Tuesday, the SJRA Board met to reconsider lowering Lake Conroe seasonally. Many Lake Houston Area residents there to testify felt bullied by the large and boisterous crowd of Lake Conroe residents. This is another story of bullying. It’s about how a young man with autism who was traumatized by flooding during Hurricane Harvey fought his way back. He’s now taking up the fight to continue lowering Lake Conroe seasonally. Below: the text of a letter he wrote to the SJRA Board. It took courage for Ryan to share this letter with the world. Spoiler alert: Keep a Kleenex handy as you read this. It’s inspirational.
My name is Ryan Long and I am a 15-year-old from Kingwood. In August of 2017, when I was 12, my home flooded after the release of water from Lake Conroe. We do NOT live on a flood plain, and we NEVER had flooding in our neighborhood until the middle of the night of August 27th during Harvey.
Foster’s Mill, where I live, had no warning to evacuate. When flood water came, the current was so great that regular boats could not get down my street to rescue people. Helicopters flew in all day and rescued people from roofs.
Rescued by USAF Special Forces
We were finally rescued in the evening on a boat by a Special Forces team from the U.S. Air Force, hours after flood waters came into our home. I, my family, and my community will feel the impact for years to come.
Harvey photo courtesy of Ryan Long
I have autism and am classified as “high-functioning.” Before Harvey, I loved school. But due to the Lake Conroe release during Harvey, I lost years of therapy and a year of schooling.
As I woke up on the third day of the storm, power had gone out. When I opened my curtain, I saw a river rushing right outside my home; the water so deep it was about to seep into my downstairs. I panicked and ran to my parents! As the day wore on, I watched as water crept in our home like a slowly rising tide until the Special Forces evacuated us.
Harvey photo courtesy of Ryan Long
Descent into Darkness
Our journey out was rough. The destruction I saw traumatized me. I felt broken. Every day, I felt anxious. The first time it rained, I hid under a desk, certain it would happen all over again. I slept with the lights on at night. Darkness felt like a Halloween horror movie. School became traumatic. Walking down a crowded hall felt as if I were caught in a cage. Kids began to pick on me about my panic attacks. I isolated myself, even from friends.
I could not figure out how to ask for help. I felt frantic when taking tests. I could not concentrate. My grades, a source of pride, began to suffer. Even with the help of teachers who recognized the problem, I still failed.
The Long Road Back
My parents found a counselor who helped me find a way back. She talked to me about things I loved. Eventually, I started listening to her. Slowly, she taught me strategies to cope. She helped me overcome fears and taught me how not to feel so lost. My grades improved, and I learned to sleep in the dark again.
Harvey photo courtesy of Ryan Long
However, I was still struggling with kids who frequently bullied me. After a particularly brutal, physical incident, I found the courage to stand up for myself and reported the incident – despite fear of retribution.
At first, I wondered what changed that day. I finally found the courage to believe in myself. I started doing things with my friends again. And I finished the year with straight A’s.
It took more than a year before I learned to believe in myself again. Today, I am still anxious at times. I still do not like thunderstorms. And I still struggle occasionally on tests. But I no longer think I am too stupid to do the work. But I believe in myself. Harvey did not break me. I came out better in the end. But that doesn’t mean I want to go through it again.
Still Dealing with Anxiety
People not living with the repercussions of Harvey tend to forget what happened. They expect the trauma and damage to go away as soon as homes are repaired. However, two and a half years later I still have anxiety.
My home is fixed but others on my street and many in my community are not. People still live on second floors with their downstairs in disarray. Other homes are abandoned. Many people are frightened when it rains. My mom has panic attacks when she hears helicopters. Damage – both physical and emotional – lingers on.
Harvey photo courtesy of Ryan Long
So, what does this have to do with the SJRA and the people of Lake Conroe? I beg you to remember that there are people and lives that have been devastated by flooding downstream. We ask that you continue the seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe until the flood mitigation can be completed on Lake Houston.
Thank you for listening.
Sincerely,
Ryan Long
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/23/2020with grateful thanks and best wishes to Ryan Long
877 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/RyanLong3.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=19001200adminadmin2020-01-22 21:03:352020-01-22 21:06:58Flooded 15-Year-Old With Autism Fights for Lowering Lake Conroe
Colleen Ulrich gave me permission to share her family’s Hurricane Harvey experience. She captured the terror in this letter to the San Jacinto River Authority Board. It supports the continued seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe to provide a buffer against flooding until other mitigation measures can be put in place.Her home did not flood UNTIL AFTER the Lake Conroe release.
