Streets
However, Perry Homes is starting to add new storm drains to areas where roads have not yet reached on the north side of the S2 detention pond.
Storm drains being added to the north side of the S2 detention pond. Photo taken 2/8/2020.Note rilling (erosion) along side of pond.
Perry Had Promised No New Streets Until All Detention Ponds In
Point #1 in Perry Homes’ letter to the City Attorney about remediation efforts promised that Perry would delay additional street construction until three detention ponds on the northern part of Woodridge Village were complete. But as you can see from the first photo above, no additional detention ponds have even been started on the northern portion of the site.
Possible Impact of Changes on Flooding
The concrete channel will reduce erosion, but will do nothing to reduce flooding. As you can see from the video below, taken by Jeff Miller after a minor rain, Perry Homes needs the three additional detention ponds they promised in 2017, two and a half years ago, to reduce flooding.
The berm may redirect flooding. The berm has the potential to change the location of flooding. As floodwaters build up in the S2 pond shown above, they will eventually rise above the overflow channel between the concrete portion of Taylor Gulley and the pond. When that happens, the water will go around the berm. It could happen on two sides. On the west at Fair Grove (above) and on the east at Taylor Gulley (below).
Video by Jeff Miller after light rain on Jan. 28th shows flow from north side of Woodridge Village into Taylor Gulley. There should be a massive detention pond beyond the black fence.Taylor Gully concrete channel is approximately one-third fullon about a third of an inch of rain before this point in the day.See graph below. Photo taken around 5pm.The closest official gage at West Lake Houston Parkway showed 0.32 inches of rain before Miller took the photo above.
On the east side of the concrete portion of Taylor Gulley, notice how the edge slants down toward North Kingwood Forest (out of frame on the right).
Note levels on either side of the concrete culvert shown in aerial photos above. S2 detention pond is out of frame to left and North Kingwood Forest to right.Photo taken 2/8/2020.
Once floodwater gets into North Kingwood Forest, experience has shown that it will flow through streets into Elm Grove, bypassing Taylor Gulley.
Storm sewers, once connected to the detention ponds, will simply shorten the time of accumulation after heavy rains and fill the ponds even faster. That usually results in higher peaks. Again, without additional detention, there is no flood-reduction benefit for downstream residents.
Posted by Bob Rehak with help from Jeff Miller on 2/9/2020
894 Days after Hurricane Harvey and 143 after Imelda
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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Students in grades 8 – 11 can apply to join the national Youth Preparedness Council between until March 8, 2020.
US59 during Harvey. Photo taken from Sorters-McClellan overpass. Courtesy of Melinda Ray.
Purpose of Youth Preparedness Council
FEMA created the Youth Preparedness Council (YPC) in 2012. Its purpose: to bring together young leaders interested in supporting disaster preparedness. They make a difference by completing national and local preparedness projects. The YPC supports FEMA’s commitment to involve America’s youth in preparedness-related activities. Additionally, it lets young people share their perspectives, feedback, and opinions with FEMA .
Includes Representatives from All Ten FEMA Regions
YPC members represent all ten FEMA regions. They have a wide range of backgrounds and interests. Members have been leaders in their communities’ preparedness. They work in teams on projects relating to financial preparedness, citizen responder programs, and youth preparedness education.
Eligibility and Application Requirements
YPC applications remain open through March 8, 2020!
Students in eighth through eleventh grade are eligible to apply.
FEMA emphasizes that being selected to serve is an honor, but also a significant responsibility. The YPC requires dedication and time-management skills.
YPC members serve TWO years. Each YPC year begins in July with the YPC Summit. If members have not completed the mandatory requirements during their first year, FEMA may excuse the member from participating in a second year.
Members serve on committees with assigned tasks. They primarily communicate via email but have bi-monthly conference calls and other calls as needed.
For a full list of Roles and Responsibilities, CLICK HERE.
YPC Summit Held in Washington, DC on July 21 and 22
A YPC Summit is held annually in Washington, DC. In 2020, it will take place on July 21 and 22. Attendance is mandatory for all YPC members. The YPC Summit provides an opportunity for YPC members to meet FEMA representatives and each other.
Sessions during the YPC Summit cover a range of topics. In some sessions, YPC members are given the opportunity to share their ideas and questions with FEMA and community partners. In other sessions, members prepare for the projects they will complete during their time on the YPC.
