If you boat between the San Jacinto East Fork and Lake Houston, perhaps you’ve noticed it’s a little harder getting from A to B lately. The San Jacinto East Fork Mouth Bar has grown approximately four fifths of a mile during the last two storms and the channel depth has decreased 6X.
These three pictures tell the story dramatically.
I took the first after Hurricane Harvey and the second after Tropical Storm Imelda. The third comes from Google Earth BEFORE Harvey.
East Fork Mouth Bar After Harvey
Looking north toward Kings Point from the East Fork of the San Jacinto River after Harvey. Note fresh sand several feet deep everywhere. Photo taken 9/14/2017, two weeks after Harvey.
East Fork Mouth Bar After Imelda
Extent of East Fork Mouth Bar After Imelda. Photo taken 12/3/2019.Note in this photo how much closer the sandy bottom is to the surface throughout the entire area.
Pre-Harvey to Post-Imelda Growth
Satellite image from January 2017 BEFORE Harvey. Yellow line represents approximate growth in East Fork Mouth bar between then and today – about four fifths of a mile.For alignment purposes, note the tip of the Royal Shores Lake in the first aerial photo and Royal Shores in the second.
Boater Josh Alberson says the maximum channel depth in this area decreased from 18 feet after Harvey to 3 feet after Imelda.
Geologic Change on a Human Time Scale
Note how the leading edge of this growing bar is now almost even with the entrance to Luce Bayou. When we get another storm like Imelda, the East Fork Mouth Bar could block the Interbasin Transfer Project from delivering water to Lake Houston.
Changes like these usually happen on a geologic time scale. They happen so slowly, humans can barely perceive them during the course of a life time. However, Harvey and Imelda produced this change in two years. They provide us with a rare glimpse of a living planet in our own backyard.
If you have children, grandchildren or students, please share these photos with them. They make valuable life lessons about the power of moving water and respect for Mother Nature. They may also stimulate curiosity in Earth sciences and engineering.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/23/2019with depth soundings from Josh Alberson
846 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 95 since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/20191203-RJR_5829.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2019-12-22 21:30:592019-12-23 08:11:42East Fork Mouth Bar Grows 4000 Feet During Harvey and Imelda
Harris County Flood Control District released its final report on Tropical Storm Imelda this morning. It’s a work of incredible scholarship. If you really want to know what made this storm different, this is a must read.
While Imelda was the fourth wettest storm in Texas history when measured by total rainfall, Imelda produced incredible short duration rainfall rates that exceeded Harvey in the 5-, 15-, and 30-minute time periods. And that is the key to understanding why more homes flooded in the 500-year floodplain than the 100-year floodplain.
Few Structures In Lake Houston Area Flooded from River
Says Jeff Lindner, Harris County meteorologist, “Much of the structure flooding that occurred in the Kingwood area was not a result of flooding from the river, but instead flooding of local drainage systems that were overwhelmed from the intense short duration rainfall rates. Harvey remains the flood of record along the West Fork of the San Jacinto River.”
Almost Two-Thirds of Flooded Homes Outside 100-year Floodplain
Similar to other recent flooding events in Harris County a large number of flooded homes were located outside the 1% (100-yr) floodplain. Of the 3,990 homes flooded from Imelda, 2,479 (62%) were outside the 1% (100-yr) floodplain. 1,511 (38%) of the flooded homes were located inside the 1% (100-yr) floodplain.
“While house flooding did occur from creeks and bayous overflowing their banks, a large majority of the house flooding was a result of intense short duration rainfall rates overwhelming the internal drainage capacities and this is shown by the large number of homes that flooded outside the 1% (100-yr) floodplain,” says Lindner.
Rainfall Totals Throughout San Jacinto Watershed
See the actual rainfall measurements for gages throughout the San Jacinto Watershed below. All characterizations of floods (i.e., 100-year) are based on NOAA’s new Atlas 14 data.
San Jacinto River and Lake HoustonCypress CreekSpring CreekLuce BayouFlooding of Local Tributaries: Green = 10-50 yr flood, Yellow = 50-100 yr, Red = 100-500 yr, based on high water marks. 1-Hour Peaks throughout county. Note blue bullseye over US59 and Beltway 8. That’s a 500-year intensity rate.48 Hour Peaks throughout county. Notice extreme gradient from east to west. 28″ in northeast part of county and less than 2″ in the west.Regional map. Parts of Liberty, Chambers and Jefferson Counties received a 1000-year rain. As bad as Imelda was, Harris County escaped the worst part of the storm.