Full Text of Ulrich Letter
Dear SJRA Board Members,
The purpose of my email is to petition all SRJA Board Members to approve the temporary, seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe for 2020. As an introduction, I have been a resident of Kingwood since August 2005 when I evacuated from New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina. We never moved back because our family fell in love with our adopted state of Texas and our adopted home town of Kingwood. I live in the Barrington neighborhood with my husband and 10-year-old daughter. Our home was flooded with 2 feet 2 inches of water in August 2017.
Colleen Ulrich’s vehicle during Hurricane Harvey after Lake Conroe release. This photo and those below courtesy of Colleen Ulrich. All used with permission.
Childhood Memories
One of the issues that those opposed to the temporary, seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe is that they feel deprived of their ability to enjoy the lake and to create fun summer time boating memories for their families and children. As a mother and Kingwood resident, I am petitioning you to vote in favor of the temporary, seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe to ensure the safety of my child and all of the children of Kingwood and to ensure none of the Kingwood area children have any memories similar to the ones that were created from the flood in August 2017.
Colleen Ulrich’s dining room during Hurricane Harvey after the SJRA opened the flood gates on Lake Conroe.
Our daughter, Alexandra, was 7 1/2 at the time and her memories include sitting on our stairwell alone in our home while my husband carried me on his back to be evacuated by boat because the quickly rising water was too high and the current too strong for me to walk by myself. Alexandra’s memories include riding in that same boat out of our neighborhood and seeing the houses with up to 4 feet of water in them. Alexandra’s memories include having her childhood bedroom destroyed by floodwaters.
I promise you that these memories will never fade for her.
The Ulrich living room after the Lake Conroe release during Harvey.
Fun Vs. Safety
So I petition to the Board, what is more important – creating fleeting childhood memories of a boat ride in the summer on Lake Conroe or averting traumatic childhood memories of a flood?
What is more important – the perceived Lake Conroe falling property values or the safety of our children and residents?
Heirlooms underwater.
I am in agreement that the lowering of Lake Conroe and Lake Houston are both temporary solutions. And of course these temporary solutions should be revisited once all of the other permanent measures including the installation of additional gates in Lake Houston are put in place. But until that time, I pray that you will make the right decision and keep the temporary, seasonal lowering in place until permanent measures can ensure the safety of all the children and of all the residents of Kingwood and the surrounding areas.
Ulrich kitchen, cabinets and appliances destroyed.
The piano that’s not so grand since Harvey.
Video of Evac
For your consideration, my husband recorded this video and posted it on YouTube so we can remind others of the trauma of that day. This was his boat ride out of Barrington.
I appreciate your service to our community and your consideration of my appeal to approve the lowering of Lake Conroe.
Regards,
Colleen Ulrich
Address and Phone Number Withheld for Purposes of This Post
Tell the SJRA Board about your Harvey experience and why you would like to see them continue lowering Lake Conroe seasonally until other flood mitigation measures can be put in place. Come to the next board meeting and tell them in person or write them by visiting https://www.sjra.net/about/board/. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the email form.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/18/2020
872 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Ulrich-Evac.jpg?fit=1182%2C662&ssl=16621182adminadmin2020-01-18 17:11:252020-01-19 07:50:57Childhood Terror From Harvey: Ulrich Family’s Experience and Letter to SJRA Board
I recently had the honor of interviewing Blake Roberts, general manager of the Clubs of Kingwood. Roberts took the job just five days before Hurricane Harvey and has led the Clubs’ remarkable comeback. From golf courses buried under as much as eight feet of sand to the clubhouse that took on six feet of water, Roberts and his team resurrected an operation that many would have written off. They turned it into a shining centerpiece and selling point for the entire Kingwood community…even as they fed members whose homes had been destroyed.
Rehak: When you combine Deerwood and Kingwood, this must rank as one of the larger clubs in the country. Is it in the Top 10?
Roberts: It’s actually #5 now.
Rehak: What happened during Harvey?
Roberts: We ended up with almost 18 feet of water across the entire golf course. We also had sand. Some areas had just a few inches but others had up to eight feet.
