Where the Rain Fell

During last week’s major rain, the National Weather Service and others predicted that some of the heaviest rain would fall in the US59 corridor. In fact, it did…just not US59 North. A pocket of 6-8 inch rain hit Sugar Land, as you can see below.

Regional Rain Map From Last Storm

Regional rainfall map of last week’s big storm, supplied by National Weather Service

Two other pockets received 6-8 inches (red): The Woodlands and Huntsville. The vast majority of the area around Lake Houston received 4-5 inches (olive). Upstream from us, a small band through southern Montgomery County received 5-6 (orange). But upstream from Lake Conroe, the huge yellow area received only 3-4.

Diane Cooper, who sent this map to me, worked for the NWS for 20 years in various capacities including as a meteorologist, hydrologist and river forecaster. In predicting floods such as this, forecasters say, it’s important to look at rainfall upstream, not just your area.

How to Interpret

Reviewing such maps can help several ways. It can help predict peaks based on historical comparisons of rainfall. It can also help predict the timing of peaks, based on the distance high volumes have to travel. 

In this case, Lake Creek and the East Fork, because of heavy rainfall upstream, prolonged the high water in our area.


You can zoom from the entire United States to your own property, and even switch backgrounds, or highlight streams, by turning layers on and off.

By zooming out, you can see the storm as it approaches. And by varying the length of the period searched, you can get an idea of how much rain has fallen in the last 14, 30, 60, 90 and 120 days. You can even narrow the search to 1 hour to determine current intensity.

Where to Find

You can find all this regional information on the National Weather Service web site here.

If you forget the link, it’s always available on the Links page of this web site under the Weather/Flood Related subhead and a listing called NWS Regional Rainfall for the last 24 hours.

The site offers hundreds of different ways to search through information as varied as river stages “forecast” and “observed”; stream flow amounts; temperature; wind; visibility; ship observations and more. It’s one of the more powerful and useful online tools I have ever seen.

Play with it and learn how it works before the next storm. It can help reduce anxiety by showing you exactly what you’re up against. 

Precipitation for the last thirty days. Saturated ground makes for quick runoff.

You can even see where the storm went after it left here.  I’m just thankful I’m not one of those people buried under snow without power. Been there. Done that. Minnesota. January. It’s enough to make you a Texan. 

Posted by Bob Rehak on December 10, 2018

468 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Deadline Approaching for Hurricane Harvey Tax Relief

In the weeks after Hurricane Harvey made landfall, Congress passed the Cruz-Cornyn-Rubio bill, which provided crucial tax relief for hurricane survivors. An important part of this bill eliminated the tax penalty for hurricane survivors who wanted to withdraw from retirement accounts to pay for the costs of repairs storm damages.

Such qualified retirement account withdrawals must be made by December 31, 2018 – a deadline that is quickly approaching.

If you are still in the process of rebuilding and recovering from the ravages of Harvey, contact your tax advisor for more information.

Residents trying to escape as Harvey's floodwaters rose
Residents of Kingwood Village Estates as Harvey’s floodwaters rose.

The IRS also provides information on this and other Harvey-related programs at this link.

Thousands of families in the Lake Houston area suffered hurricane-related damage during Harvey and could qualify. Hardly anyone finished Harvey-related repairs before this year. So check this out if you haven’t already. Remind your friends, neighbors and relatives. Every little bit helps. Only 22 tax-relief days left till New Years!

Posted by Bob Rehak on December 9, 2018

467 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Whew! Luck and Aggressive Action Avert Major Flooding

Good to have the Pearl Harbor Day flooding in the rear-view mirror. And good that the worst predictions did not come true. So what happened? Did we just get lucky? Or did something go right for a change? It might have been a little of both.

Here’s what I know at 8 p.m. on Saturday night, about when the flood was expected to crest and flood multiple neighborhoods.

