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Imelda Floods Ben’s Branch Schools, Homes at Three Choke Points

Disclaimer: I spent the better part of a day driving down every street that borders Ben’s Branch. I saw damage clustered in three areas. It’s possible other areas were affected but the City had removed trash before I got there.

At least two schools, 7 homes, and one business flooded along Ben’s Branch in Kingwood during Imelda. All were located near choke points along the creek. And massive recent upstream development likely played a role in each case. That new development also played a role in eroding the margin of safety between floodwaters and foundations all along the creek – even for homes and businesses that did not flood. Total damages will likely exceed $3 million along Ben’s Branch in Kingwood.

*Three circles represent choke points where virtually all structural flooding happened on Ben’s Branch during Imelda.* *See discussion below.*

Ben’s Branch Now and 10 Years Ago: Influence of Upstream Development

Area in white box is roughly 800 acres. Three quarters of it was not developed ten years ago (see below). Red line marks the course of Ben’s Branch through a series of retention ponds and new ditches that now contribute more water faster during heavy rains.

*Same area in 2009, only ten years ago.. Neither Woodridge Forest, Woodridge Village, nor the Kroger Center at 59 had started development yet, though some areas had been cleared.*

Imelda Tested Design Limits of Drainage Systems

Most drainage systems are designed to protect homes and businesses from a hundred-year flood. Imelda was a hundred year flood. The storm tested the design limits of flood infrastructure everywhere along Ben’s Branch in Kingwood.

Based on its peak intensity of 4.56 inches in one hour (as measured at the US59/West Fork gage), Imelda qualified as a 100-year storm. Streets, storm drains and ditches are designed to handle that much as an upper limit. And for the most part they did. Especially because builders usually elevate most structures at least two feet above the hundred-year flood plain.

Those extra two feet act as a margin of safety and as a hedge against future upstream development.

Limits Exceeded in Several Places During Imelda

In each case where homes, businesses or schools flooded along Ben’s Branch, unique circumstances eliminated that margin of error and resulted in flooded structures.

With the exception of one low-lying home I found in Hunter’s Ridge very close to the creek, all of the structural damage took place at three choke points along the creek.

Choke Point #1: Northpark and Ben’s Branch

Where Ben’s Branch crosses under Northpark Drive, two things happen. A ditch from the new Woodridge Forest subdivision joins it. And then all that water is forced into a culvert that crosses under Northpark Drive.

These two culverts constrained water flowing under Northpark Drive and backed it up past Hidden Pines at the stoplight in the background. When water started flowing over the road for approximately **two blocks**, this part of Kingwood was cut off.

To my knowledge, no one has ever upgraded that culvert despite significant upstream development. It backs water up for several blocks during heavy rains and forces water OVER Northpark Drive. This caused at least six homes near Aspen Glade west of Hidden Pines to flood.

When water backed up and flowed over Northpark, it cut off both inbound and outbound traffic. It also broke through the fences of homes that back up to Northpark.

*East-West fences were pushed in from the north by water overflowing across Northpark Drive. This location is a block west of the culverts.*

*Looking north toward Northpark Drive at Hidden Pines. North-South Fences were pushed out to the East by water trying to return to Ben’s Branch across Hidden Pines to the right.* *Note the new fence. It had just been replaced after the May 7th flood.*

*The scene on Aspen Glade Drive in North Woodland Hills. These homes are west of Hidden Pines and back up to Northpark Drive.*

*A resident of Aspen Glade shows how high the water got in front of his house during Imelda.*

*A worried Lela Yorba wonders how her family will ever recover from the second flood in four months*, *and whether she should even try.* *Despite living on Aspen Glade for decades, her home had never flooded before May of this year.*

*The interior of Yorba’s flooded home during Imelda.* *Image courtesy of Lela Yorba.*

*Yorba’s garage during the peak of Imelda.* *Image courtesy of Lela Yorba.*

*Floodwaters crept up to the foundations on the far side of the street but did not enter homes according to Yorba. Image courtesy of Lela Yorba.*

*One week after Imelda, Yorba tries to turn wet walls back into dry walls.*

Impact of New Development

Net: the flooding of homes on Aspen Glade was likely caused by an undersized culvert at North Park that could not convey all the water coming from hundreds of acres of new development. When the water backed up, it rushed over North Park for approximately two blocks. Eyewitness reports and FaceBook videos peg the height at a foot above the roadway.

*In the last 10 years, more than 600 acres have been developed north of North Park between 59 and Woodland Hills. More new homes are being built every day.*

Much of the drainage from the new development joined Ben’s Branch just before it reached the culverts.

*This drainage ditch from many of those new homes in Woodridge Forest joins Ben’s Branch east of Hidden Pines in the background where multiple homes flooded.* This is additional drainage coming into the creek at a point where part of it can not be siphoned off into the diversion ditch that runs down the west side of the villages of North and South Woodland Hills.

Choke Point #2: Woodland Hills Drive and Ben’s Branch

About two or three blocks east of the culverts under Northpark, between St. Martha Catholic School and Kids in Action, Ben’s Branch narrows down again. It quickly funnels from a wide, excavated ditch to a narrow stream cutting through dense forest. See photo below.

Hovering over Woodland Hills Drive in a helicopter looking east. Ben’s Branch narrows between Kids in Action on the left and St. Martha’s school (out of frame on the right). Both flooded. Note how the fence was pushed in by the force of the water.

At this choke point, both the school and Kids in Action, flooded. Repairing the school after the May flood cost St. Martha $900,000. Repairing Kids in Action cost $500,000. This time it will cost each even more.

