Tag Archive for: Fred Flickinger

Make a Visible Difference in Your Community at Median Madness

4/16/2026 – Join volunteers from around Kingwood for “Median Madness: Round 7” this Saturday, 4/18/2026, starting at 8:30 AM along Kingwood Drive at Trailwoood Village Drive.

Help trim back underbrush. Remove vines. Improve traffic safety. And beautify Kingwood. While you have fun. Exercise. And make friends. All at the same time. The event will last until noon.

About Median Madness

Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger began Median Madness in 2024. Since then hundreds of volunteers have made a visible difference in their community by trimming back vines and underbrush that were spilling out into major traffic arteries.

This weekend, an army of volunteers for Round 7 of Median Madness will tackle another sore point near the entrance to Trailwood Village.

What to Bring

Wear close-toed shoes and bring your work gloves and water. If you have sheers, bring them. If not, no worries. The Houston Tool Bank will have some there that you can use.

Everyone is welcome, but anyone under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Remember the ten two-letter words that make all the difference in the world: “If it is to be, it is up to me.”

You can make your community safer and more beautiful.

Parking

The closest side streets near the Trailwood Village Median are Hidden Creek Dr. (on the Trailwood Village side) and Pine River Dr. (on the South Woodland Hills side). These also have access to the trail entrances to safely access the median.

A Thank You to Sponsors

This event is supported by the Trailwood Village Community Association, the Department of Neighborhoods Matching Grant Program, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Houston Public Works, HPD, Trees for Kingwood, the Houston Tool Bank, H‑E‑B, and Chick‑fil‑A.

Trees for Kingwood is working with the Texas A&M Forest Service to plan improvements to Kingwood’s medians. They include replacing invasive species with native species to make growth in the medians more sustainable and maintainable. The invasive species have totally crowded out native species in numerous places.

Sign Up NOW

Please join the team. Confirm your attendance by signing up at: Median Madness Round 7.

Once registered, you’ll receive an email with a waiver and helpful tips to prepare for the event. Be sure to complete the waiver and bring a printed copy with you on the day of Median Madness, April 18th. Thank you!

Hope to see you there!

Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/16/2026

3152 Days since Hurricane Harvey
 

Median Madness 6: Joie de Volunteering

3/14/26 – Scores of volunteers – young and old – showed up this morning in picture perfect weather for Median Madness 6. After a brief safety moment by Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger and Trees for Kingwood’s Chris Bloch, they posed for a team photo. Then, armed with shears and saws, they experienced the joy people feel from volunteering and helping others – a true helper’s high.

A Sense of Purpose and Satisfaction

They attacked a thicket of vines and protruding branches encroaching on traffic along a two block stretch of Kingwood Drive between Fosters Mill and Sand Creek.

There was a palpable air of satisfaction that comes from service to the community. You could see it in the looks of determination on their faces. You could feel it as they team-tackled gnarly growths of vines. See photos below.

Council Member Fred Flickinger (center, blue shirt) kicked off the morning with a thank you to sponsors Chick-fil-A, H-E-B, Trees for Kingwood and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department
Chris Bloch (brown shirt) of Trees for Kingwood instructed the volunteers on their mission and safety.
Houston Parks employees turned out to help volunteers. They gathered piles of brush and attacked larger limbs with chain saws.
Many of the volunteers were from Kingwood High School groups such as Greenbelt Guardians and the Young Men’s Service League.
The army of vine wranglers posed for a team photo before getting down to work.
Then they quickly fanned out down the median...
…and got straight to work, pulling vines and stacking them for disposal.
Within minutes, the piles of vines started to grow...
…and you could see the smiles all around.
Age was no deterrent. This volunteer more than kept up with younger ones.
Within the first half hour, Houston Parks employees were pushing the clippings into larger piles for disposal…
…and volunteers were spread out on both sides of the median for blocks.

A Heartfelt Thank You

This community spirit is a large part of what makes Kingwood Kingwood – people giving a Saturday morning to make their community a better, safer place to live. Thanks to all who gave their time and effort!