Lake Conroe Releases Have Peaked

According to Jace Houston, General Manager of the SJRA, releases from the Lake Conroe dam have likely peaked. The current release rate of 8181 cfs falls far short of previous floods and short of 9,000 to 11,000 cfs release rates predicted earlier.

Less Rain than Expected

That’s because we got less rainfall than predicted. Most of the area, including Lake Houston and upstream from Lake Conroe, received about 4.5 inches or less instead of the 8 to 10 predicted earlier.  And rain was fairly spread out over time. The heaviest rainfall seems to have happened in The Woodlands with some gages approaching 6 inches.

Aggressive Pre-Release by City

Finally, the City of Houston started releasing water from the Lake Houston Dam two days in advance of the storm. They took the lake level down two feet before the storm and kept releasing water during the storm. Had it not been for that, homes along the shoreline would almost certainly have flooded.

Looking across the flood-swollen San Jacinto at the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Command Site. Had the City not pre-released more than 2 feet of water from Lake Houston, this site would have been inundated.

Trending Steady or Down

At this moment, every stream gage that the SJRA reports upstream from the Lake Houston area is trending down. The peak has passed.

Harris County Flood Control shows that the gages at US59, West Lake Houston Parkway and FM1960 also appear to have peaked.

A photographic tour of the Kingwood area this afternoon showed that the river came out of its banks at River Grove Park and US59 and was on the verge of coming out in many other places. Surprisingly, I saw no flooded homes, not even on Marina Drive in Forest Cove. However, I did hear of many affected by street flooding, especially upstream in Montgomery County.

Still Much Mitigation Work to Do

Ben’s Branch by the Enclave and Kingwood Library had standing water. That should be a reminder that the County needs to make cleaning out this stream a high priority. 

One final point. Late this afternoon, I noticed a huge difference between the gages upstream and downstream from the dredging.

At 59, the West Fork exceeded its banks and peaked at 52 feet.
At West Lake Houston Parkway, the river was well within its banks and peaking around 45 feet.
At FM1960 the river was still well within banks and peaking at 44 feet.

Normally, these gages all read the same elevation. One can partially attribute the differences to spreading of the river. However one must also consider the huge blockages in the river that the Corps has not yet removed. At the moment, one of the biggest is just downstream from River Grove Park. Another, the mouth bar, blocks the river between Kings Point and Atascocita Point.

Even during a flood, the mouth bar (in the middle of this picture) stands out of the water by several feet and blocks the mouth of the West Fork. Water must make its way past this blockage through narrow passages on either side of it. It backs water up throughout the Humble/Kingwood area.
Here’s what the mouth bar looks like from the air, right after Harvey, before grass started growing on it. The area around it averages 1-3 feet deep. The deepest parts of the narrow channel reach 5 feet deep.

The Lake Houston Area lucked out this time due to aggressive action by City officials, a conservative release rate by the SJRA and the kindness of Mother Nature. I hope we don’t press our luck and assume that these blockages make no difference. They do. We need to remove them.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/8/2018

466 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Putting a 54-Foot Flood in Historical Perspective

Below is a list of historic crests on the West Fork at the 59 bridge. If the current flood crests at 54 feet, it will be the tenth highest in the last 25 years. Scroll down the list for floods you remember. For instance, did you flood in the Memorial or Tax Day floods? 

The Memorial Day flood of 2015 on the West Fork crested at about the same height as this flood is expected to crest – 54 feet. However, that was lower than a flood in 2016, also near Memorial Day that crested at about 62 feet. 

This flood will be about three feet lower than the Tax Day flood in 2016. And about 2.5 feet higher than the Good Friday flood this year.

However, we will be about 15 feet below Harvey.

Near-Real-Time Inundation Map showing status of River Grove Park as of 7AM Saturday morning, December 8, 2018. Check your status at HarrisCountyFWS.org.

Remember: Things Change 

Apply some judgment to all these numbers. New blockages downstream, such as the mouth bar, could back water up compared to what it used to be. New development upstream could also. hasten the convergence of water and increase flood levels. And it’s not just how much water falls, it’s how fast it falls.