*Behind St. Martha’s, Ben’s Branch becomes a narrow creek filled with trees. This further slows water down and backs it up. It remains like this most of the way to Kingwood Drive.* *Image courtesy of Father TJ Dolce.*

*The natural creek also makes many tight turns. Here, it makes a 150 degree turn followed by a 90 degree turn.* *Image courtesy of Father TJ Dolce.*

The results were costly. St. Martha’s lost two classroom buildings plus its playground.

One of the two St. Martha School buildings flooded by Imelda.

Until the school buildings can be dried, disinfected and rebuilt, classes are being held on upper floors and in other parish buildings. No children were ever endangered by the flood. Parish personnel started evacuations to higher buildings as soon was water started coming into the parking lot, the lowest point on the campus.

Across the creek, Kids in Action, one of Kingwood’s most popular day care and after school facilities, had its own problems.

*A distraught Diane Havens, owner of Kids in Action, tries to keep a brave face after she loses the use of her beautiful facilities for the second time in four months.*

*Hand sanitizer is the second thing you see in the reception area now.*

*Havens is bringing in four of these mobile units to hold classes until the first floor of Kids in Action can be restored again.*

Haven’s spent $500,000 repairing her facilities after the May 7th flood. That’s a lot for a small business. She’s determined to weather this storm, too. But she worries that some of her clients may grow impatient in the inconvenience during repairs.

Choke Point #3: Kingwood Drive and Ben’s Branch

As Ben’s Branch approaches Kingwood Drive from the northwest, it spreads out into a 100+ acre forested area that includes the Creekwood Nature Center. But just before it crosses under Kingwood Drive, Ben’s Branch’s flood plain funnels down between Kingwood High School and the old H-E-B shopping center. At that point, a second branch of the stream joins it from the north. After crossing under Kingwood Drive, it is further constricted on the east side by commercial development. This represents another choke point.

*The Kingwood High School Gym and Natatorium (bottom left) took on floodwater during Imelda.*

The Kingwood High School gym and natatorium took on several inches of water during Imelda when drains and/or Ben’s Branch backed up. Merchants in the old H-E-B shopping center also report being stranded in their stores for two hours at the peak of Imelda as water from Ben’s Branch raced through the parking lot. Merchants said the water was inches from coming in their stores.

While many of the businesses south of Kingwood Drive in Town Center and Kings Harbor reported having water lapping at their foundations, I found none that reported flood damage.

No Simple Fix

I can’t think of a simple fix to all of three of these problems. Fixing one could compound the others. For instance, it would be simple to replace the culverts under Northpark with a bridge when the street is widened. However, that would just increase the volume of water backing up where the creek narrows between St. Martha’s School and Kids in Action. That would likely flood them even worse.

Channelizing the creek all the way to Kingwood Drive would likely be unpalatable from a political point of view. Four reasons: Few people in that area were affected. They all love their greenbelts. And the costs would be high. That would make the Benefit/Cost ratio of the project a non-starter.

One Possible Solution

One possible solution: convert the unused land around St. Martha’s new church north of Northpark Drive to additional detention. That’s valuable land and detention is expensive, but it may be a better alternative than losing the school which was just expanded in 2008. Father TJ Dolce is pitching that idea and hopes the Archdiocese would approve the use of their vacant land for detention. The big question: Would it be enough to make a difference.

Drainage Study Already Under Way

Thankfully, Harris County Flood Control is conducting a Kingwood-wide drainage study right now. They are studying Ben’s Branch. Hopefully, their talented engineers will be able to find the optimum solution that protects everyone. I sure hope they find it soon because these people are every bit as desperate as the people who flooded twice in Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest.

Ben’s Branch may affect fewer structures. But it probably affects more people when you add up enrolled students and their families.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/1/2019 with help from Father TJ Dolce, Diane Havens, Lela Yorba, Daryl Palmer and National Helicopter Service.

763 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 12 since Imelda

Harris County Flood Control Issues First Report on Imelda

Jeff Lindner, meteorologist for Harris County Flood Control, has issued a 29-page report packed with statistics that puts Imelda in a historical context.

Contents of Imelda Report

The report starts out by summarizing what happened when and where during Imelda. It discusses far more than rainfall; it covers high water rescues, fatalities and more.

“Imelda demonstrated the susceptibility of the area to intense short duration rainfall rates,” says Lindner. That pretty much sums up the storm, but not the report.

Imelda Inch by Inch

“Lake Houston and 20.0-30.0 inches from Crosby to Huffman. 12-hr storm totals averaged 6.0-10.0 inches from the Spring Branch area to Lake Houston and 13.0-18.0 inches from Crosby to Huffman. 3-hr storm totals averaged 6.0-10.0 inches from northwest Houston to Huffman. 1-hr storm totals averaged 4.0-6.0 inches from Humble to northwest Houston including a maximum 1-hr total of 6.4 inches at Greens Bayou and US 59 and a 2-hr total of 9.2 inches. While just outside of Harris County, a 48-hr rainfall of 30.4 inches was recorded on the East Fork of the San Jacinto River at FM 2090 in the Plum Grove area,” says Lindner.

Comparing Imelda to Allison and Harvey

Many people have asked how Imelda compared to Harvey and Allison. It’s all in there. With max rainfall totals for each storm ranging from 5-minutes to four days. That was particularly illuminating in terms of explaining why some people flooded during one storm and not the other.