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/14/26

3119 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Median Madness Round 5 Set for This Saturday

1/8/2026 – City of Houston Council Member Fred Flickinger has announced that the fifth round of Median Madness will happen this Saturday, January 10, 2026. The event begins at 8:30 AM and will go to noon. The rally point will be at the Kingwood High School parking lot at 2701 Kingwood Drive.

Co-sponsors for this event include:

  • The Young Men’s Service League: Kingwood
  • Trees for Kingwood
  • Houston Parks and Recreation Department

Past Median Madness events have been great fun. They represent a chance to rub shoulders with neighbors, beautify the community, work out your frustrations on vines, and improve traffic safety.

Mayor Coming

And as a bonus, you’ll get a chance to meet Mayor John Whitmire in person. He plans to be there.

Weather Prediction/What to Bring

Weather for Saturday morning should be 51 degrees at 9 AM, headed for a high of 57, with light winds. There is a 10% chance of light showers, with humidity around 70%. Expect light winds up to 14 mph.

Council Member Flickinger reminds people to wear closed-toed shoes, and to bring water and gloves. All ages are welcome, but anyone under 16 should be accompanied by an adult.

For More Information

Visit www.houstontx.gov/council/e/ or call 832-393-3008. Hope to see you there!

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/8/2026

3054 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Kingwood Town Hall Ends with Wonderful Surprise

10/3/25 – Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger’s Kingwood Town Hall Meeting on 9/30/25 had a lot of great news. Speakers talked about 20+ infrastructure projects in various stages of development. Together, they should help reduce flood risk for people throughout the Lake Houston Area.

In addition, we learned about airport improvements, crime reductions, a family-violence awareness campaign, fire station enhancements, property tax relief, bail reform, help for the homeless, and attempts to balance the city budget.

My Big Surprise

At the end of the presentations, Flickinger called me up to the front of the auditorium to receive a framed proclamation.

Mayor John Whitmire had declared Sept. 30, 2025 to be Bob Rehak Day in Houston.

I had no idea this was about to happen and I hesitate to even mention it, lest it appear like bragging. However, I am grateful that my efforts to reduce flooding seem to be noticed by the community. And even more grateful that I have helped keep flood mitigation high on the public agenda.

Bob Rehak receiving proclamation
Council Member Fred Flickinger (r) presenting Mayor’s Proclamation to Bob Rehak (l).

I’ve seen how flooding can devastate families, their homes and their savings. How it can disrupt entire communities for years. And worst of all, how it can take lives.

When I started this blog in 2018, I had two objectives: to raise awareness of the causes of flooding and to advocate for flood mitigation.

Little did I realize at the time how difficult flood mitigation is. Eight years after Harvey, we’re still trying to document needs, develop solutions, prioritize projects, raise funds, and coordinate multiple agencies at all levels of government.

Along the way, I’ve written almost two million words for 2,906 posts and taken 63,122 photos for 1.8 million readers.

The word count alone is especially staggering. To put it in perspective, that’s the equivalent of about 25 average length novels – three a year!

So yes, the recognition was nice. But even nicer was what it was for. The proclamation reads…

Bob Rehak

WHEREAS, Bob Rehak of Kingwood has distinguished himself as a tireless advocate for flood awareness, mitigation and community resilience, documenting local conditions and solutions with clarity and consistency for the benefit of residents, businesses and policy makers alike; and

WHEREAS, through his widely read blog, Reduce Flooding, which features reporting, photography, data visualization, and plain language explanations of complex water and infrastructure issues, Bob Rehak has equipped Houstonians with the tools to make informed decisions about preparedness, recovery, and long term planning; and

WHEREAS, Bob Rehak has collaborated constructively with neighbors, neighborhood associations, nonprofit groups, engineers, and local, regional and state agencies to advance dredging, drainage, watershed management, and other risk reduction efforts that directly impact the Lake Houston area; and

WHEREAS, his persistent, on-the-ground documentation before, during, and after major rain and flood events has elevated community voices, improved transparency, encouraged problem-solving, and supported evidence-based action to protect property; and

WHEREAS, beyond his technical focus, Bob Rehak exemplifies the spirit of public service by showing up, listening, and communicating respectfully, thereby fostering trust between residents and government and helping unite diverse stakeholders around practical, measurable results; and

WHEREAS, the City of Houston commends Bob Rehak for his outstanding contributions to the safety, resilience and well-being of the Lake Houston area and the greater Houston community, and extends gratitude for exemplary service and steadfast advocacy….