Rehak: Amazing.
Buried in Sand
Roberts: The big issue we had was, “What do you do with all the sand?” And, “How do you turn it back into a golf course and make it better than ever. We have a phenomenal maintenance group. They redid three out of the five holes near the river that had the most silt on them. They re-contoured them to actually use the silt and sand dumped by Harvey.
Hurricane Harvey deposited several feet of sand on Kingwood Country Club’s golf courses near the river. This shot was taken on 9/14/2017. You can see crews already re-contouring one of the holes.
Rehak: You couldn’t just push it back into the river.
Roberts: Correct. We spread it out over other parts of the golf course and used that as padding for the soil that was already out there. We came in with backhoes and started moving the dirt and trying to smooth it all out. Then we put sod right back over the top of it.
Downed trees, of course, made some of the bigger differences. When people play the courses today, they say, “I don’t remember this hole being this way.” That’s because you used to have a tree here and a tree there. But that was part of the contouring that went along with it to make it flow and drain for playing golf again.
Eaglet in nest on Kingwood Country Club Island Course. Photo courtesy of Emily Murphy.Eagles returned after the flood.
One of the biggest concerns for the members was our eagles’ nests. We’re happy to say they’re safe and sound and we have a huge Facebook following of the baby eagles that hatched this year!
18 Feet of Water On Courses, 6 in Clubhouse
Rehak: You said you had 18 feet of water on the course. How much was in the clubhouse?
Roberts: Almost six feet.
Rehak: What did reconstruction entail?
Newly redecorated reception area at the Kingwood Country Club
Roberts: We took out everything. Took out ceiling tiles. We took out all the way up because the mold started growing so quickly. We took everything down to the studs and bricks, and tossed out anything that could hold moisture.
Rehak: You lost some other facilities here, too. Tell me about those.
Roberts: We lost the fitness center. That ended up with about twenty eight inches of water in it. Of course the pools and everything else. We lost all of our pump houses. We lost our maintenance building. We lost the Forest Course which has the Golf Advantage School and the driving range.
Deerwood Completely Updated
Rehak: And what about Deerwood?
Roberts: We lost the Deerwood Club House and maintenance building. Deerwood ended up with about 34 inches. The water wicked up through the walls. With the building being a little bit older and not having as many updates, we went back in and changed it completely.
Roberts: How?
Roberts: It now has a restaurant where their golf shop used to be. And then we redid the men’s locker room. We redid the dining area. We put in a new bar area, new wet areas, new showers, new everything. Members tell me it’s the best thing that we could have ever done.
Improvements to Other Facilities at Kingwood
Rehak: What about your Lazy River and pool at the Kingwood Club? How did those fare in the flood?
Roberts: Not well. All of the equipment – from the umbrellas to the chairs to the tables – was pushed around in the flood. They damaged the interior of the pools. So we drained all the water, completely power washed everything, re- plastered and started all over from the very beginning.
We even rebuilt all the cabanas because the cabanas had metal poles. There was a concern that if they sat in water with level four contaminants and you didn’t get everything, what happens when somebody touches it and then touches food?
We had the same concerns with fitness equipment. Some of it was above water, but we worried about microbial growth. So we took everything out. All the way down the concrete slab which they bleached the tar out of. Then we started over with brand new equipment.
Rehak: Incredible.
Newly renovatedLakeside Terrace where members dined during reconstruction. It had been flooded to the roofline.
Roberts: The Lakeside Terrace flooded all the way up to the roofline because of where it sits. So they took it all the way down to the studs and the glass walls. We power washed and bleached it. Just started all over again, replaced the roof, replaced the ceiling, replaced the insulation. It’s beautiful. More beautiful than it was before. Absolutely. Members actually dined out there for a little more than a year. Our “kitchen” was a 38-foot trailer for 15 months.
Giving Back to Community in Its Darkest Hour
Rehak: That raises an interesting question. How did you keep your staff focused through all this?
Roberts: The team actually bonded together, much like the community as a whole. We took more than 25,000 sandwiches and wraps to homeowners around the community right after Harvey. All of our clubs in the area sent food our way. We dispersed it throughout the entire community. That’s incredible. As soon as we could get a food truck here, we actually fed all of our members from the food truck. From the 8th of September all the way through the 8th of December. Every single day, members could come up and dine for free.