The report also includes:

A comparison of recent extreme rainfalls in Harris County for all those who worry we are on the verge of the apocalypse.
An analysis of overbook flooding for East and West Forks of the San Jacinto, Lake Houston, and other bayous.
House flooding estimates
High water marks
Rainfall intensity reports for multiple locations across the region
Contour maps showing rainfall intensities around the county
Peak water surface elevations

To download the full report click here.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/30/2019

762 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 11 Days since Imelda

Triple PG Mine Dikes Breach in Multiple Places, Contributing to Giant East Fork Sand Buildups

Of all the sand mines on the East and West Forks of the San Jacinto, the Triple PG Mine is unique. It alone sits inside the confluence of TWO floodways. The Prabhakar Guniganti family owns the mine. So far they have cleared, grubbed and mined about 700 of the 2000 acres they own in the area. But that hasn’t stopped them from receiving timber exemptions from the Montgomery County Appraisal District on the land being mined (that has no timber).

After Harvey, when I found 30 acres of sand up to 15 feet deep covering East End Park (just downstream from the mine), I rented a helicopter to see where the sand came from. That’s when I discovered this horrific mine for the first time.

Owned by Cardiologist Turned Sand Miner

Prabhakar Guniganti is a cardiologist from Nacogdoches who has broadened his practice into mining and land development.

I hope he’s better at cardiology than mining. His mine has received 15 citations in the last two years from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (see the MSHA site for a key to the citations). The one highlighted in yellow had to do with a breach.

Fifteen in two years averages out to more than one every other month. And that does not even include notices of enforcement from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, for instance when Tony Buzbee, candidate for Mayor discovered a massive breach in the dike of the Triple PG mine back in May.

Will This Never Stop?

Last week, Charlie Fahrmeier, a Lake Houston Area resident and an expert in sediment control, observed the same breach open AGAIN. Right above East End Park, which was destroyed by sand AGAIN.

So Friday, I rented another helicopter to see what I could see. What I saw turned my stomach. There was more than one breach. There were at least two and possibly three.

It appeared that Caney Creek (from the north) and White Oak Bayou from the west “captured the pit.” The streams then apparently crossed the mine sweeping out through the breach on the southeast side back into Caney Creek and then down the East Fork of the San Jacinto River.

White Oak Creek approaches the mine from the west and Caney Creek runs along its north and east sides. From the images below, taken a week after Imelda, it appears that the both creeks captured the mine and cut across it. *From FEMA’s National Flood Hazard Layer Viewer.*

Where Breaches Occurred

*The* *TCEQ fined Triple PG $16,875 for breaches* *one and two that were first reported after the May 7th storm. TCEQ has opened another investigation into the most recent breaches. Fines could be more substantial this time.*

Three Breaches from the Air

*Looking north from over the pit toward Caney Creek out of frame on the top. Water likely entered the mine from the north as Caney Creek reached flood stage and cut across the point bar above the mine.*
*Taken 9/27/19.*

A reverse shot shows how water tore through the mine.

*Looking south from over Caney Creek, you can see how current ripped through the mine. The road across the mine in the middle of the frame had been recently repaired when I took this shot on 9/27/19.*

*At the far end of the shot above on the west (right) side of the mine, I found this breach near White Oak Creek.* *Taken 9/27/19.*

*Looking east, directly across the mine, I saw this breach in the same location as the May breach. That’s Caney Creek in the background.* *Taken 9/27/19.*

*This close up shot of the same breach looking west from over Caney Creek shows how flimsy the repair was from earlier in the year. It was nothing but some sand dumped into a hole.* *Taken 9/27/19.*

Designed to Fail?

Two engineers told me that patch looked like it was “designed to fail.” Mine Safety and Health Administration regulation §56.20010 regarding retaining dams specifies that “If failure of a water or silt retaining dam will create a hazard, it shall be of substantial construction and inspected at regular intervals.” Clearly, sand is not substantial. “Built properly, that repair would not have reopened in this past flood,” said Fahrmeier.

TCEQ Requirements for Dike Construction and Repairs

Here are the TCEQ requirements for constructing dikes and levees. Note the paragraph on page 2 about structural integrity. “Construction must be based upon sound engineering principles. Structural integrity must withstand any waters which the levee or other improvement is intended to restrain or carry, considering all topographic features, including existing levees.”

These dikes had the structural integrity of a sand castle at a beach when the tide comes in.

Also interesting: Paragraph 4, Rights of Third Parties to be Protected. It’s a good read as far as regulations go.

Certainly, East End Park, just downstream was not protected.

KSA just finished cleaning up East End Park from Harvey. The organization spent close to $200,000 to restore trails covered in sand that reached to the treetops. Now the entire Kingwood community will have to sacrifice again. This area used to be a boardwalk over wetlands. The sign used to be shoulder high. Now it’s knee high.

*Another trail covered in sand and silt. Not all of this came from the mine; some came from river erosion. But the serious problems first appeared after the mine.*

How to Tell Mine from River Sedimentation

Charlie Fahrmeier who first discovered the most recent breach said that when he discovered it, water and sediment was streaming out of the mine. The water color was distinctly different from the color of water coming down Caney Creek. If the creek were responsible for all the sedimentation, the colors would have been reversed.

Caney Creek Now Averages 1.7 Feet Deep

In a future post, I will examine the growing mouth bar on the East Fork. That’s right. The East Fork and Caney Creek are barely navigable now. John Alberson took his jet boat up Caney Creek today and noted giant sand bars stretching across the river below the pit. He said the deepest part of the creek was 1.7 feet. The more sand there is in the creek and East Fork, the less room there is for water, so the higher the water rises during a flood.

How to File a Complaint With Mine Safety Authorities

I encourage everyone to file a Hazardous Condition Complaint with MSHA. You can do it online at https://lakmshaegov01.msha.gov/HazardousConditionComplaint.aspx. If they get enough complaints it could elevate the review.