Recent Crests
(1) 49.51 ft on 07/05/2018
(2) 51.66 ft on 03/29/2018 Good Friday
(3) 49.46 ft on 02/26/2018
(4) 69.18 ft on 08/29/2017 Harvey
(5) 61.95 ft on 05/29/2016
(6) 57.32 ft on 04/21/2016 Tax Day
(7) 50.11 ft on 06/21/2015
(8) 53.65 ft on 05/29/2015 Memorial Day
(9) 49.56 ft on 05/18/2015
(10) 50.54 ft on 05/14/2015
(11) 49.58 ft on 03/13/2015
(12) 49.92 ft on 05/28/2014
(13) 52.09 ft on 07/14/2012
(14) 50.10 ft on 10/30/2009
(15) 50.10 ft on 04/28/2009
(16) 49.70 ft on 11/13/2008
(17) 62.80 ft on 09/14/2008
(18) 50.20 ft on 01/17/2007
(19) 51.40 ft on 10/17/2006
(20) 51.10 ft on 10/17/2006
(21) 49.60 ft on 05/02/2004
(22) 50.60 ft on 02/14/2004
(23) 55.80 ft on 11/07/2002
(24) 53.90 ft on 10/29/2002
(25) 55.30 ft on 06/10/2001 TS Allison
(26) 60.10 ft on 11/15/1998
(27) 55.10 ft on 10/20/1998
(28) 54.20 ft on 10/19/1998
(29) 46.90 ft on 02/22/1998
(30) 52.40 ft on 01/08/1998
(31) 67.30 ft on 10/18/1994 ’94 Flood
(32) 49.82 ft on 03/04/1992
(33) 51.72 ft on 06/27/1989
(34) 55.60 ft on 05/18/1989
(35) 50.46 ft on 11/26/1987
(36) 50.10 ft on 06/13/1987
(37) 42.20 ft on 08/23/1986
(38) 53.20 ft on 11/26/1985
(39) 51.80 ft on 10/26/1984
(40) 46.00 ft on 02/13/1984
(41) 54.00 ft on 05/23/1983
(42) 50.60 ft on 05/14/1982
(43) 50.10 ft on 09/01/1980
(44) 55.70 ft on 04/19/1979

5th Wettest December 7th on Record

According to Matt Lanza at Space City Weather, Houston officially had 4.31″ of rain on Friday, making December 7, 2018 the 5th wettest December day on record in the city, going back to the late 1800s. It was also our wettest single day since August of 2017, which we all know was during Hurricane Harvey.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/8/2018

466 Days since Hurricane Harvey

West Fork Forecast to Flood up to 54 Feet

The following is the forecast for the San Jacinto River basin including the West and East Forks and the mainstem below Lake Houston, as of about 8:30 p.m. Friday evening. Some forecasters believe rainfall, runoff and flooding could go higher. This post has already been updated once.

West Fork: 

Major flooding forecast. Some uncertainty remains. Forecast could go a few feet higher. Jeff Lindner, Harris County meteorologist warns Northshore, Belleau Woods, Rivercrest, and Forest Cove will likely flood into early next week. Even elevated structures will be cut-off for several days.  

Lake Conroe is currently releasing 2121 cfs as of 7 p.m. Friday. This is a small fraction of the expected flows along the West Fork.

The West Fork reached it’s low point around 4 p.m. this afternoon after the City lowered the Lake to 40.75 feet. Flood gates remain open at the Lake Houston dam. Regardless, the West Fork is now expected to crest at around 54 feet on Monday afternoon and not return to its banks for several days.
Near Real Time Inundation Map from HarrisCountyFWS.org. Check the site periodically for latest updates.

This will be the inundation with a stage of 52.0 ft at US 59

East Fork: 

NWS forecasts minor to moderate flooding along the East Fork at FM 1485. At 62 ft FM 1485 west of the river bridge will be impacted.