Travel Expenses Covered for Member and Guardian
Each YPC member must have a parent/guardian or parent- approved chaperone to accompany him or her to the YPC Summit. In accordance with federal travel regulations, FEMA will reimburse transportation, lodging, and meals for each YPC member and his or her parent/guardian/chaperone.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/9/2020 with thanks to Congressman Dan Crenshawand photo courtesy of Melinda Ray
894 Days after Hurricane Harvey and 143 after Imelda
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Three generations of the Giles family live together under the same roof in Elm Grove. Jerry Happ, Catrina Giles father, and Evonne Happ, plus Catrina’s children CJ, Dallas and Maverick. They had never flooded, not even in Harvey, until Perry Homes clear-cut 268 acres a block north of them without installing promised detention ponds. Then on May 7th and September 19th of 2019, they flooded twice. This is the story of how those floods affected a family and tore a neighborhood apart. As I drive up to their home on Shady Garden Drive for the interview, the first thing I noticed is that the foundation of their home is raised well above street level. In fact, it appears to be level with the top of my Chevy Tahoe. This is not an isolated case of a low-lying home.
Water Flows Down Street from Direction of Woodridge Village
Rehak: You said you wanted to make sure that Perry Homes knew about the damage that they inflicted on your community. Tell me what happened on May 7. Let’s start there. Where was the water coming from?
View from Giles front porch during Imelda
CJ (Catrina’s Oldest Son): It started off in the garage and my grandparents’ bedroom, which are on the north side of the house. Then it came in the back door and under the kitchen cabinets. And then it was just everywhere.
Rehak: It came in from the north? (The direction of Perry Homes’ development)
CJ: Yes.
Rehak: How high did it eventually get?
C. Giles: (Pointing to an electrical plug) Just under the outlets.
Gasoline, Paint, Paint Thinner Mixed with Floodwaters
Rehak: Tell me about the damage it caused.
CJ: We had a lot of personal items in boxes in the garage. It completely destroyed everything under two feet. All our tools got really messed up. There were a lot of things floating around in the garage. Paint. Gasoline. Paint thinner was mixed in with the water. So, it was a pretty big mess.
J. Happ: It came in, like CJ said, from the north. We had a bedroom set downstairs here…
E. Happ: My sister gave it to us before she passed away. Now it’s gone.
Current Felt Inside the House
J. Happ: The water was so powerful! The pressure of the water was so intense that it caused boxes underneath the bed to move around.
E. Happ: It broke my grandmother’s dishes that we stored under there!
CJ: We had an entire tote filled with family pictures. The lid popped off from hitting the sides so hard. The pictures are all gone now.
Family Heirlooms Destroyed
Rehak: You talked about your grandmother’s china. How old would that have been?
E. Happ: I’m 62. (pausing to calculate then giving up) It was old. They don’t make that kind of crystal anymore.
J. Happ: It was very old. Maybe late 1800’s.
E. Happ: And my bedroom furniture. I mean, no amount of money could ever replace that.
J. Happ: So, it was very devastating. A lot of personal items were in that room, and in the garage being stored at the time. They’re all gone now.
Rehak: I’m curious. You say the water pressure moved things around. It almost sounds like there was a current.
J. Happ: Oh, absolutely. Yes.
C. Giles: Everything in the lower cabinets was all destroyed.
It wasn’t, you know, water just coming in and oozing up. There was a current. Stuff was moving, even inside the cabinets.
Catrina Giles
Swing Set Picked Up by Flood and Moved
E. Happ: See that swing set back there by the big tree? The current picked it up and moved it against the shed.
Force of flood moved swing set and slide against shed (right)
J. Happ: When that water started coming in, we did the best we could. But we couldn’t move things fast enough. All of the furniture and appliances downstairs got damaged and had to be thrown out.
May flood took entire kitchen including appliances, plus washer/drier in utility room.
Refuse to Evacuate to Save Seven Animals
C. Giles: They asked us if we wanted to evacuate. Thank God we had the upstairs. Because they would only allow us to take one animal. And at the time we had seven.
We all have post traumatic stress now.
Evonne Happ
C. Giles: Yeah, It even affected our animals. They all lost weight. And two of them have died. One died shortly after the first flood from a snake bite. And the other just died from the stress. She had undergone her annual checkup, but her body just gave up at Christmas. We had to put her to sleep.
E. Happ: My dog’s scared to go out when it’s raining, even on the front porch. He used to sit on the front porch all the time with me. He won’t do it now if it’s raining, even if it’s just drizzling. He hides under the table. He’s scared of the rain because he KNOWS we’ll flood again. We. Could. Not. Control. Anything. And we got double the water the second time.
Second Flood Twice as Worse as First
J. Happ: Twenty-seven inches in the garage.
Rehak: You got about a foot of water in the May flood and double that in the second?