Here’s some information you’ll need to file:

Mine ID: 4104950
Mine Name: Triple PG Sand
Mine Operator: Triple PG Sand Development LLC
Mine is in two zip codes but breaches appear to be in 77365.
Location of Breach #1: Long 30.102968°, Lat -95.171932°
Location of Breach #2: Long 30.055360°, Lat -95.104712°
Location of Breach #3: 30.065451°, Lat -95.102904°

Please help shut this mine down. It’s dumping its process water loaded with sediment and chlorides into your drinking water. Moreover, the City doesn’t have enough money to dredge the East Fork and its tributaries every time we get a big rain. Let’s stop this problem at the source. We need sand for concrete, but we don’t need it from this mine.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/29/2019

761 Days since Hurricane Harvey

The thoughts expressed in the post represent my opinions on matters of public interest and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US constitution and the Anti-SLAPP statute of the great State of Texas.

Crenshaw Donates Perry Homes’ Campaign Contribution to First Baptist Flood Relief Fund

Today, rumors sprung up on social media about a campaign contribution from Perry Homes to Congressman Dan Crenshaw. Some people new that he had accepted the check from Perry Homes back in November of 2018. Most people did not know, however, what Crenshaw had done with it. A quick call to Sue Walden, a Crenshaw aid, cleared up the confusion.

*Congressman Crenshaw talks with flooded Elm Grove residents shortly after the September 19th flood* *about where the water came from.*

After touring the devastation in Elm Grove this week, Crenshaw did two things.

He called Perry Homes and told them “firmly” that they needed to fix the drainage in Woodridge Village so that Elm Grove residents did not flood again.
Crenshaw wrote a check for $2500 to the flood relief effort being sponsored by First Baptist Church of Kingwood. The amount of the donation matches the 2018 campaign contribution that Perry Homes made to his campaign.

I think this shows class, compassion, and integrity. It eliminates any appearance of a conflict of interest. It also helps the people who need it most, flood victims, rather than putting the money back in the hands of the people suing them.

If you can help, please donate at:

https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/665161

In the drop down box at top of the page, make sure you select, Flood Recovery Kingwood.

Posted by Bob Rehak

760 Days after Hurricane Harvey and 10 days after Imelda

Why Some People Flooded on May 7th or September 19th, But Not During Harvey

After May 7th and September 19th storms, reports started pouring in about homes that flooded that had not flooded during Harvey. How could that be? Harvey dumped more rain than any storm in history of the continental U.S. The short answer: When you look closely at the rainfall statistics, its comes down to totals versus intensities. Even though Harvey brought more rain, its peak intensity never came close to the other storms’. Those higher peaks can create street flooding miles from any river. And they did.

Those looking for a more detailed explanation can read below.

Let’s start by looking at three local rainfall gages on the West and East Forks. Then we’ll compare statistics.

Where To Find Statistics

Using the Harris County Flood Warning System, you can find historical rainfall data for any date or gage in the region. Here’s what I found for three local gages and three storms.

Comparison of Storm Totals, Peak Intensities and Durations

During Harvey, we received:

33.04 inches at the West Fork/US59, with a peak 2.36 inches in one hour.
27.44 inches at the East Fork/FM1485, with a peak 1.4 inches in one hour.
East Fork/FM2090 – no data reported.

On May 7th, we received:

6.76 inches at the West Fork/US59 with a peak 3.64 inches in one hour
9.84 inches at the East Fork/FM1485 with a peak 3.16 inches in one hour
6.76 inches at the East Fork/FM2090 with a peak 1.6 inches in one hour

On September 19th, we received:

11.56 inches at the West Fork/US59 with a peak 4.56 inches in one hour
18.88 inches at the East Fork/FM1485, with a peak 9.4 inches in three hours.
19.68 inches at the East Fork/FM2090, with the peak of 3.24 inches in one hour.

Comparing Totals and Intensities

From this data, several things become immediately apparent.

Harvey dropped the most rain, but had the lowest peak intensity.
Compared to May 7th, the September 19th storm dropped roughly 2-3X more rain at each gage.
Comparing gage locations, you can also see tremendous variability over just a few miles for any given storm. For instance, on September 19th, 63% more rain fell on New Caney than the Humble/Kingwood area.

Comparing All 3 Storms to Precipitation Frequency Estimates

The next question: How do these numbers compare to the hypothetical 100- and 500-year rainfall events? Here are the updated precipitation frequency estimates for this area from NOAA Atlas 14.

Take the totals and peak intensities from the gage information above. Then locate them in the table below. Here’s what you find.

Frequency Estimates for Harvey – August 25-30, 2017

US59 at West Fork during Harvey

500-year event based on 5-day total
2- to 5- year event based on peak hour.

FM1485 At East Fork during Harvey

200-year event based on 5-day total
1-year event based on peak hour.

FM2090 at East Fork during Harvey

No data available

Frequency Estimates for May 7 Storm

US59 Gage on May 7

5-year storm based on 24-hour totals
25-year storm based on the 1-hour peak

Street and minor yard flooding in an event like this is normal. But it should not have entered your house if the house is above the 100-year flood plain. (Most homes are at least two feet above.)

If you’re near this gage and your home flooded on May 7th, it probably wasn’t because of the peak rainfall intensity or total. You should be looking for clogged or broken storm drains, fallen trees/sediment blocking ditches, or upstream development, like Woodridge Village, that overtaxed the capacity of drainage systems.

FM1485 Gage on May 7

25-year storm based on rainfall total
10-year storm based on peak intensity (1-hour rate).

Again, this should be well within the capacity of infrastructure to handle. If your home flooded, look for other causes like those above.

FM2090 Gage on May 7

5-year storm based on rainfall total
1-year storm based on peak intensity.

Infrastructure should have handled that easily. If your home flooded, look for one of the possible causes listed above.

Frequency Estimates for September 19 Storm

US59 Gage on September 19

25-year storm based on 24-hour total
100-year storm based on peak intensity.