Details Provide Clues to Reasons for Flooding
The final Imelda report has thousands of statistics for just about every location in the county and every time period between 5 minutes and 48 hours. Scanning it may give you a feeling for why you flooded or why you did not.
Increasing Frequency of Extreme Storms
The report also contains a discussion the number of extreme storms that have hit this area recently. Some key stats:
Three of five wettest tropical cyclones in Texas history occurred in the last 20 years (Imelda, Harvey, Allison)
Among Texas storms, four of the top five occurred in southeast Texas (Imelda, Harvey, Allison, and Claudette).
Imelda is also the 5th wettest tropical cyclone ever in the 48 contiguous United States.
Six of the wettest tropical cyclones in US history have occurred in Texas.
Six of the 10 wettest occurred in the last 22 years.
Three of the 10 wettest occurred in the last three years (Imelda, Florence, Harvey).
The table below shows the top ten wettest tropical cyclones by location and year in the 48 contiguous states.
Source: Harris County Flood Control final report on Imelda.
When far more homes flood in the 500 year flood plain than the 100, it’s clear that our infrastructure is not equipped to handle the kind of storms we’re now getting.
We can no longer allow developers and engineering companies to bet on the best case scenarios when the worst case scenarios are becoming the norm. We must start building infrastructure to handle bigger storms. The old norms are failing us.
Adopt best practices for developers that require detention ponds to be built as each portion of a site is cleared, rather than waiting until the entire site is cleared.
Discourage building in 100-year floodplains by limiting the percentage of impervious cover and homes per acre, while increasing the amount of detention required and elevation beneath the homes.
Until MoCo Commissioners take these steps, they will continue to knowingly inflict pain, suffering and damage on downstream neighbors and their own residents.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/11/2019
804 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 55 since Imelda
The conclusions expressed in this post represent my opinions on matters of public policy and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/County-1-Hour-Peak.png?fit=1290%2C1000&ssl=110001290adminadmin2019-11-11 12:00:152019-11-11 16:19:56Final Report on Imelda Says 62% of Flooding Outside of 100-Year Floodplain
Here’s a science lesson for the entire family. The SJRA’s peak streamflow and rainfall map for Imelda demonstrated how rain can fall heavily over one part of a watershed and barely touch another. There are huge implications for flooding.
Note how the gage at Spring Creek in Tomball recorded a peak flow of 22.7 cubic feet per second. The East Fork gage in New Caney registered 34,600 cubic feet per second. That’s a difference of more than 1500X in the peak flow rates!
Rainfall Totals Range from 0 to 30 Inches in 24 miles
The blue figures represent precipitation. That same gage in Tomball recorded none. But a little further east, they picked up more than 5 inches; almost 10 at I-45; more than 15 at I-69, and almost 30 in New Caney.
This is why you need to look at gages upstream on YOUR tributary when flooding is possible! Someday, textbooks will use this map to dramatize that lesson.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/5/2019
798 days since Hurricane Harvey and 47 since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/TS-Imelda-8.5x11-reduced.jpg?fit=2200%2C1700&ssl=117002200adminadmin2019-11-05 16:57:342019-11-05 17:03:32SJRA Peak Flow Map from Imelda Shows 1500X Difference Between East/West Sides of Watershed
If past performance is any indication of the future, the mine is likely to receive a slap on the wrist. Fines against sand mines from the TCEQ have averaged around $800. However, this is more serious. The attorney general is involved. And stiffer penalties are now available thanks to a new law sponsored by State Representative Dan Huberty in the last legislation session.
If a court levies maximum penalties against this mine, the owners could be liable for $1.1 million plus $25,000 per day for each day breaches in the mine’s dikes remain open. That could easily exceed another half million dollars.
In addition, Ramiro Garcia, head of enforcement for the TCEQ, said the commission disengaged from settlement talks with Triple PG regarding May breaches. Those breaches also took weeks to patch. If lumped in with this, the court could assess yet another half million dollars.
Claim Patches in May Breaches Made with Clay
According to the results of the May investigation, investigators believe the mine patched its breaches with clay. But photos of the failed dikes indicate they were made from sand.