Therefore, I, John Whitmire, Mayor of the City of Houston, hereby proclaim September 30th, 2025 as Bob Rehak day in Houston, Texas.

Signed and Sealed

Many Thanks

I was especially pleased with recognition of efforts to document impacts, elevate community voices, improve transparency and support evidence-based action that unites diverse stakeholders around practical, measurable results.

Too often these days, public discourse divides people. We’ve seen far too many sad and sorrowful examples lately of what those divisions can produce. In reality, we have far more that unites us than divides us. We just need to focus on those things. Which is what I intend to continue doing as long as my age and health allow.

Grateful thanks to my readers, Mayor Whitmire; Council Member Flickinger; all the talented public officials, engineers and environmental experts who have helped educate me about flooding; and especially my wife of 50 years – and proofreader for even longer – Dr. Susan Davy.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/3/25

2957 Days since Hurricane Harvey

City Begins Clearing Blocked Ditch Under Kingwood Drive

6/30/25 – The City of Houston Public Works Department wasted no time in starting to clean out a blocked ditch under Kingwood Drive. Once they found it.

The ditch, which parallels Valley Manor Drive west of Kingwood High School, had been neglected for so long that crews had a hard time finding it.

Distraught residents were ready to call in Indiana Jones. But City Council Member Fred Flickinger arrived first.

Still contractors are in for what qualifies as an “archeological dig.” Who knows what they’ll find in there? Residents found a mummified car wreck nearby, completely encased by a jungle of vines.

Photos of Work Beginning

Valley Manor Drainage Ditch Scouting Session
Drainage Ditch Blockage West of High School in Kingwood Drive median. Before start of project.
Looking S toward Lake Kingwood. Here’s what that same area looks like today after the start of cleanup.

It’s far from done. But at least you can see what you’re up against. Contractors are reportedly trying to get clearance from the Kingwood Country Club to remove the downstream blockage, too.

Looking N from Kingwood Country Club Lake Course toward Kings Forest.
Still looking N at culverts under westbound Kingwood Drive, you can see they are literally half filled with silt.

All that silt reduces conveyance and backs water up in heavy rains. 110 homes upstream from this blocked ditch under Kingwood Drive flooded during Harvey.

Scope of Work

According to Council Member Flickinger’s newsletter, the scope of work includes clearing and grubbing approximately six acres of land, removing and disposing of debris, trash, and tires at a landfill, as well as the removal of trees.

Any trees removed for the purpose of accessing the ditch will be replanted at a later date by Council Member Flickinger’s office with the help of Trees for Kingwood.

The project is entirely on Bear Branch Trail Association BBTA property and is being closely watched by BBTA and neighbors.

Project area outlined in red

The project cost is $350,568.00 and is funded through the Houston Public Works Dedicated Drainage & Street Renewal Fund (DDSRF). 

The City is preserving native trees wherever possible and trying only to remove invasive species. However, some trees may need to go to allow heavy equipment room to maneuver.

Project Completion, Work Hours, Impacts

Crews are already hard at work. And the project should end by Friday, August 29, 2025, weather permitting. 

Construction activities will take place Monday through Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Sundays upon approval from the project manager. 

The City expects no impacts to the sanitary sewer system. During the course of the work, some minor water line adjustments will be necessary. Citizens will be notified 72 hours in advance of any water outages.

Safety Caution

Please be aware of flagmen and orange traffic cones that may be present on-site to guide traffic as needed. However, this project is not expected to cause any traffic or mobility issues, such as lane closures or a significant increase in truck traffic.

Also note: there may be elevated noise levels at times due to the use of construction equipment and vehicles in the area.