When the staff wasn’t working here, folks went into neighborhoods and helped random people moving stuff out of their homes or ripping sheetrock out. There were so many random acts of kindness!
Rehak: That’s quite amazing.
Roberts: And the employees all bound together. They had a plan. Our goal was to get these golf courses back and a dining space before the end of the year, which we accomplished. Golf courses finished up on December 26, with the last trucks of sand going into the bunkers. And we had the Lakeside Terrace for members to dine. And April 9th, 2018, we opened up the fitness center. And then the pools opened on Memorial Day weekend that year like they were always scheduled to do.
Membership Back Up But Still Room For Growth
Rehak: And how did the membership levels fare through all this. Did you take a hit?
Members teeing up on the driving range and working on the putting green.
Roberts: Oh yes. And we anticipated that would happen. We had more than 300 members whose homes flooded. So we allowed them to go to a “Hold” Category while they rebuilt their homes. They had plenty of time to complete fixes before coming back to full membership.
$50 Million Investment In Community
Roberts: How much did it cost to restore all this?
We’re over $50 million currently. That includes Deerwood and Kingwood Clubs. It also includes a large fleet of golf carts and maintenance equipment that nobody really ever thinks about. But those carts aren’t cheap and neither are those big tractors that mow.
Ironically, we had taken precautions with all that equipment before the flood. We moved everything to the parking lot because the parking lot had never flooded before.
Rehak: So fifty million dollars! That’s a huge commitment. Was that a hard sell to your corporate office?
Roberts: Not really. They came back and said, “You know what? This has always been the heart of Kingwood. This is the heart of the community and we want to get it back to being bigger and better than ever.”
Part of the Kingwood Country Clubs gorgeous Lake Course
Manager Started Job 5 Days Before Harvey…and Stayed
Rehak: You started this job not long before Hurricane Harvey.
Roberts: Five days. When I tell people that, everyone asks, “Why did you stay?” I saw it as an opportunity. Can you imagine putting this on your resume? A 50 million dollar rebuild project on top of managing 90 holes of golf, a fitness center, tennis and all the other.
Rehak: It’s gorgeous. It looks like you’ve completely redesigned the clubhouse.
Roberts: Not completely redesigned, but completely refreshed. We kept most of the walls in the same spots, but the ones that we needed to move, we did. The new board room is an example.
Rehak: What did you do and how did you make it different?
Roberts: Well, we had a storage room behind the board room. We removed that wall and gained six extra feet. So we were able to put a very large table in there and make it the boardroom that it always should have been.
“We’re Still Discovering Little Things”
With other changes like that, we soft-opened this building (Kingwood CC clubhouse) in February, 2019. And we’re still considering ourselves under soft opening because we’re still discovering things.
Rehak: For instance?
Roberts: Little things. You originally go into re-building thinking, “I have all this covered.” And then you’re like, “I don’t have all this.” For instance, I’m still waiting on my coffee credenza to where I have member coffee available all of the time. It’s just little things like that. We built the building back and we’re ninety-eight percent of the way…complete.
Rehak: Are you going to have an official grand reopening?
18th Hole of Kingwood Country Club’s Island Course.
Official Grand Re-Opening Coming Soon
Roberts: We ARE. But there are three projects we’re still trying to complete. The member porte-cochère entrance by the golf shop, the back patio, and our private-event entrance. Then we will consider the rebuild complete.
Rehak: Would you call this the opportunity to rebuild the club your dreams? It really does look pretty spectacular here.
Roberts: Yes, we were able to put all the little things back together that we wished for over the years, but never were able to do.
Rehak: Do any stories from the flood or the recovery really stand out in your mind?
Roberts: 25,000+ sandwiches. Feeding members for months. Long days. Some of our crews did this by day. And by night, they were actually going to people’s houses and helping them rip out sheet rock and drywall and everything else. I was amazed to hear how many people were doing this and you know some of them are 50-60 years old.
Rehak: Is the membership level back up to where it was or it needs to be?
Roberts: We’re close. Very close to being back where we were before Harvey. But two other floods in 2015 and 2016 hurt us as well. So we still have room to grow.
Outside of newly renovated dining room.
Rehak: How are the courses? Are there spots you don’t want to hit your ball into?