Mainstem below Lake Houston: 

A rise to near flood stage is currently expected. A few low lying roads near the river could be flooded.

Overnight Rain Forecast

Lindner says, “Widespread rainfall of 1-2 inches has occurred over much of the area this afternoon with isolated totals of 3-4 inches over southern Walker and extreme northern Montgomery Counties.”

“Surface low is deepening northwest of Harris County and suggests increasing potential for heavier showers and thunderstorms. They will train from WSW and SW to the ENE and NE. Rainfall will continue to pile up at the rate of .5 to 1.5 inches per hour this evening and much of what is now falling is directly running off,” says Lindner.

The National Weather Service and Lindner expect areas along and NW of US 59 will receive the most sustained rainfall this evening.

Impact of Lake Lowering

Luckily for the Humble Kingwood Area, the City of Houston reduced the level of Lake Houston more than the 18″ they originally projected. As of this afternoon, the Lake was down to 40.5. That should give us some cushion against flooding.

Said City Council Member Dave Martin, “The gates at Lake Houston continue to remain open and will be adjusted as needed to allow for even more water to be released should that be necessary. In response to the lowering of Lake Houston, the West Fork of the San Jacinto River near Highway 59 has also lowered by 2 feet providing additional capacity in the river. 

Expected SJRA Release Rates

According to Martin, the SJRA currently estimates that releases from Lake Conroe might peak at 9,000 to 11,000 cfs sometime over the weekend based on current forecasts. These amounts are relatively small in comparison to the rain events that our area saw during July 4, 2018 and Memorial Day 2016.

If you live in a low-lying area, monitor rainfall and water-level trends by visiting these web sites throughout the weekend.  

Posted on 12/7/2018 by Bob Rehak based on info from Harris County & COH

465 Days since Hurricane Harvey.

Handy Web Sites to Monitor Flooding

After Harvey, the SJRA, Harris County, National Weather Service and USGS added and upgraded stream gages throughout the region. Think of these gages as a distant early warning system. Looking at upstream conditions tells you what will soon happen in your area.

Here’s a list of handy web sites that display river, bayou and stream levels around Lake Houston and the state. Explore them before an emergency.  Bookmark those that offer the best information for your area. 

Reference Guide

Texas Water Development Board A one-stop shop for flood preparedness anywhere in Texas. Brings together local information from all over the state. Check everything from stream gages to the status of evacuation routes.

Advanced Hydrologic Prediction for Humble/Kingwood Area  NOAA predictions for the West Fork at the 59 bridge. You can also navigate to predictions for the East Fork.

Harris County Flood Warning System. Real-time rainfall, and river-channel monitoring and forecasting. The Warning System also contains near-real-time inundation mapping. For instructions on how to use it and a discussion of its limitations, see this post.

Gages listed on the Harris County Flood Warning System in northern Harris and Montgomery Counties. This screen capture was made at 11:18 AM on 12/7/18. You can see that heavy rain is already falling at the top of the area shown in this map.

National Weather Service  Get current weather info and warnings for our area.

National Weather Service regional rainfall for the last 24 hours. Useful for looking at upstream and downstream rainfall when evaluating potential for flooding.

Water-On-The-Go App USGS stream-gage data surrounding you wherever you go in Texas. Location-aware app with historical information.

Weather.gov.  Recommended by professionals.

Coastal Water Authority.  For levels of Lake Houston at the dam and approaching weather.

SJRA. See the dashboard on their home page Lake Conroe levels and discharge rates. For other gages, dig further into their website. 

If you lose track of this post, you can always find these sites under the LINKS tab of this web site.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/7/2018

465 Days since Hurricane Harvey

U.S. Army Liberates River Grove Park

465 Days after Hurricane Harvey, the U.S. Army has finally liberated River Grove Park in Kingwood. They literally took the beach.

Drainage ditch at River Grove is now open to the San Jacinto River.