For more information, please contact the District E office at (832) 393-3008 or via email at districte@houstontx.gov.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/30/2025

2862 Days since Hurricane Harvey

“I Know There’s a Drainage Ditch in There Somewhere”

6/24/25 – Representatives of the City of Houston District E Office, Houston Public Works, Kings Forest, and the Bear Branch Trail Association (BBTA) met this morning west of Kingwood High School. Purpose: to discuss clearing a drainage ditch that had been neglected for so long, it became seriously overgrown. So overgrown, in fact, that the ditch was almost impossible to see.

“Over there?”
“Maybe over here?”
“The map says it should be that way.”
“GPS says it should be over here.”
“Let’s send out a special recon unit.“
“This is going to be a tough one!”

Can You Spot the Water?

And then! Aha! Water! Can you see it below? It’s almost up to the level of Kingwood Drive…when it hasn’t rained for eight days. That’s how blocked the ditch was by vegetation!

See reflection to right of tree near bottom of frame.

One hundred and ten homes adjacent to this ditch flooded, not including the community meeting room. So did Kingwood High School. And Kingwood Drive which is a major evacuation route.

All that vegetation increases the risk of future flooding by backing water up.

Residents have been lobbying for years to get the City to address this issue. Now, it’s finally happening!

The Plan to Clear It

I don’t have anything in writing yet, but I think Public Works agreed to start from the downstream side which you see immediately below. The vegetation blocking the outflow needs to be removed and the culverts need cleaning out.

The ditch outfalls onto the Kingwood Country Club Lake Course and Lake Kingwood.

More vegetation in the median also blocks the flow and will be cleared.

Can you even see where the ditch crosses the median?

Next, they will work back north to clear the entrance to the culverts under the westbound lanes.

Then, they will continue working their way up the ditch removing blockages, including several trees that fell during Beryl last year.

After removing those, Public Works will ensure that the storm sewers leading from neighborhoods to the ditch are also clear and graded properly. Sediment currently blocks the outfalls backing water up into storm sewers and neighborhoods.

BBTA and Kings Forest representatives plus their residents emphasized that they don’t want the entire greenbelt scalped. They just want to remove enough vegetation to restore the flow as designed.

Chris Bloch of the BBTA Board hacked his way through the underbrush to help document the blockages. He said that Public works told him they hope to have the work started by the end of June and completed in July before the start of school.

Public Works also promised to evaluate the roadside ditches in Kings Forest to restore conveyance. But that will be a separate project.

Thank You!

Thanks to Houston District E City Council Member Fred Flickinger, and his staff members Dustin Hodges and Demari Perez. Thanks also to BBTA Board members Chris Bloch and Lee Danner for their assistance in documenting issues and granting access to their property.

Finally, thanks to the staff of Houston Public Works who showed up in the heat and humidity this morning. They braved poison ivy and mosquitoes the size of B-52 Bombers to help protect residents.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/24/25

2856 Days since Hurricane Harvey

First Houston Matching Grant Beautification Project in Kingwood Dedicated

6/19/25 – The first City-of-Houston Matching Grant Project designed to help beautify and reforest Kingwood was dedicated on Wednesday, June 18th. And City Council Member Fred Flickinger is working to make sure others will soon follow.

Hopefully, the Bear Branch Trail Association (BBTA) Project in the median of Kingwood Drive just east of Woodland Hills will be the first many similar projects.

It actually began last year when BBTA applied for a matching grant from the City of Houston’s Department of Neighborhoods and District E.

Before/After Photos

The intersection looked like this before the start of the project.

“Before” shot, looking NE at Kingwood Drive median from across Woodland Hills. Note dense thicket of vines and underbrush behind signs. Photo Chris Bloch.

After Bear Branch Trails volunteers spent 200 hours cleaning out vines, deadwood and underbrush, they helped plant trees, shrubs and grass. When complete, the same area looked like this.

“After” shot of same area. Photo Chris Bloch. Blue-green color is hydromulch which should quickly sprout into grass.