CJ: Twenty-two inches IN the house.
Rehak: Tell me about life BETWEEN the two floods.
C. Giles: It was very stressful because my husband was working in Pittsburgh for the first flood and Finland for the second. We are just trying to manage. Although we did have insurance for the house, we didn’t have it for the contents.
CJ: And we’re one of the few here with flood insurance to begin with.
“Just Not Comfortable Living Here Anymore”
C. Giles: Eventually we are going to hopefully try to sell. We’re just not comfortable living here anymore.
Rehak: And you had to pull out tile, cabinets?
J. Happ: Yes. We had to get two new sets of the cabinets, appliances, furniture, everythng. We were still paying on the first ones that were in the trash. When “Oh my God.” Yeah. “The second ones are apparently flooding.”
Effects on Family
Rehak: How did the rebuild affect you as a family?
J. Happ: We all lived upstairs in cramped quarters for the better part of a year. All our appliances were gone. We had no way to cook. So, we either had to eat out or bring it in.
We struggled as a family. It was a real hardship.
Jerry Happ, Catrina Giles father
All day long you have to listen to them hammer and saw. We had to go through all kinds of inspections for mildew. And before we could even get that, we had to get the driers, dehumidifiers and fans in here. We had that loud noise for, well, a month, before we could finally shut them down. There were a lot of different things going on at the time that caused a lot of real hardship.
C. Giles: That said, we basically have a brand-new home. We even have a new roof.
Rehak: How did the roof get involved?
C. Giles: In May, we had hail damage.
Rehak: Was Imelda just a repeat in September? Were you all still living upstairs and going through all the noise, construction and havoc?
Group: Yeah. Uh-huh.
Finished First Rebuild Two Weeks Before Second Flood
C. Giles: We had just finished our rebuild two weeks before Imelda.
Floodwater in Giles living room during Imelda. When family saw water coming up during second flood, they immediately started moving furniture upstairs.
Rehak: And you’re done now with the second rebuild?
C. Giles: We have the windows and doors that need to be replaced. The front door and the sliding glass doors must be taken out. And these windows, because the muddy water came through them.
When water receded, a thick layer of mud covered everything. So much sediment could only have come from one place: Woodridge Village.
Rehak: You’re considering selling the house?
Impact of Floods on Neighborhood
C. Giles: We know it’s NOT going to be a fast turnaround. Realtors said that we have to have several big storms and NOT flood for people to have confidence that this is going to be a safe neighborhood again. Meanwhile, the majority of our neighbors have already left.
Rehak: How many people on the block?
C. Giles: On our corner, we’ve lost all four families. It’s like a ghost town here. In the cul de sac, they’re all gone, too.
Picture of neighbors house. Water still had not receded well after dark
E. Happ: At least 20 families here are gone. I sit on the porch all day because I smoke, so I see things and keep count.
Rehak: How far down the block did homes flood?
C. Giles: On our street, only two or three houses didn’t get affected by the first flood, but everybody got affected in the second. It was more…devastating.
Home Values Under Water
J. Happ: The house across the street, around the corner, they finished remodeling the whole inside just before the May flood. And they were getting ready to sell it. The day before the flood, their realtor was going to put up a sign, but he decided to hold off. Then we had the flood. Well, they had the house up for $220,000. They only sold it for $115,000. They lost $100,000.
E. Happ: People in here had to just walk away from their homes.
Rehak: Really?
Group: Yeah. Yes.
E. Happ: Houses are still sitting there.
CJ: There’s a house…they never gutted it from the first flood. They just up and left.
Rehak: How is that affecting you? Are there squatters or animals moving in?
Crime Up
C. Giles: Well, crime has picked up. We have all kinds of homes being broken into now. I mean, people are still living in campers and stuff and their houses are getting broken into. It’s just sad.
E. Happ: Contractors have left their vehicles in the neighborhood overnight. They’ve got broken into and all their equipment stolen. Luckily, that has not happened to our contractors.
C. Giles: The thieves don’t realize or care that people still live here. They think we’re all gone.
Rehak: Where do you go from here?
Post Traumatic Stress and Spinning in Circles
C. Giles: We are just taking it one day at a time and finally finding some normalcy. But then, the other night when it rained, I just sat there, you know, praying, “Please watch over my house.” Even my little autistic one, Maverick, who drew the picture of the house crying, could not go to sleep till like midnight.
Picture of house crying, by seven-year-old autistic Maverick Giles. The black part is tears, says Maverick. He says it represents him missing his home.