Actually, they took the giant sand bar that Harvey deposited one night. It had been blocking the drainage ditch that runs through the park and that caused excessive flooding. The two shots immediately below show what that sand bar looked like before dredging.

Sandbar deposited by Hurricane Harvey at River Grove forced water to make a 90 degree turn before it could reach the river. This slowed the velocity of runoff and backed up water into subdivisions, like the Barrington in the background. While the sandbar looks low from the air it was up to 15 feet high directly in front of the drainage ditch (middle left). See below.

The same dune in the previous image photographed from the boat dock.

Dredge Now Moves Downriver

Dredge is now moving downriver.

Work to Date

Dredge #1 is working alongside the West Lake Houston Parkway bridge. It has dredged approximately 135,000 cubic yards of sand and silt to date, according to the Corps’ project manager.

Dredge #2 is working on the upstream end of the project, still near River Grove. It has dredged approximately 226,000 cubic yards to date. After dredging the access channel to River Grove, surveys showed there were some areas that the dredge could not reach.  Great Lakes, the contractor will use a barge-mounted excavator to perform final clean-up work. Updated surveys will then confirm achievement of plan goals.

Dredging plans for River Grove indicate a channel width of 50 feet and a depth of 15 feet near the boat ramp.

For all the people who live upstream from the drainage ditch that runs through River Grove, this is an early Christmas present. It will be interesting to see what happens to flood levels in the park now that the bar blocking the ditch has been removed…just in time for a major fall storm that could drop up to 10″ on the US59 corridor. However, we also need to remember that the City is dropping the level of the Lake by at least 18″.

Posted on December 7, 2018 by Bob Rehak

465 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Mercer Cancels Holiday in the Gardens Because of Expected Severe Weather

Just received word from Harris County Precinct #4 that Mercer Botanic Gardens and the Mercer Society (TMS) have cancelled Holiday in the Gardens this Saturday. Reason: expected severe weather including flooding and possible tornadoes.

The event had been scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 8 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 22306 Aldine Westfield Road in Humble, 77338.

Holiday in the Gardens has been cancelled this year due to expected flooding and severe weather.

Storms forecast to hit the area Friday, Dec. 7, into early Saturday morning could dump as much as 8-10 inches of rain. Jeff Lindner, Harris County meteorologist expects the US59 corridor to be the focus of some of the most intense. He predicts flooding along Cypress Creek which borders the Mercer Botanic Gardens.

Stay tuned for details regarding additional events planned in 2019.

TMS, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, partners with Mercer Botanic Gardens to provide support for ongoing flood recovery efforts, programming, as well as improvements and expansions at Mercer Botanic Gardens. For more information about TMS or to make a donation, visit themercersociety.org.

Since 1974, Mercer has grown to more than 300 acres with more than 20 acres of beautifully maintained gardens in addition to an extensive walking trail system, ponds, ongoing educational and recreational programs, and more. For more information, visit www.hcp4.net/mercer.

Once again, Holiday in the Gardens has been cancelled this year due to expected severe weather.

Posted by Bob Rehak on December 6, 2018

464 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Flash Flood Watch Issued from Friday Noon to Saturday Noon For All SE Texas

Now would be a good time to make sure nothing is blocking the storm drains on your street. The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for Houston from Friday afternoon through Saturday morning. This means conditions are favorable for flooding to occur. Heavy rain is expected to impact Houston beginning 6 p.m. Friday, December 7, and periods of intense and/or prolonged rainfall may cause flash flooding.

National Weather Service Flash Flood Prediction as of Dec 6 @ 5:40 a.m.

Protective Actions

Be Prepared. Bring pets inside. Delay travel or outdoor activities during periods of heavy rainfall. If travel is unavoidable, reduce your speed to avoid hydroplaning. Make sure storm drains on your street are clear.