Storm drains are designed to handle about 2 inches per hour, but when we got 4.56 inches between 9 and 10 a.m., we clearly pushed infrastructure capacity to the limit. It’s no accident that Jeff Miller’s security camera witnessed a huge surge of muddy water from Woodridge Village coming down his street at 10:10 a.m.

Most infrastructure, homes, and businesses are built to handle a hundred-year rain event. Even homes surrounded by 100-year flood plains are usually raised above them.

If you flooded in this event, it may have been because of the extreme rainfall or because your slab wasn’t elevated two feet above the 100 year flood plain like most building regs require.

Other causes may have factored in also. When there’s little margin for error, a partially clogged storm drain or ditch, or upstream development could have made the difference between flooding and not flooding.

A massive 268-acre, clear cut area with only 25% of the detention installed immediately upstream from you would quickly turn a marginal situation hopeless.

FM1485 Gage on September 19

100- to 200-year storm based on 24-hour totals.
100- to 200-year storm based on 3-hour peak intensity.

It easily surpassed the design capacity of infrastructure. Events like this make a good case for flood insurance if you don’t have it.

FM2090 Gage on September 19

200-year event based on 24 hour total
10-year event based on peak intensity.

Again, think flood insurance. You’re way past the design capacity of infrastructure.

River Flooding Vs. Street Flooding

Peak intensity usually affects streets first. Storm totals usually affect rivers later.

From the frequency estimates above we can see that Harvey was extreme in its totality, but did not reach the peak intensity that either the May 7th or September 19th storms did. In fact…

The highest one-hour total for the May 7th and September 19th storms at all three gages exceeded the highest one-hour measurement during Harvey.

The real story of Harvey: how much rain KEPT falling for days and days. And how much water was released from the Lake Conroe Dam at the peak of the storm. Harvey was not about street flooding. It was about river flooding.

River Flooding Versus Street Flooding

Rainfall totals, intensities and durations affect flooding differently.

Street Flooding

Intense bursts of rain like we saw on September 19th create street flooding. Short bursts quickly exceed storm drain capacity, and the storage capacity of sewers and streets. Water comes up in the streets quickly and goes down quickly. This could be miles from a river, long before river flooding. Rainfall just can’t get out of the neighborhood quickly enough.

River Flooding

It can take days for water to migrate to a river and for large rainfall totals to force the river out of its banks. River flooding usually happens long AFTER street flooding, when the storm totals exceed the conveyance capacity of the river.

Importance of Location

During Imelda, New Caney received 20 inches of rain, while Lake Conroe received only 2. So there was no need to release water from Lake Conroe. For the most part, West Fork flooding was minor. But it was a totally different event on the East Fork where heavy rain piled up for two days.

Harvey – Classic River Flooding

During Harvey, the rainfall intensity only briefly surpassed the carrying capacity of infrastructure. But when the rain piled up in rivers for days and the SJRA released 80,000 cubic feet per second from Lake Conroe, tens of thousands of people flooded.

As the river rose, the water in ditches had nowhere to go.
As the ditches rose, the water in storm drains had nowhere to go.
As the water in storm drains backed up, the water in streets had nowhere to go.
And when the rain kept coming…you know the rest.

Summary

I hope this helps explain why some people flooded on May 7th and/or September 19th and not during Harvey. Different intensities and different durations produced different types of flooding.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/27/19 and dedicated to my old friend David Lyday

759 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Kingwood Docks Development Submerged

During Imelda, most of the new Kingwood Docks development in Town Center went underwater and stayed that way for days. Much of it is still underwater. Many people have expressed concerns about the development of this area in recent months. It frequently floods. They worry about the potential for the development to increase flood risk for surrounding homes and businesses.

Let’s look at this property, its history, and the plans for it.

Repetitive Flooding

When the site was apartments for the first 30 years of Kingwood, it had a history of flooding repeatedly. It still does. It went underwater during Harvey, May 7th, and Imelda – three times in the last two years.

*Here’s what the site looked like before redevelopment into commercial space. Note the triangular area at the far right.*

*Here’s what it looked like a couple years ago. Lovett started clearing the land on the end.*

Entire Property in Flood Plain

FEMA’s National Flood Hazard Layer Viewer shows the entire development is in the 100 year flood plain (aqua). Brown areas represent the 500 year flood plain. Unshaded areas (top right) are not in a known flood hazard zone.

Restaurants with a River View

Since 1998, this site went through a series of five owners. All chose not to develop it once they discovered the site’s problems … until now.

Lovett Commercial bought this property in 2014 under the name Kingwood Retail Partners LTD. They intend to develop this area into a strip of restaurants. During heavy rains, those restaurants will have a river view. Except no one will be able to park by them.

*Here’s what the area looked like from Kingwood Drive on 9/19 as rains for Imelda receded. Photo courtesy of Josh Alberson.*

How High the Water Got

*What the parking area looked like the day after the storm. Water stayed like this for days.* *Part of it is still under water a week after Imelda.*

*Photo taken 9/21/19 shows erosion to pad site.* *The restaurants themselves will be built up 6-7 feet.* *Get out your climbing gear. That’s going to be one hell of an ADA ramp.*

More Restaurants Planned

Lovett will build twin 14,000 sf structures on that elevated portion (right). They hope to squeeze five restaurants into them. Each structure will measure 200 ft x 70 ft according to their plans.

*This shows part of what will become a detention pond around the eastern perimeter of the site.* *Note how it’s much lower than the creek next to it.*

*Another view of the “mitigation” area.* *Photo taken Saturday 9/21/2019*. *Two days after Imelda, it still had not drained.*

The parking will be underwater when it rains. So think seafood restaurants. (Sorry.) Crawfish anyone?