Getting Even Better Every Single Day
Roberts: Not really. The best part about this was the golf courses getting that extra sand. I have people who have been members for 40 years saying, “This place is better than the day it was built.” It makes me smile knowing how far we’ve come.
Rehak: Did you have to replant the greens?
Roberts: All the greens survived except two. And we redid those with the three fairways. But if you didn’t know exactly where to look, you probably couldn’t tell.
Rehak: If you had one thing to tell potential new members right now, what would it be?
Roberts: We’re back and better than ever. And we’re getting even better every single day. If you haven’t seen us lately, you probably should take a look again. Because you know what? What people may remember is completely different now.
Posted by Bob Rehak on August 7, 2019
708 Days from Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/RobertsBlake_02.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&ssl=110001500adminadmin2019-07-30 18:21:322019-08-09 01:13:24$50 Million Rebuild After Harvey Makes Fifth Largest Country Club in America Better Than Ever
Flooded 15-Year-Old With Autism Fights for Lowering Lake Conroe
Tuesday, the SJRA Board met to reconsider lowering Lake Conroe seasonally. Many Lake Houston Area residents there to testify felt bullied by the large and boisterous crowd of Lake Conroe residents. This is another story of bullying. It’s about how a young man with autism who was traumatized by flooding during Hurricane Harvey fought his way back. He’s now taking up the fight to continue lowering Lake Conroe seasonally. Below: the text of a letter he wrote to the SJRA Board. It took courage for Ryan to share this letter with the world. Spoiler alert: Keep a Kleenex handy as you read this. It’s inspirational.
Ryan Long’s Letter to the SJRA Board
From: Ryan Long, Kingwood, TX 77345
To: SJRA Board, P. O. Box 329, Conroe, Texas 77305
Dear SJRA,
My name is Ryan Long and I am a 15-year-old from Kingwood. In August of 2017, when I was 12, my home flooded after the release of water from Lake Conroe. We do NOT live on a flood plain, and we NEVER had flooding in our neighborhood until the middle of the night of August 27th during Harvey.
Foster’s Mill, where I live, had no warning to evacuate. When flood water came, the current was so great that regular boats could not get down my street to rescue people. Helicopters flew in all day and rescued people from roofs.
Rescued by USAF Special Forces
We were finally rescued in the evening on a boat by a Special Forces team from the U.S. Air Force, hours after flood waters came into our home. I, my family, and my community will feel the impact for years to come.
I have autism and am classified as “high-functioning.” Before Harvey, I loved school. But due to the Lake Conroe release during Harvey, I lost years of therapy and a year of schooling.
As I woke up on the third day of the storm, power had gone out. When I opened my curtain, I saw a river rushing right outside my home; the water so deep it was about to seep into my downstairs. I panicked and ran to my parents! As the day wore on, I watched as water crept in our home like a slowly rising tide until the Special Forces evacuated us.
Descent into Darkness
Our journey out was rough. The destruction I saw traumatized me. I felt broken. Every day, I felt anxious. The first time it rained, I hid under a desk, certain it would happen all over again. I slept with the lights on at night. Darkness felt like a Halloween horror movie. School became traumatic. Walking down a crowded hall felt as if I were caught in a cage. Kids began to pick on me about my panic attacks. I isolated myself, even from friends.
I could not figure out how to ask for help. I felt frantic when taking tests. I could not concentrate. My grades, a source of pride, began to suffer. Even with the help of teachers who recognized the problem, I still failed.
The Long Road Back
My parents found a counselor who helped me find a way back. She talked to me about things I loved. Eventually, I started listening to her. Slowly, she taught me strategies to cope. She helped me overcome fears and taught me how not to feel so lost. My grades improved, and I learned to sleep in the dark again.
However, I was still struggling with kids who frequently bullied me. After a particularly brutal, physical incident, I found the courage to stand up for myself and reported the incident – despite fear of retribution.
At first, I wondered what changed that day. I finally found the courage to believe in myself. I started doing things with my friends again. And I finished the year with straight A’s.
It took more than a year before I learned to believe in myself again. Today, I am still anxious at times. I still do not like thunderstorms. And I still struggle occasionally on tests. But I no longer think I am too stupid to do the work. But I believe in myself. Harvey did not break me. I came out better in the end. But that doesn’t mean I want to go through it again.