Breach of Triple PG Mine on Caney Creek in September. Photo taken 9/29/19.Close up of same breach reveals that this repair was clearly made from sand.Photo taken on 9/29/2019.Here’s what the same breach looked like from the air.Photo taken on 10/2/2019.I photographed at least 7 additional breaches that same day. Photo courtesy of Josh Alberson, showing that the breach remained open last Saturday, October 5, when he took this shot from his jet boat on Caney Creek.Investigators found the same breach open on the 9th, 20 days after Imelda.
About Chapter 26 of Water Code
Chapter 26 covers water quality control and industrial waste water. It defines “Industrial waste” to mean “…waterborne liquid, gaseous, or solid substances that result from any process of industry, manufacturing, trade, or business.” Its definition of “pollutant” includes “dredged spoils.”
“Pollution” also means “the alteration of the physical, thermal, chemical, or biological quality of, or the contamination of, any water in the state that renders the water harmful, detrimental, or injurious to humans, animal life, vegetation, or property or to public health, safety, or welfare, or impairs the usefulness or the public enjoyment of the water for any lawful or reasonable purpose.”
Triple PG Mine is at the confluence of floodways for White Oak Creek and Caney Creek.
The mine is in the confluence of two floodways: White Oak Creek and Caney Creek. Both are tributaries to Lake Houston, the source of drinking water for millions of people. The purpose of Chapter 26: “to maintain the quality of water in the state consistent with the public health and enjoyment…”
The code considers the possible adverse effect that illegal discharges might have on receiving bodies of water, such as Lake Houston, and on parks, such as East End Park in Kingwood.
Although the Code permits some discharges. However, “Discharges covered by the general permit will not include a discharge of pollutants that will cause significant adverse effects to water quality.”
Chapter 26 stretches more than 200 pages and 58,000 words. So I won’t attempt to summarize it here, except to say that it also includes the disposal of chlorides. One former executive for the City of Houston’s public works department told me that he personally witnessed many sand mines intentionally breaching dikes under the cover of floods to eliminate chloride buildups in their wash water.
“Companies that pollute Texas waterways will be held accountable,” says TCEQ Executive Director Toby Baker. “Every business has a responsibility to respect laws that protect the environment and public health, and I applaud the attorney general for acting swiftly on my request to hold Triple P.G. Sand Development fully responsible.”
The State of Texas requests that the court grant the following relief as allowed by law:
A permanent injunction
Civil penalties and reasonable attorney fees
Court costs
Investigative costs.
Repeated Dike Failures
The dikes of the Triple PG Sand Mine do not appear to comply with TCEQ rules for dike construction. They are built from sand and have failed repeatedly in multiple locations. However, the TCEQ rules clearly state, that structural integrity is the number one concern. “Construction must be based upon sound engineering principles. Structural integrity must withstand any waters which the levee or other improvement is intended to restrain or carry, considering all topographic features, including existing levees.”
The Attorney General’s charges do not mention dike construction. Reading the requirements, however, it will be interesting to see which professional engineer signed off on the plans. The requirements state:
“§301.36. Plans To Bear Seal of Engineer.“
“All preliminary plans and other plans which are submitted with an application for approval of a levee or other improvement shall be prepared by or under the direction of a registered professional engineer and signed by the registered professional engineer whose seal shall appear upon or be affixed thereto.”
Stay tuned. More investigation to follow.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/11/2019, with thanks to Dan Huberty, Charlie Fahrmeier and Josh Alberson
773 Days after Hurricane Harvey and 22 after Imelda
All thoughts in this post represent my opinions on matters of public safety and policy. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_0480.jpeg?fit=4032%2C3024&ssl=130244032adminadmin2019-10-11 20:21:042019-10-11 21:37:48Texas Attorney General Files Charges Against Triple PG Sand Mine
Note: If you have pictures of Imelda that you would like to share, please send them in via the Submissions page on this web site.Remember to identify time, date, location and describe what’s happening in the photo.
Where Shady Maple intersects Rustling Elms in Elm Grove, Melanie Bankston and her husband captured some stunning images on the morning of September 19th as Imelda raged across the area. The images show a distinct zebra pattern in the water rushing down the street. Taken as a series, they indicate that:
Shady Maple (the street) initially flooded from pure rainwater, not Taylor Gully or Woodridge Village
Later, murky brown, sediment-laden water, streamed down the street
Woodridge Village did not contain its stormwater as the law mandates.
Because of the way Shady Maple curves, I’ve included this satellite image for orientation purposes. The red arrow indicates the angle of view in the photos. Bankston shot across Shady Maple toward the bridge on Rustling Elms and Taylor Gully.