CJ: None of us sleep.
E. Happ: Maverick was so nervous. All he could do when he came in the house was spin in circles.
That’s how Maverick dealt with the house being all topsy-turvy. He’d just spin in circles.
Evonne Happ
C. Giles: It would be hard to move now. People are losing money on their houses and we’re just not in a place where we can afford that. So, we’re just trying to hang in there.
From Left to Right: Jerry Happ, Evonne Happ, CJ and Catrina Giles in front of their home on Shady Gardens in Elm Grove, now almost restored a second time.
E. Happ: We’ve been living here for the past five years. We’re gonna be leaving in the summertime, probably by August. I’ll go back to South Carolina. I can deal with those damn hurricanes; you can get out of their way. This! It just happened so fast. Each time.
Long-Distance Help
Rehak (to Catrina): What does your husband do?
C. Giles: He’s a quality manager working on a large project in Finland now.
Rehak: So, you’re restoring all this by yourself without your husband’s help?
C. Giles: He helped coordinate the insurance, inspections and contractors, but for the rip-out and rebuilding of our home…he hasn’t been able to be a part of that because of his work.
Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right
Rehak: What do you feel about Perry Homes at this point?
C. Giles: Well…there’s anger. They just really need to be held accountable for what happened.
J. Happ: These houses were built more than 35 years ago. They’ve gone through hurricanes. You know, large rainstorms, whatever. NEVER been flooded. All of this happened since they started building that development.
C. Giles: Right. Our street flooded during Harvey. But the water never came up in the yard even. Perry just needs to know that they not only affected adults. They affected animals. They affected children.
Some children have a Ziploc bag of their clothes right beside their bed. That’s so if they flood again, they have a change of clothes.
Catrina Giles
Rehak: If you had Kathy Perry Britton sitting right here across the table from you, what would you say to her?
C. Giles: Well. (long pause) I’d be nice. Two wrongs don’t make a right. So, we would pray for her and hope that she made the right decision and fixed that (pointing to development). Because too many people have been affected by this. Our community has been tarnished.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Catrina-Giles6.jpeg?fit=960%2C720&ssl=1720960adminadmin2020-02-08 12:50:452020-02-08 12:56:56Giles Family Struggles to Overcome Two Floods; Prays for Perry Homes to Do Right Thing
Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin announced that Kingwood Storm-Water Line Inspections will continue and improve.
Houston Public Works will inspect junctures more critically. Martin’s office elaborated no further.
How It Works
“Most inspections already conducted have been clear,” said Martin. “Only a few spots needed debris removal.” The City, he says, addresses areas with debris in the lines prior to moving on to the next neighborhood. They use specialized equipment and “confined-space” personnel to remove the debris. To date, the City has inspected nearly 150,000 linear feet, or approximately 28 miles, of storm-water lines.
Order of Priority
The City has completed Elm Grove, Hunter’s Ridge, North & South Woodland Hills, Bear Branch, Forest Cove, Greentree Village, and Kings Crossing. This week, Houston Public Works started on Kings Point. Houston Public Works now expects to complete one community each week.
When Public Works finishes in a community, they post photos from their storm-water line inspection to Council Member Martin’s Facebook Photo Albums. If you see Houston Public Works crews conducting an inspection, Martin invites you to please say “hi” and watch how they work.
Houston Public Works has prioritized villages in Kingwood by the number of homes impacted during Imelda. The Department hopes to complete the project by June 1, 2020, weather permitting.
Working with HOAs to Alert Residents
Prior to Public Works moving to a new Village, Martin’s office will work directly with the affected HOA to make them aware of the impending storm water-line inspection.
How You Can Help Avoid Streets Flooding
Martin encourages the community to participate in the City’s Adopt-A-Drain program.
Other ways residents can help:
Make sure trash cans don’t tip over before pickup.
Dispose of yard clippings and leaves properly.
Clear gutters before bad weather.
Never throw trash down drains or inlets.
Just In Time for Storms Next Week
Harris County Meteorologist Jeff Lindner warns, “Widespread rainfall amounts Sun-Wednesday night look to average 1-2 inches across much of the area.” However, also says we could see totals of 3-4 inches or even higher along and east of I-45 if a surface low tracks over the area next Wednesday.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/7/2020
892 Days since Harvey and 141 since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Victim_03.jpg?fit=1000%2C1500&ssl=115001000adminadmin2020-02-07 19:29:112020-02-07 19:49:02Kingwood Storm-Water Line Inspections Update
On January 25th Sharon Mize and her husband, B Ray, drove around Lake Conroe to see the impact of the lower lake levels on boating, fishing and commerce. Even though the water level was still at 199 feet, they saw dozens of boaters; full parking lots at the boat ramps and restaurants; and people getting boats in and out of the water.