Still Dealing with Anxiety
People not living with the repercussions of Harvey tend to forget what happened. They expect the trauma and damage to go away as soon as homes are repaired. However, two and a half years later I still have anxiety.
My home is fixed but others on my street and many in my community are not. People still live on second floors with their downstairs in disarray. Other homes are abandoned. Many people are frightened when it rains. My mom has panic attacks when she hears helicopters. Damage – both physical and emotional – lingers on.
So, what does this have to do with the SJRA and the people of Lake Conroe? I beg you to remember that there are people and lives that have been devastated by flooding downstream. We ask that you continue the seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe until the flood mitigation can be completed on Lake Houston.
Thank you for listening.
Sincerely,
Ryan Long
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/23/2020 with grateful thanks and best wishes to Ryan Long
877 Days after Hurricane Harvey
Childhood Terror From Harvey: Ulrich Family’s Experience and Letter to SJRA Board
Colleen Ulrich gave me permission to share her family’s Hurricane Harvey experience. She captured the terror in this letter to the San Jacinto River Authority Board. It supports the continued seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe to provide a buffer against flooding until other mitigation measures can be put in place. Her home did not flood UNTIL AFTER the Lake Conroe release.
Full Text of Ulrich Letter
Dear SJRA Board Members,
The purpose of my email is to petition all SRJA Board Members to approve the temporary, seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe for 2020.
As an introduction, I have been a resident of Kingwood since August 2005 when I evacuated from New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina. We never moved back because our family fell in love with our adopted state of Texas and our adopted home town of Kingwood. I live in the Barrington neighborhood with my husband and 10-year-old daughter. Our home was flooded with 2 feet 2 inches of water in August 2017.
Childhood Memories
One of the issues that those opposed to the temporary, seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe is that they feel deprived of their ability to enjoy the lake and to create fun summer time boating memories for their families and children. As a mother and Kingwood resident, I am petitioning you to vote in favor of the temporary, seasonal lowering of Lake Conroe to ensure the safety of my child and all of the children of Kingwood and to ensure none of the Kingwood area children have any memories similar to the ones that were created from the flood in August 2017.
Our daughter, Alexandra, was 7 1/2 at the time and her memories include sitting on our stairwell alone in our home while my husband carried me on his back to be evacuated by boat because the quickly rising water was too high and the current too strong for me to walk by myself. Alexandra’s memories include riding in that same boat out of our neighborhood and seeing the houses with up to 4 feet of water in them. Alexandra’s memories include having her childhood bedroom destroyed by floodwaters.
Fun Vs. Safety
So I petition to the Board, what is more important – creating fleeting childhood memories of a boat ride in the summer on Lake Conroe or averting traumatic childhood memories of a flood?
I am in agreement that the lowering of Lake Conroe and Lake Houston are both temporary solutions. And of course these temporary solutions should be revisited once all of the other permanent measures including the installation of additional gates in Lake Houston are put in place. But until that time, I pray that you will make the right decision and keep the temporary, seasonal lowering in place until permanent measures can ensure the safety of all the children and of all the residents of Kingwood and the surrounding areas.
Video of Evac
For your consideration, my husband recorded this video and posted it on YouTube so we can remind others of the trauma of that day. This was his boat ride out of Barrington.
I appreciate your service to our community and your consideration of my appeal to approve the lowering of Lake Conroe.
Regards,
Colleen Ulrich
Address and Phone Number Withheld for Purposes of This Post
Tell the SJRA Board about your Harvey experience and why you would like to see them continue lowering Lake Conroe seasonally until other flood mitigation measures can be put in place. Come to the next board meeting and tell them in person or write them by visiting https://www.sjra.net/about/board/. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the email form.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/18/2020
872 Days after Hurricane Harvey
$50 Million Rebuild After Harvey Makes Fifth Largest Country Club in America Better Than Ever
I recently had the honor of interviewing Blake Roberts, general manager of the Clubs of Kingwood. Roberts took the job just five days before Hurricane Harvey and has led the Clubs’ remarkable comeback. From golf courses buried under as much as eight feet of sand to the clubhouse that took on six feet of water, Roberts and his team resurrected an operation that many would have written off. They turned it into a shining centerpiece and selling point for the entire Kingwood community…even as they fed members whose homes had been destroyed.