Lessons of History

The current owners bought this property in 2014, about the time that the adjacent apartments were cleared to make way for the HEB center. Lovett began clearing its land in 2016, as HEB and Memorial Hermann Convenient Care Center began construction. By Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, they knew something was terribly wrong.

Lovett knew that its land was lower than the adjacent shopping center as you can clearly see from this Google Earth photo dated 8/30/2017, one of the last days of Harvey. Look where all the water ponds!

Lovett clearly saw the catastrophic flooding during Harvey. Torchy’s, adjacent to them, flooded to the rafters during Harvey. So did every other building in the center.

Despite all that, Lovett started developing the property in earnest this year. Their sign promised that retail space would be available by Fall of 2019. It’s now Fall, and from the photos above, I doubt the owners will have it ready in the next three months.

Ain’t No Arguing with Mother Nature

I spent the last two years writing about flooding. One thing has become perfectly clear to me. We have flooding because people don’t respect the power of water. They think they can win arguments with Mother Nature. So in the name of science, engineering, free enterprise and private property rights, they build in areas where they should not. Confident that they will have the National Flood Insurance Program to bail them out when Mother Nature puts her foot down.

The Simple Solution to Flooding

If we want to stop flooding, we have to stop pushing the envelope into questionable areas. We pay lip service to that idea, but, here we go again. It’s death by a thousand cuts. One parcel at a time.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/26/2019

758 Days after Hurricane Harvey

All thoughts in this post represent my opinions on matters of public policy and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP statute of the Great State of Texas.

Time-Lapse Footage of Elm Grove Flood: Three Hours Boiled Down to 20 Seconds

Time-lapse, security-camera footage supplied by Jeff Miller, an Elm Grove resident, shows dramatically how quickly Imelda piled up in the streets of Elm Grove. This video covers from 8 a.m to 11 a.m. – compressed into twenty seconds. Note how the water starts out clear. Then, at 10:10 a.m., it turns muddy brown, starts swirling, and quickly fills up the street, his driveway, and some neighbor’s homes across the street.

The Instant the Water Changed Color

This video clearly shows a sudden influx of water from somewhere other than the sky. It fixes the time at which Woodridge Village’s S2 detention pond overflowed into the streets of Elm Grove. Miller lives one block south and three blocks west of S2. That means the water probably overtopped the banks of S2 around 10 a.m., allowing about 10 minutes for travel time.

At 10:54 that morning, Nancy Vera who lives immediately south of the Woodridge Village S2 detention pond and whose house backs up to Taylor Gully, says that:

She had a foot of muddy water in her house
Her back yard was dry
Taylor Gully was still within its banks.

About this time, Allyssa Harris was shooting video of water streaming directly out of Woodridge Forest and streaming down Village Springs.

*Video courtesy of Allyssa Harris. Shot from north end of Village Springs in Elm Grove looking north at the S2 detention pond in Woodridge Village overflowing.*

Perry Homes Et. Al. Drag Own Reputations Through Mud

Perry Homes, its subsidiaries and contractors dragged their own reputations through the mud. They have been stonewalling discovery in the case against them by more than 200 plaintiffs. In fact, they have sued the plaintiffs.

The District Clerks office does not show that Judge Lauren Reeder has yet ruled on the motion to compel discovery brought by hundreds of plaintiffs in lawsuits filed by Spurlock and Webster.

Harris County Attorney Now Authorized to File Suit Against Bad Actors

One encouraging sign Tuesday: Harris County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a motion that authorized the County Attorney to file suit against bad actors who don’t comply with regulations and cause downstream flooding. Frankly, I find that encouraging.

I think they just sent a shot over the bow of Perry Homes. Call the County Attorney tomorrow or send him links to related posts on this site.

These are my thoughts on matters of public opinion and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP statute of the great State of Texas.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/25/2019 with video from Jeff Miller and Allyssa Harris

757 Days since Hurricane Harvey and six days since Imelda

Triple-P Sand Mine Breached Again; East End Park Destroyed for Second Time in Two Years

Correction: The head of Enforcement for the TCEQ notified me that there was a “proposed” fine of $16,875 issued to the Triple-P Mine for the May breach, but that they have not “settled” yet.

The East Fork of the San Jacinto River and the Triple-P sand mine took a terrible toll on Kingwood’s East End Park for the second time in two years during Imelda. Sand several feet thick blanketed about 30 acres of this beautiful ecological gem and the peaceful trails that wind through it. The devastation matched and in some cases surpassed Harvey’s. These pictures tell the story. After Harvey, it took hundreds of thousands of dollars to restore the trails and boardwalks in the park. It will cost at least that much again.

Carried Away

This bench on the Pelican Overlook Trail used to have about 50 feet of trail, trees and river bank in front of it. Imelda eroded the bank and the river cut away the land under the trail. The trail will now have to be moved inland. It no longer exists.

Blanketed by Sand

*This boardwalk to Eagle Point used to go over pristine wetlands. It will now require excavation.* *Photo courtesy of John Knoezer.*

Scoured by Flood Waters

*Trail scouring occurred in many places. Large parts of the North Loop trail will require replacement.* *Photo courtesy of John Knoezer.*

Taking Destruction to New Levels

*This sign used to be chest high. Now it’s knee high.* *Photo courtesy of John Knoezer.*

Giant Trees Uprooted

*Trees are down in multiple places and block the main boardwalk. Photo courtesy of John Knoezer.*

Covered Up

*The main boardwalk is covered with a layer of ultra-slippery silt 1-2 inches thick. Photo courtesy of John Knoezer.*

Under Water

Quick Sand

*Rika, the safety pup, says, “Hmmmm. Lucky I don’t have to buy shoes.”*

For your own safety and the safety of your shoes, do not venture into the park near the river. It’s dangerous as you can see. Quicksand even exists in some places.