At 9:37 a.m.
“At 9:37am that we couldn’t clearly see brown water,” said Blankston.
Video at 9:52
At 9:52 a.m. most of the water in the street is still running clear. Note the speed of the trash can as it floats by. Taylor Gully is in the background. You can see it under the crepe myrtle. Also note how the water in the street is rushing toward Taylor Gully, an indication that the water in the gully was lower than in the street.
By 10:37 a.m.
By 10:37 a.m., murky brown water was coming down Shady Maple from the direction of Woodridge Village, where Perry Homes had clearcut 268 acres without installing detention to hold a hundred year storm. Regulations and permits obligated them to do so.Note the distinct color difference between the rainwater that had been rising in the street and the new invading water.This closer shot was taken seconds later. In it, you can see how the color of muddy water invading the street matches the color of muddy water in Taylor Gully behind the crepe myrtle.At this point in Taylor Gully, the water came almost exclusively from Woodridge Village.
By 11:25
By 11:25 a.m., Taylor Gully had overflowed. The two streams of muddy water merged and started to displace the clearer rainwater in the street.
In North Kingwood Forest, the same types of evidence suggest that muddy water entered Right Way, then River Rose Court, turned the corner on Creek Manor toward Taylor Gully then turned again down Shady Maple toward Rustling Elms. There it turned another corner toward Taylor Gully, until the Gully came out of its banks.
Path of muddy water through the streets of North Kingwood Forest and Elm Grove toward the Bankston Home, Rustling Elms and Taylor Gully.
Emergency Evacuation for Second Time in Four Months
Keith Stewart who lives on the corner of Shady Maple and Creek Manor evacuated his family in a canoe toward Ford Road in Porter. He says the current coming down River Rose was so fast, he struggled against it.
Keith Stewart family evacuating Elm Grove on 9.19.19. Stewart had just made the turn from Creek Manor, north onto River Rose. He was struggling against the current while taking this shot. Shown in the picture are his wife Jennifer, son Gabriel, and brother-in-law Ambrose Johnson.
Aside from the stunning and unusual amateur photography, the content of these images represents yet more evidence that Perry Homes, its subsidiaries and contractors failed to contain stormwater runoff as they were obligated to do by law. Hundreds of families in Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest paid for that failure.
The Perry gang had only installed about a quarter of the detention on their site before Imelda. The other three quarters of the rain had to go somewhere else and it did.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/7/2019
769 Days after Harvey and 18 after Imelda
The thoughts expressed in this post represent my opinions on matters of public interest and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Stewart-Evac-9.19.19-e1619020734162.jpg?fit=999%2C739&ssl=1739999adminadmin2019-10-07 21:31:102019-10-07 21:44:53Stunning New Imelda Images Show Stream of Muck Coming Down Shady Maple From Direction of Woodridge Village
Jeff Lindner, meteorologist for Harris County Flood Control, has issued a 29-page report packed with statistics that puts Imelda in a historical context.
Contents of Imelda Report
The report starts out by summarizing what happened when and where during Imelda. It discusses far more than rainfall; it covers high water rescues, fatalities and more.
“Imelda demonstrated the susceptibility of the area to intense short duration rainfall rates,” says Lindner. That pretty much sums up the storm, but not the report.
Imelda Inch by Inch
“Lake Houston and 20.0-30.0 inches from Crosby to Huffman. 12-hr storm totals averaged 6.0-10.0 inches from the Spring Branch area to Lake Houston and 13.0-18.0 inches from Crosby to Huffman. 3-hr storm totals averaged 6.0-10.0 inches from northwest Houston to Huffman. 1-hr storm totals averaged 4.0-6.0 inches from Humble to northwest Houston including a maximum 1-hr total of 6.4 inches at Greens Bayou and US 59 and a 2-hr total of 9.2 inches. While just outside of Harris County, a 48-hr rainfall of 30.4 inches was recorded on the East Fork of the San Jacinto River at FM 2090 in the Plum Grove area,” says Lindner.
Comparing Imelda to Allison and Harvey
Many people have asked how Imelda compared to Harvey and Allison. It’s all in there. With max rainfall totals for each storm ranging from 5-minutes to four days. That was particularly illuminating in terms of explaining why some people flooded during one storm and not the other.
The report also includes:
A comparison of recent extreme rainfalls in Harris County for all those who worry we are on the verge of the apocalypse.