If a Flash Flood Warning is issued for your area:

DO NOT travel. Do not drive through flooded areas.  If you see water covering the road, do not attempt to cross it. Only a few inches of water can float a vehicle . If you find yourself in a dangerous situation where your vehicle is taking on water, get out of the vehicle, get to a higher position, and call 911.

Monitor Official Sources for Current Information:

Monitor Stream, Bayou, and Creek Conditions:  Rain may move repeatedly across the same area, causing creeks and bayous to rise and possibly exceed their banks.  Stay informed of current conditions and avoid traveling near creeks and bayous.

Avoid Traveling during Periods of Heavy Rain:  Rain can reduce visibility and prevent you from seeing the road ahead, which could lead to accidents.

Lake Houston Lowered in Anticipation of Storm

Council Member Dave Martin’s office says that the City of Houston has been lowering Lake Houston water levels since late last night.

Property owners should expect a lowering of up to 18 inches. Should additional lowering be necessary, Council Member Martin will work with Houston Public Works to make sure that everything possible is done to secure life and property in the Lake Houston area.

As of 1:30 a.m. Thursday afternoon, the Coastal Water Authority reported the level of Lake Houston at 41.54 ft. That’s about 12 inches below normal. Pre-releasing water from the Lake creates extra capacity for incoming floodwater to reduce the risk of flooding.

Harris County Meteorologist Discusses Local Impacts

Jeff Lindner, the Harris County meteorologist, also issued a special report this morning warning that, “Flash Flooding of streets along with significant rises on area bayous, creeks, and rivers to flood levels is possible.

Says Lindner, “Powerful upper level storm system moving into S CA and NW MX this morning will track generally eastward and into TX over the next 48 hours. Activity will increase today from the coastal bend northward along the I-35 corridor. Some of this activity will likely affect our far western and southwestern counties later this morning into the afternoon hours.”

Friday-Saturday

Lindner warns, “An excessive rainfall event is likely Friday afternoon-Saturday morning, resulting in flooding.”

“Models continue to suggest near record/record moisture levels will be in place by Friday afternoon. Forecast soundings show little instability, but loaded with plentiful moisture form the surface into the upper levels indicating convection will be very effective at heavy rainfall production. Unfortunately it appears the slow moving surface front will be nearing the US 59 corridor around the time that maximum parameters for heavy rainfall focus over SE TX. This includes a very strong 45-55kt low level jet which will transport copious moisture into the frontals slope. Add in a slow moving surface boundary and a nearly “tropical air mass” and you pretty much have everything needed for excessive rainfall rates.”

Widespread Rainfall of 3-6″, 8-10″ in Places

According to Lindner, widespread rainfall amounts of 3-6 inches appear likely over nearly all of the area with isolated totals of 8-10 inches. It is still somewhat uncertain where those higher isolated totals may occur, but areas along and NW of US 59 may have a slightly greater risk than areas S of US 59. Much of the higher totals will tend to focus closely with the surface front and where it slows at times as it crosses the region. In addition to the overall totals, high hourly rainfall rates of 2-3 inches per hour will be possible which will lead to rapid urban flooding of street systems.”

River Forecast

The National Weather Service predicts significant rises in area watersheds. They say most basins can handle 6 hour totals of 3-4 inches, but anything greater than about 4 inches in 6 hours is going to likely be cause for concern. For Harris County, all of the creeks and bayous will likely see significant rises and exceeding of flood stage levels is possible. Greatest concern at the moment is for the watersheds over the northern half of Harris County. Some structure flooding will be possible if watersheds exceed their banks or intense rainfall rates overwhelm street systems.

They made the following predictions at 12:46 p.m., Thursday.

San Jacinto: minor to moderate flooding expected on the West Fork. Minor flooding on the East Fork

Cypress Creek: minor flooding forecast from Katy Hockley to West Fork of the San Jacinto River

Trinity: minor to moderate flooding expected along the entire river below Riverside

Brazos: Minor flooding expected at Hempstead and Bryan and will likely see at least minor at Richmond and Rosharon

Summary

Timing: Friday morning College Station area, mid to late afternoon Houston area through Saturday morning

Amounts: 3-6 inches widespread isolated 8-10 inches. US59 corridor may get the worst.