Photos of Dedication Ceremony

(L to R) Lee Danner, BBTA; Debra Knebel, BBTA; Dee Price, KSA/Trees for Kingwood; and Chris Bloch, BBTA receive recognition from Council Member Flickinger.

See the extended team below.

(L to R) Tom Sanders, BBTA, Chris Bloch, BBTA; Vernon Autrey, A-Z Wright’s Tree Service; Dee Price, KSA/Trees for Kingwood; District E Council Member Fred Flickinger: Dustin Hodges, CoH District E; Lee Danner, BBTA; Paul Wright, A-Z Wright’s Tree Service; and Debra Knebel, BBTA.

Traffic visibility had become a major problem at this corner resulting in many traffic accidents. The improved visibility will help greatly.

How Project Came About

Early last year, the City announced it was willing to offer to match expenditures up to $5,000 for projects that improved the appearance of City-of-Houston property. The BBTA Grant application identified this section of the Kingwood Drive median as a project. 

The application process for Matching Grants started on July 1st last year, as it does each year.

BBTA submitted its application in October, 2024. City Council Member Fred Flickinger approved the project, which uses money from his discretionary funds allocated to each Council Member. The City notified the Trail Association of the award in January of 2025.

BBTA generated and submitted a plan for approval to the City Department of Parks and Recreation. After approval, the project went out for bids to local landscaping contractors. A-Z Wright’s Tree Service won the bid and performed the final landscaping of the project which included planting seven more native trees, 17 bushes, and grass.

Total cost of the completed project was $10,224.15 of which the City will fund $5,000.

More Applications Being Accepted Starting July 1

The application period for 2025-2026 Matching Grant Projects will open on July 1st. Any Community Association or Trail Association in Kingwood can apply. Due to extensions granted after Hurricane Beryl last year, several grants are still pending. So more projects may soon follow that use 2024 funds.

In the meantime, Flickinger will sponsor an informational meeting at the Kingwood Community Center on Tuesday, 6/24/25, at 6 PM.

He invited all community and trail associations interested in enhancing the appearance of Kingwood to apply. 

About Trees for Kingwood

Trees for Kingwood, which operates as part of the Kingwood Services Association has planted more than 3,000 trees to date. It is soliciting support from local businesses and individuals to help support Matching Grant Applications made by neighborhood organizations.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/19/25

2851 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Don’t Miss Town Hall Meeting Thursday Evening

9/18/2024 – Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger will host a town hall meeting on Thursday 9/19/24 at the Kingwood Community Center. Doors open at 6PM. The program starts at 6:30.

Houston District E City Council Member Fred Flickinger

The event will feature a series of informational presentations at tables where residents can talk to representatives of various city departments. It will also feature several presentations, followed by Q&A.

Even though the program will be hosted in Kingwood, all residents of the Lake Houston Area including Huffman are welcome to the town hall and will find something of value. The agenda includes topics that apply to everyone, such as status of the Lake Houston Dam Gates Project.

Time, Date, Place

  • Thursday, September 19th
  • Program: 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
  • Kingwood Community Center
  • 4102 Rustic Woods Drive
  • Kingwood, Texas 77345

Featured Speakers

Speakers will address issues crucial to the safety and success of the Lake Houston Area. They include:

  • State Representative Charles Cunningham will kick off the meeting. He will discuss his priorities going into the next legislative session.
  • Houston At-Large City Council Member Twila Carter will also talk about her priorities.
  • Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey hopes to make the meeting, but will be coming from budget meetings downtown and may not make it if they run over.
  • New Coastal Water Authority Board Director Dan Huberty will give an update on the project to add more flood gates to the Lake Houston Dam.
  • Ekaterina Fitos, Houston’s Water Planning Director, will discuss the status of dredging and sand traps, designed to reduce sedimentation and flood risk.
  • Mark Wilfalk, Houston’s Director of Solid Waste Management, will go over storm debris pickup following Hurricane Beryl. He will cover lessons learned and what they will do differently in the next disaster.
  • Tom Broad, chair of the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority, will give an update on the Northpark Expansion Project.
  • New Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz will inform residents of his priorities moving forward.
  • Sergeant Rajesh Sawlani, also with HPD, will talk about crime suppression tactics and strategies being implemented in other parts of the City. He will also cover the growing homeless population in Kingwood.