Now for The Bad News

Much of this sand may have come from the Triple-P sand mine on Caney Creek, just upstream from East End Park.

*Image courtesy of Charlie Fahrmeier*, *an expert in turbidity control*. *Photo taken on 9/22/2019.*

Once again the mine breached its dike, underscoring the danger of locating mines in floodways. This particular mine sits at the confluence of two floodways: Caney Creek and White Oak Creek. During Harvey, it lost a major portion of its stockpile to floodwaters. Then it happened again.

In May 2019, Tony Buzbee, candidate for Mayor of Houston, witnessed another breach while on a tour on the San Jacinto to investigate sedimentation issues. I notified the TCEQ and they issued a Notice of Enforcement in August. But they did not fine the company. This makes the third documented breach in two years.

Wrong Type of Repair

It appears that Triple P dumped some sand in the breach in a feeble attempt to stop the hemorrhage. But it obviously did not hold for long. Fahrmeier, who discovered this latest breach on his Waverunner, is an expert in turbidity and environmental pollution control. He said that sand is the wrong type of material for repairing dikes and that the repeat blowout was predictable.

Fahrmeier said that as he was coming up Caney Creek, the stream of sediment coming from the mine made it look as though there were two different streams. “There’s still quite a bit of sediment flowing into the river as evidenced by the discoloration. The pit is pretty large and no doubt contributed a significant volume of water and sediment flowing into Lake Houston since last week.”

KSA Repairs

KSA will begin initiating repairs on East End Park quickly. But many parts of the park are still not accessible. It may be months before all this damage can be repaired. In the meantime, please limit use of the park to the higher parts unaffected by Imelda and Triple P. No doubt some of this sand comes from river bed and bank erosion. But I believe a lot came from the mine, too. I hope KSA decides to sue the mine this time. It’s clear that they do not fear the TCEQ.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/23/2019 with images from John Knoezer and Charlier Fahrmeier

756 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 5 since Imelda

The thoughts expressed in this post represent my opinions on matters of public policy and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.

New Drone and Helicopter Footage Reveals How Elm Grove Disaster Unfolded

In the world of process quality-control, a consulting company named Kepner-Tregoe built a reputation for itself with a simple methodology. The foundation? When a problem appears, look for something different you did. Chances are, you’ll find the cause there.

Applying that same methodology to Elm Grove, an area that never flooded before May 7th, but which has flooded twice since then, one would have to look at the clearcut area immediately to the north, home of a new development called Woodridge Village.

Shortly after Perry Homes, its subsidiaries and contractors clearcut approximately 268 acres the problems started. But that wasn’t all the Perry gang did.

Before Harvey

They also filled in all the natural streams and wetlands that wound through the dense forest, slowing down runoff. Here’s what the area looked like before Harvey.

This is where the wetlands were (past tense).

*Source: USGS*. According to the Army Corps of Engineers, no one requested a jurisdictional delineation for the wetlands on this site. Normally, engineering companies request such a ruling to see if the Corps will object to the loss of valuable wetlands. *So this project could have required a Corps permit that the developer never obtained.*

After Clearcutting

Here’s what the same area looks like today from a helicopter facing south.

*Shot taken on 9/21/19 two days after Imelda. Land slopes generally from NW to SE, funneling toward Taylor Gully at the tip of the arrow*. *Note the ponding water on the northwest side of the dirt pile near the base of the arrow.* *Depending on where rain falls within this area, it could take a different path, but the destination remains the same – Taylor Gully.*

The LJA engineer who authored the Woodridge hydrology report characterized the slope on the northern section as 1% or greater. That’s confirmed by this contour map. And that slope is enough to make water move.

*This map shows that LJA Engineering knew all drainage funneled into Taylor Gully.* *For the full report, click here.*

*LJA also knew that the areas on either side of Taylor Gully in North Kingwood Forest and Elm Grove were vulnerable. Large areas were classified within the 100-year flood plain.* *For the full report, click here.*

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc

Kepner-Tregoe aside, just because something happened after something else does not automatically mean that A caused B. In logic, that assumption is called the Post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy. (Latin for “after this, therefore because of this.”)

Even though the Kepner-Tregoe methodology strongly suggests a linkage, do we have more direct proof that runoff from this subdivision caused the Elm Grove/North Kingwood Forest Flood on 9/19/19? Yes.

Clue #1

Well, for one thing, 75% of the detention pond capacity was supposed to be installed on that steep northern section, which is twice as big as the souther section. But none was. Or at least, none of it was fully functional.

Here’s where LJA intended it to go. It virtually ringed the western, southern and eastern sides.

*This illustration shows that* 234 acre feet of detention capacity should have been built on the northern section. But before Imelda, only 75.7 acre feet were actually built, all on the southern section. Less than 25% of the detention was fully functional when Imelda hit.

Out of the promised 309 acre feet of detention, only 75 acre feet actually existed before Imelda, about 25% of the eventual total. All of that was on the southern section. Despite the fact that the northern section contained far more land.

*N1 detention in NW corner missing.* *Looking SW.*

*N2 Detention only partially available in SW corner. Montgomery County excavated this to a depth of approximately three feet between 2006-2008.* *But it needs to go much deeper to reach its detention goal.* *Looking West.*

*Where the top part of the missing N3 detention pond should be* *on the NE corner.* *Looking SE.*

Where the bottom part of the missing N3 should be. A shallow trench channeled water toward Taylor Gully (out of frame in the upper right), without the benefit of any detention on the northern section to slow it down. *Also looking SE.*

Clue #2

When all that water reached the tree line that separates Elm Grove from Woodless Village (sic), it pushed the silt fence over. Notice the giant chunks of wood slammed up against the fence.