Watersheds: flooding of creeks, bayous, and rivers probable

Street Flooding: high threat for street flooding

Severe: a few storms late Friday night may become severe near the coast with a tornado threat.

Forecast Rainfall Amounts

Excessive rainfall amounts for Day 2

Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/6/2018

464 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Dawn of a New Day for the Lake Houston Area

This morning, Dr. Charles Campbell, shared a spectacularly beautiful and inspiring photograph with me. He took it right here in Kingwood. It symbolizes all the hope and promise of a new day, maybe even a new year. Dr. Campbell jogs every morning at sunrise in East End Park where he took this shot.

Sunrise over Lake Houston from Kingwood’s East End Park at Otter Point. Photo courtesy of Dr. Charles Campbell. 

Reconstruction to Date

As I lost myself in this photo, I reflected on the progress our dynamic community has made this year.

  • Most people have rebuilt from Hurricane Harvey or are at least close to completion.
  • Most businesses have returned.
  • Kingwood College should completely re-open in January with $60 million of renovations and new construction.
  • Kingwood High School also received an estimated $60 million makeover and update.
  • Memorial Hermann opened a new 45,000 square foot Convenient Care Center in the heart of Town Center.

Flood Mitigation Progress

And to help prevent a repeat of Harvey:

  • The Army Corps of Engineers has started a $67 million dredging project which it hopes to complete by next April.
  • City, County, State and Federal leaders have rallied to urge FEMA and the Corps to extend the project past the mouth of the river. Both of these projects should help move water through the river faster.
  • Mayor Turner has promised to add 10 new flood gates to the Lake Houston dam. This will help shed water to Galveston Bay faster in future storms.
  • Harris County voters approved a historic $2.5 billion Flood Bond. It includes money that will help build the gates  and dredge the river on an ongoing basis.
  • The bond package also includes money to help build additional upstream detention. That will hold water upstream in future flood events.
  •  The SJRA adopted a policy of seasonally lowering Lake Conroe during the peak of spring rains and the Hurricane Season. They will hopefully continue this until other mitigation measures are in place. This helps give us an additional buffer against giant storms.
  • The City of Houston adopted a policy of lowering Lake Houston, also in anticipation of major storms. Again, this gives the lake extra capacity to absorb more runoff before the river is forced out of its banks. This also is a temporary measure until other mitigation measures are completed.
  • Government buyouts of repeatedly flood-ravaged homes have already commenced.
  • The county is also buying out properties below the Lake Houston dam in anticipation of higher flow rates once additional gates are installed.
  • Harris County has purchased floodway property and will convert it to new parks. Construction on Edgewater Park will begin next year and create a second boat launch for area residents.
  • The City passed a new ordinance requiring homes to be built 2 feet above the 500-year flood plain.
  • TexDoT completely reconstructed and strengthened the I-69 southbound lanes.
  • The County and the Corps are starting to open up ditches like the one at River Grove that drains the western third of Kingwood.

Dredging has reached the side bar and up into the drainage ditch at River Grove past the boat dock. Photo Courtesy of Dave Seitzinger.

New Day for the Community That Refused to Quit

Clearly, we have a lot to be thankful for this Christmas. But as I look back, the thing I am most thankful for is that the people of this community chose not to ignore flood issues. We addressed them head on. As a result, our our homes, health and future will be much safer.

When I moved to Texas almost 40 years ago, I fell in love with the can-do attitude of Texans.

Tell a Texan something can’t be done and he’ll show you how.

Tell a Texan it’s hopeless and she’ll tell you to get out of her way.

And among Texans, few embody this spirit more than Houstonians, especially those in the Lake Houston area.

Posted by Bob Rehak on December 5, 2018

463 days since Hurricane Harvey