Rehak: When you combine Deerwood and Kingwood, this must rank as one of the larger clubs in the country. Is it in the Top 10?
Roberts: It’s actually #5 now.
Rehak: What happened during Harvey?
Rehak: Amazing.
Buried in Sand
Roberts: The big issue we had was, “What do you do with all the sand?” And, “How do you turn it back into a golf course and make it better than ever. We have a phenomenal maintenance group. They redid three out of the five holes near the river that had the most silt on them. They re-contoured them to actually use the silt and sand dumped by Harvey.
Rehak: You couldn’t just push it back into the river.
Roberts: Correct. We spread it out over other parts of the golf course and used that as padding for the soil that was already out there. We came in with backhoes and started moving the dirt and trying to smooth it all out. Then we put sod right back over the top of it.
Downed trees, of course, made some of the bigger differences. When people play the courses today, they say, “I don’t remember this hole being this way.” That’s because you used to have a tree here and a tree there. But that was part of the contouring that went along with it to make it flow and drain for playing golf again.
18 Feet of Water On Courses, 6 in Clubhouse
Rehak: You said you had 18 feet of water on the course. How much was in the clubhouse?
Roberts: Almost six feet.
Rehak: What did reconstruction entail?
Roberts: We took out everything. Took out ceiling tiles. We took out all the way up because the mold started growing so quickly. We took everything down to the studs and bricks, and tossed out anything that could hold moisture.
Rehak: You lost some other facilities here, too. Tell me about those.
Roberts: We lost the fitness center. That ended up with about twenty eight inches of water in it. Of course the pools and everything else. We lost all of our pump houses. We lost our maintenance building. We lost the Forest Course which has the Golf Advantage School and the driving range.
Deerwood Completely Updated
Rehak: And what about Deerwood?
Roberts: We lost the Deerwood Club House and maintenance building. Deerwood ended up with about 34 inches. The water wicked up through the walls. With the building being a little bit older and not having as many updates, we went back in and changed it completely.
Roberts: How?
Roberts: It now has a restaurant where their golf shop used to be. And then we redid the men’s locker room. We redid the dining area. We put in a new bar area, new wet areas, new showers, new everything. Members tell me it’s the best thing that we could have ever done.
Improvements to Other Facilities at Kingwood
Rehak: What about your Lazy River and pool at the Kingwood Club? How did those fare in the flood?
Roberts: Not well. All of the equipment – from the umbrellas to the chairs to the tables – was pushed around in the flood. They damaged the interior of the pools. So we drained all the water, completely power washed everything, re- plastered and started all over from the very beginning.
We even rebuilt all the cabanas because the cabanas had metal poles. There was a concern that if they sat in water with level four contaminants and you didn’t get everything, what happens when somebody touches it and then touches food?
We had the same concerns with fitness equipment. Some of it was above water, but we worried about microbial growth. So we took everything out. All the way down the concrete slab which they bleached the tar out of. Then we started over with brand new equipment.
Rehak: Incredible.
Roberts: The Lakeside Terrace flooded all the way up to the roofline because of where it sits. So they took it all the way down to the studs and the glass walls. We power washed and bleached it. Just started all over again, replaced the roof, replaced the ceiling, replaced the insulation. It’s beautiful. More beautiful than it was before. Absolutely. Members actually dined out there for a little more than a year. Our “kitchen” was a 38-foot trailer for 15 months.
Giving Back to Community in Its Darkest Hour
Rehak: That raises an interesting question. How did you keep your staff focused through all this?
Roberts: The team actually bonded together, much like the community as a whole. We took more than 25,000 sandwiches and wraps to homeowners around the community right after Harvey. All of our clubs in the area sent food our way. We dispersed it throughout the entire community. That’s incredible. As soon as we could get a food truck here, we actually fed all of our members from the food truck. From the 8th of September all the way through the 8th of December. Every single day, members could come up and dine for free.
When the staff wasn’t working here, folks went into neighborhoods and helped random people moving stuff out of their homes or ripping sheetrock out. There were so many random acts of kindness!
Rehak: That’s quite amazing.
Roberts: And the employees all bound together. They had a plan. Our goal was to get these golf courses back and a dining space before the end of the year, which we accomplished. Golf courses finished up on December 26, with the last trucks of sand going into the bunkers. And we had the Lakeside Terrace for members to dine. And April 9th, 2018, we opened up the fitness center. And then the pools opened on Memorial Day weekend that year like they were always scheduled to do.