*Silt fence that separates Woodridge Village from Elm Grove* *now leans toward Elm Grove.*

*The same thing happened on the border with Taylor Gully. When the rainfall exceeded the capacity of the detention pond, water came up out of it and pushed the silt fence near the culvert outward.*

*The same thing happened with the silt fence that borders North Kingwood Forest to the East. It leans toward the damaged area.*

Water pushed the silt fence outward in all directions, like an exploding water balloon. This indicates the S2 pond exceeded its capacity.

Clue 3

If all this inferential evidence isn’t enough, we have direct evidence – video shot by Allyssa Harris during the flood. It shows water streaming out of the development in the background, directly into the streets of Elm Grove.

*What it looked like from the Elm Grove side of the silt fence during the storm. Video courtesy of Allyssa Harris. Video looks north toward S2 detention pond from Village Springs.*

This is what happened to the 75% of the runoff that the two southern detention ponds could not hold.

Clue #4

When the flood subsided, there was muck in streets, driveways, yards and homes. This was not just rainwater; it was runoff from 268 clearcut acres.

*Abel Vera had to grab his car to avoid slipping in ankle-deep sediment on Village Springs.*

*What Village Springs looked like the day after Imelda.*

Clue 5

According to the USGS gage at US59, a foot of rain fell on this 268 clearcut area on 9/19. All of it had to squeeze through the two tiny box culverts circled in the lower right. It was like aiming firehoses into a kitchen sink. *Note: it’s worse than it looks. Additional acreage exists out of frame on left and right.*

Likely Path of Water

As in May, water that should have been detained elsewhere rushed to S2. S2 overflowed and added to already heavy rainfall.

Broken fences, leaning grass, the location of ponding water, and erosion patterns all suggest that water followed the same routes on May 7.

It rushed to the SE corner of Woodridge, couldn’t get through the culvert, backed up, and sought ways around – via the streets of Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest.

*Likely path of water in May and September floods. Background image is from February, before S2 pond was completed.*

What Should Happen Next?

In my opinion, for all the reasons listed above, as a result of clearcutting all this land without installing required detention, hundreds of families flooded for a second time in four months. Worse, the threat remains.

Perry, its subsidiaries and contractors had ideal construction weather during that time yet construction activity ground to a half almost a month ago.

That exposed hundreds of people to needless flood risk. Again. Worse, more than two months remain in hurricane season. And lawyers for the defendants in the lawsuit are dragging the case out by stonewalling production of evidence. They refuse to answer even simple questions like, “Who was in charge of this project on the day of the flood?” And “Who is your insurance company?”

Water Six Feet Deep in Places

What started as a dispute over negligence has turned into a massive public safety issue. Residents estimated water in the streets of Elm Grove reached six feet in places. That’s deep enough to sweep people away and drown them.

My Wishes for Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest

That Perry Homes settles these lawsuits immediately and makes people whole, or…
That Perry Homes fast-tracks construction and completes the promised detention ponds, or…
That Perry Homes puts a conservation easement on the land, donates it to the County or a conservation organization, and converts the property back to its natural state or a giant lake/detention pond.
Failing any of the above, that the City of Houston or Montgomery County pulls construction permits for this property and renders it useless and valueless.

But before any of those things happen, the judge in this case may need to throw some lawyers and CEO’s in jail. If someone walked into a 7-11 and stole a loaf of bread, he would get jail time.

But steal the lives and destroy the homes of hundreds of people and what do you get? Delays.

It’s time to put a stop to this nonsense and hold people accountable.

These are my opinions on matters of public safety and concern. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP statute of the Great State of Texas.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/23/2019 with grateful thanks to Matt Swint for his drone images, Jeff Miller for his reporting, Allyssa Harris for her video, and Daryl Palmer for arranging the helicopter from National Helicopter Service, Inc.

755 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 3 since Imelda

Devastation in New Caney

*Home of family of seven flipped on its side.*

A neighbor, Jennifer Coulter, just sent me this picture of devastation today. She and friends tried to help flood New Caney flood victims today with their hands, hearts, and gifts of food.

Despair on Pecan Drive

They came to a neighborhood off FM1485 and Baptist Encampment road that backs up to Caney Creek. There, they met people who had little to start with and now have even less. They lost everything.

Home for Family of Seven Now Upside Down

Coulter had her life turned upside down by Harvey and is no stranger to the kindness of strangers.

“This area took my breath away because of the level of devastation,” she said. She sent me the picture above taken by a friend. “The flood knocked the trailer over. That was the home of a family of seven…since Harvey,” she said. “It landed on their washer and dryer and refrigerator that they had hooked up outside. Everything was destroyed.”

Children Clinging to Rafters in Attic

“We saw another home where the flood line was halfway up the ROOF. Children had been clinging to rafters in the attic to keep from being swept away by the flood.”

“Another lady we met had a heart attack and was released from the hospital the day before the storm. As the floodwaters rose, she and her husband heard something strange outside. They opened the front door and were immediately blown back by water that was knee deep.”

Third Highest Flood on Record

New Caney was one of the hardest hit areas during Imelda. On 9/19/19, the the gage at FM1485 received 19.36 inches of rain, one of the highest totals in the Houston region. Caney Creek rose 18 feet in a matter of hours. Imelda created the third highest flood on record after Harvey and 1994.

“The people affected have absolutely nothing salvageable,” says Coulter. “Mud covers everything. I’m going to share with our church. Others are, too. The need is great.”

Please help if you can.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/22/2019

754 Days since Hurricane Harvey and three days since Imelda