Booths around the perimeter of the room will feature Houston:

The ambitious town hall agenda covers a lot of territory. So, come early. Mingle with neighbors. And ask your questions at the tables if you can. It’s been a year since we last had a town hall meeting with Dave Martin.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/18/2024

2577 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Lake Conroe Release Rate at 90% of Harvey

5/2/24 at 4:30 PM – The San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) is releasing water at the rate of 69,545 cubic feet per second (CFS from Lake Conroe. That’s down a couple thousand from the 71,835 they released earlier this afternoon, the second highest release rate ever – 90% of the all-time record of 79,000 CFS during Hurricane Harvey.

At that rate, NOAA predicted the San Jacinto West Fork at US59 would peak at 62.4 feet. Since then, they’ve reduced that back a bit to 62.2.

However, the level of Lake Conroe is still rising slightly. It stands at 205.13 MSL (mean feet above sea level) as of 4:30 PM.

And local leaders including Houston Mayor John Whitmire, State Rep. Charles Cunningham and City Council Member Fred Flickinger met in Kingwood to plan emergency response with first-responders.

More Rain on Way

The level of Lake Conroe is up significantly since this morning. And another rain storm is headed our way tonight. The National Weather Service predicts a 40% chance of more thunderstorms tonight. Anything that falls will be on top of almost 7 inches of rain received in the Kingwood area earlier today.

Flood watches and warnings remain in effect at the present time. Any new rain will fall onto already saturated soils, resulting in rapid runoff.

SJRA Pushing Up Against Limit

But the SJRA is running out of room. At 207, they flood Lake Conroe homes and endanger the dam, according to Mark Micheletti, an SJRA board member who lives in Kingwood.

Micheletti has demanded that SJRA operators throttle back releases as soon as they stabilize the Lake Conroe’s level. The SJRA hopes to keep a safety margin by not letting the lake level get above 206, but nature, not engineers will make that call.

Meanwhile, the uncertainty has many Kingwood people in panic mode wondering whether they should evacuate. I’ve been deluged (pardon the pun) with requests for information.

Whitmire Visits Kingwood to Plan Flood Response

Houston Mayor John Whitmire came to Kingwood this afternoon to meet with first responders and area leaders. He wanted to personally see the situation and assess what the area needs. He met with Fire Chief Samuel Peña, first responders, State Representative Charles Cunningham and City Council Member Fred Flickinger at Fire Station 102 on West Lake Houston Parkway.

CM Fred Flickinger (center) met with Mayor Whitmire (right), Chief Samuel Peña (left) and other first responders at Fire Station 102 this afternoon on West Lake Houston Parkway.

Peña emphasized the need for vehicles to stay out of high water. The fire department had already made numerous high water rescues today.

State Representative Charles Cunningham (left) also helped plan the emergency response.

At the meeting, Whitmire also said that he had discussed evacuation orders for certain subdivisions with Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. After Harvey, “communication with residents” and “warning time” were identified as two of the primary things officials needed to improve.

Current East Fork Predictions and Evacuation Orders

According to Harris County Meteorologist Jeff Lindner, the County has issued evacuation orders for the east side of the East Fork San Jacinto from FM1485 to Lake Houston. (Lake Houston Park is on the west side.) Forecasted water levels will rise 7-8 feet higher than earlier this week. Structures on the ground will be flooded to rooftop levels. Elevated structures will be flooded.

For reference, the forecasted East Fork water level is 3 ft below Harvey.