Membership Back Up But Still Room For Growth
Rehak: And how did the membership levels fare through all this. Did you take a hit?
Roberts: Oh yes. And we anticipated that would happen. We had more than 300 members whose homes flooded. So we allowed them to go to a “Hold” Category while they rebuilt their homes. They had plenty of time to complete fixes before coming back to full membership.
$50 Million Investment In Community
Roberts: How much did it cost to restore all this?
We’re over $50 million currently. That includes Deerwood and Kingwood Clubs. It also includes a large fleet of golf carts and maintenance equipment that nobody really ever thinks about. But those carts aren’t cheap and neither are those big tractors that mow.
Ironically, we had taken precautions with all that equipment before the flood. We moved everything to the parking lot because the parking lot had never flooded before.
Rehak: So fifty million dollars! That’s a huge commitment. Was that a hard sell to your corporate office?
Roberts: Not really. They came back and said, “You know what? This has always been the heart of Kingwood. This is the heart of the community and we want to get it back to being bigger and better than ever.”
Manager Started Job 5 Days Before Harvey…and Stayed
Rehak: You started this job not long before Hurricane Harvey.
Roberts: Five days. When I tell people that, everyone asks, “Why did you stay?” I saw it as an opportunity. Can you imagine putting this on your resume? A 50 million dollar rebuild project on top of managing 90 holes of golf, a fitness center, tennis and all the other.
Rehak: It’s gorgeous. It looks like you’ve completely redesigned the clubhouse.
Roberts: Not completely redesigned, but completely refreshed. We kept most of the walls in the same spots, but the ones that we needed to move, we did. The new board room is an example.
Rehak: What did you do and how did you make it different?
Roberts: Well, we had a storage room behind the board room. We removed that wall and gained six extra feet. So we were able to put a very large table in there and make it the boardroom that it always should have been.
“We’re Still Discovering Little Things”
With other changes like that, we soft-opened this building (Kingwood CC clubhouse) in February, 2019. And we’re still considering ourselves under soft opening because we’re still discovering things.
Rehak: For instance?
Roberts: Little things. You originally go into re-building thinking, “I have all this covered.” And then you’re like, “I don’t have all this.” For instance, I’m still waiting on my coffee credenza to where I have member coffee available all of the time. It’s just little things like that. We built the building back and we’re ninety-eight percent of the way…complete.
Rehak: Are you going to have an official grand reopening?
Official Grand Re-Opening Coming Soon
Roberts: We ARE. But there are three projects we’re still trying to complete. The member porte-cochère entrance by the golf shop, the back patio, and our private-event entrance. Then we will consider the rebuild complete.
Rehak: Would you call this the opportunity to rebuild the club your dreams? It really does look pretty spectacular here.
Roberts: Yes, we were able to put all the little things back together that we wished for over the years, but never were able to do.
Rehak: Do any stories from the flood or the recovery really stand out in your mind?
Roberts: 25,000+ sandwiches. Feeding members for months. Long days. Some of our crews did this by day. And by night, they were actually going to people’s houses and helping them rip out sheet rock and drywall and everything else. I was amazed to hear how many people were doing this and you know some of them are 50-60 years old.
Rehak: Is the membership level back up to where it was or it needs to be?
Roberts: We’re close. Very close to being back where we were before Harvey. But two other floods in 2015 and 2016 hurt us as well. So we still have room to grow.
Rehak: How are the courses? Are there spots you don’t want to hit your ball into?
Getting Even Better Every Single Day
Roberts: Not really. The best part about this was the golf courses getting that extra sand. I have people who have been members for 40 years saying, “This place is better than the day it was built.” It makes me smile knowing how far we’ve come.
Rehak: Did you have to replant the greens?
Roberts: All the greens survived except two. And we redid those with the three fairways. But if you didn’t know exactly where to look, you probably couldn’t tell.
Rehak: If you had one thing to tell potential new members right now, what would it be?
Roberts: We’re back and better than ever. And we’re getting even better every single day. If you haven’t seen us lately, you probably should take a look again. Because you know what? What people may remember is completely different now.
Posted by Bob Rehak on August 7, 2019
708 Days from Hurricane Harvey