On Jan. 25, 2020, SJRA recorded the lake level at slightly more than 199 feet.Screen capture by Sharon Mize.
An Outsider’s View on a Cold and Blustery Day
The Mizes quickly point out that they do not have enough history with Lake Conroe to determine whether what they saw was “normal.” However, they characterized the activity as “healthy,” despite a cold, blustery, overcast January day.
As you look at the photos below, look not only at the activity in the shot, look at the waterlines on piers and docks relative to the water level.
Photo taken from Wolfies restaurant at Lake Conroe ParkHouse and slip across from Wolfies. Note fisherman at right.Bulkheading across from Wolfies shows normal and current water lines.Slips by restaurants at Waterpoint Marina. Note normal water level on posts and smile on woman.Activity at Waterpoint MarinaBoats tied up at restaurants at Waterpoint Marina. A restaurant owner told me that business was down seasonally, but that it was normal year over year. The owner estimated winter was down 20% compared to the peak in summer during vacation season.Waterline at Waterpoint MarinaBoat Ramp still usable at La TorrettaWalden Yacht Club. Note normal waterline on pier in foreground.Fishermen near Walden Yacht ClubNote difference between water level and normal waterline on docks at Walden Yacht Club.The heaviest orange color shows the most common level of the lake. B Ray Mize estimates the lake was down about 12 to 18 inches compared to that.Boats entering and leaving harbor at Walden Yacht ClubAnother waterline on docks at Walden Yacht ClubShoreline across from Scott’s Ridge Boat Ramp. No excessive exposure of sediment at 199 feet.Boats by Scott’s Ridge Boat RampScott’s Ridge Boat Ramp Parking Lot filled with empty boat trailers.Boat about to land at Scott’s Ridge boat rampParadise Point North Boat Launch
In fact, during the months SJRA intentionally lowers the lake 1-2 feet, the lake level AVERAGES about 199.5. So, Lake Conroe residents would only lose about another half foot.
The 46-year January average for Lake Conroe’s level is 199.54, according to the SJRA. Note also that the average for any month has never exceeded 200.44 since the lake was built.
For more background on this controversy, see the Lake Lowering page on this web site.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/6/2020 based photos and input from Sharon and B Ray Mize
891 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/D-10-Walden-Yacht-Club-copy.jpg?fit=1200%2C533&ssl=15331200adminadmin2020-02-06 16:09:172020-02-06 17:48:18Lake Conroe at 199 Feet: Photos Show Little Impact on Boating, Fishing, Commerce
At its Feb. 20 board meeting, the San Jacinto River Authority will decide whether to continue lowering Lake Conroe temporarily until other flood mitigation measures can be put in place. Before then, Donna Dewhirst, a resident of Walden on Lake Houston, wanted to share some reminders of the damage that Harvey and the 80,000 CFS Lake Conroe release inflicted on the Lake Houston area.
A Horror Story in Pictures
Dewhirst’s outdoor kitchen took on knee-deep water. In the background, that’s the second story of her boat dock.As water started to subside, Dewhirst found trees and other debris lodged in her dock. The flood destroyed her boat.A 70-foot surprise became visible when floodwaters receded. The flood also destroyed Dewhirst’s boat.The railroad bridge just down from her caught another boat swept away in the flood.
“The water reached my back porch at the foundation of my home, but amazingly my house and garage got no water in them,” said Dewhirst.
Dewhirst feels lucky.Her neighbors less so.As water receded, the extent of flooding became more apparent.
“It was horrific,” said Dewhirst. “But we were lucky compared to others. I planned returning to a flooded home, but God of Heaven spared me. My son in law had put Flex Seal on the back doors and taped it with duct tape a few feet up. I’m sure that helped. But honestly from the water line on the house, it truly was a sheer miracle we didn’t flood.”
Can It Be Averted In the Future?
Aerial view of Aquatic Drive on Walden on Lake Houston after the Conroe release. Dewhirst believes this photo came from Greg Toole. If not, please let me know. I will correct the credit or remove the image if the author wishes.
If lowering Lake Conroe temporarily until other flood mitigation measures can be put in place, such as additional flood gates on the Lake Houston dam, I’m all for it.
For more information about that program and how to make your voice heard, visit the Lake Lowering page on this web site.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/5/2020
890 Days after Hurricane Harveyand 15 days before the SJRA decision