Impacted subdivisions: 
  • Idle Wilde
  • Idle Glen
  • Cypress Point
  • River Terrace
  • Magnolia Point
  • Northwood Country Estates

Current West Fork San Jacinto Predictions and Warnings

The West Fork is rapidly rising from upstream inflows. It will reach major flood levels and will rise to near 62 ft on Saturday. Widespread low-land flooding will occur impacting the following subdivisions:

  • Belleau Woods
  • Rivercrest
  • Northshore
  • Forest Cove
  • Kings Point
  • Atasocita Shores

In Kingwood, Lindner expects flooding of streets and the lowest structures nearest the river. He also predicts backwater impacts along the tributaries. That means high river levels could force water in channels and tributaries to back up.

The following areas will be completely flooded with several feet of water: Deerwood Country Club, Deer Ridge Park, and Kingwood Country Club.

Elevated residents near the river should be prepared to be cut-off through the weekend.

I have queried HCFCD about the list of subdivisions above. It seems incomplete. But I have not yet heard back.

San Jacinto River Below Lake Houston

Major flooding is expected at all locations along the lower portions of the river.

Rio Villa will be completely inundated and cut-off. 

High velocity flows may damage vessels and barges near I-10.

Flow may approach and potentially reach I-10 on the west side of the river.

Real Time Inundation Monitoring

To monitor what’s going on around you, Harris County Meteorologist Jeff Lindner suggests using the Real-Time Inundation Mapping Tool found in the Harris County Flood Warning System. From the home page, just click “Inundation Map” in the upper left tool bar, then zoom into the area of interest.

As of 4:22 PM on 5/2/24. Note large areas already inundated.

Easy Way to Find the Elevation of Your Home

Don’t know the elevation of your home? Consult this post about how to find it in the USGS National Map.

More updates later. SJRA may issue another statement at 8PM.

Posted by Bob Rehak at 4:30 PM, Thursday, May 2, 2024

2438 Days since Hurricane Harvey

City Mobilizing for More West Fork Dredging

Mobilization for the next phase of San Jacinto West Fork dredging is underway. The City of Houston and its contractor DRC (a subsidiary of Callan Marine) are already staging equipment in two places on the West Fork.

The program, funded by FEMA, will remove an estimated 800,000 cubic yards of silt and sediment between the original location of the West Fork Mouth Bar and FM1960. The contractor will use primarily hydraulic dredging and the program will take approximately two years, according to District E City Council Member Fred Flickinger.

West Fork Dredging Project Dates Back to Dave Martin Era

Flickinger credits his predecessor, former Council Member Dave Martin, and Chief Recovery Officer Stephen Costello’s tireless efforts in protesting the initial amount proposed for dredging by FEMA back in 2019. FEMA’s initial proposal, based on a four-page, table-top study produced by the Army Corps, called for dredging 283,000 cubic yards.

Martin strongly disagreed with the Corps’ report and appealed it while the City produced its own 94-page technical report. It showed a much higher volume deposited by Harvey. Remember: Harvey funds could not be used to address sediment deposited before Harvey. The City report produced by Tetra Tech relied extensively on core samples. Tetra Tech proved that Harvey laid down the sand in the mouth bar and that the dredging volume should be closer to a million cubic yards.

In August 2020, FEMA and the Corps finally concurred with the City, after extensive discussions and a massive assist from U.S. Representative Dan Crenshaw. Crenshaw and others had been pushing FEMA for years for the additional dredging.

Current Status

The new West Fork dredging program should be ready to go within weeks. DRC is currently bringing in the equipment that they will need.

DRC plans to use primarily hydraulic dredging. They will attack the area between where the mouth bar was (south of Scenic Shores in Kings Point) and the FM1960 Bridge. See map below.

Map from City study showing area of focus.
Hydraulic dredge being assembled at old Army Corps mobilization site south of Forest Cove pool. Photo taken 4/1/24.
DRC is also starting to stockpile mechanical dredging equipment such as these pontoons on Berry Madden’s property south of River Grove Park (top center).

This is good news. The new West Fork dredging will help ensure that water doesn’t back up like it did before. It’s not a guarantee against flooding. Dredging is only one part of a multi-faceted mitigation program that also includes more upstream detention and new floodgates on the Lake Houston dam. More news on those topics to follow.

Posted by Bob Rehak

2407 Days since Hurricane Harvey