An analysis of overbook flooding for East and West Forks of the San Jacinto, Lake Houston, and other bayous.
House flooding estimates
High water marks
Rainfall intensity reports for multiple locations across the region
Contour maps showing rainfall intensities around the county
762 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 11 Days since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Screen-Shot-2019-09-29-at-9.59.11-PM.png?fit=1456%2C1166&ssl=111661456adminadmin2019-09-29 22:12:082019-09-29 22:12:16Harris County Flood Control Issues First Report on Imelda
After May 7th and September 19th storms, reports started pouring in about homes that flooded that had not flooded during Harvey. How could that be? Harvey dumped more rain than any storm in history of the continental U.S. The short answer: When you look closely at the rainfall statistics, its comes down to totals versus intensities. Even though Harvey brought more rain, its peak intensity never came close to the other storms’. Those higher peaks can create street flooding miles from any river. And they did.
Those looking for a more detailed explanation can read below.
Using the Harris County Flood Warning System, you can find historical rainfall data for any date or gage in the region. Here’s what I found for three local gages and three storms.
Comparison of Storm Totals, Peak Intensities and Durations
During Harvey, we received:
33.04 inches at the West Fork/US59, with a peak 2.36 inches in one hour.
27.44 inches at the East Fork/FM1485, with a peak 1.4 inches in one hour.
East Fork/FM2090 – no data reported.
On May 7th, we received:
6.76 inches at the West Fork/US59 with a peak 3.64 inches in one hour
9.84 inches at the East Fork/FM1485 with a peak 3.16 inches in one hour
6.76 inches at the East Fork/FM2090 with a peak 1.6 inches in one hour
On September 19th, we received:
11.56 inches at the West Fork/US59 with a peak 4.56 inches in one hour
18.88 inches at the East Fork/FM1485, with a peak 9.4 inches in three hours.
19.68 inches at the East Fork/FM2090, with the peak of 3.24 inches in one hour.
Comparing Totals and Intensities
From this data, several things become immediately apparent.
Harvey dropped the most rain, but had the lowest peak intensity.
Compared to May 7th, the September 19th storm dropped roughly 2-3X more rain at each gage.
Comparing gage locations, you can also see tremendous variability over just a few miles for any given storm. For instance, on September 19th, 63% more rain fell on New Caney than the Humble/Kingwood area.
Comparing All 3 Storms to Precipitation Frequency Estimates
The next question: How do these numbers compare to the hypothetical 100- and 500-year rainfall events? Here are the updated precipitation frequency estimates for this area from NOAA Atlas 14.
Take the totals and peak intensities from the gage information above. Then locate them in the table below. Here’s what you find.
Frequency Estimates for Harvey – August 25-30, 2017
US59 at West Fork during Harvey
500-year event based on 5-day total
2- to 5- year event based on peak hour.
FM1485 At East Fork during Harvey
200-year event based on 5-day total
1-year event based on peak hour.
FM2090 at East Fork during Harvey
No data available
Frequency Estimates for May 7 Storm
US59 Gage on May 7
5-year storm based on 24-hour totals
25-year storm based on the 1-hour peak
Street and minor yard flooding in an event like this is normal. But it should not have entered your house if the house is above the 100-year flood plain. (Most homes are at least two feet above.)
If you’re near this gage and your home flooded on May 7th, it probably wasn’t because of the peak rainfall intensity or total. You should be looking for clogged or broken storm drains, fallen trees/sediment blocking ditches, or upstream development, like Woodridge Village, that overtaxed the capacity of drainage systems.
FM1485 Gage on May 7
25-year storm based on rainfall total
10-year storm based on peak intensity (1-hour rate).
Again, this should be well within the capacity of infrastructure to handle. If your home flooded, look for other causes like those above.
FM2090 Gage on May 7
5-year storm based on rainfall total
1-year storm based on peak intensity.
Infrastructure should have handled that easily. If your home flooded, look for one of the possible causes listed above.
Most infrastructure, homes, and businesses are built to handle a hundred-year rain event. Even homes surrounded by 100-year flood plains are usually raised above them.
If you flooded in this event, it may have been because of the extreme rainfall or because your slab wasn’t elevated two feet above the 100 year flood plain like most building regs require.
Other causes may have factored in also. When there’s little margin for error, a partially clogged storm drain or ditch, or upstream development could have made the difference between flooding and not flooding.
100- to 200-year storm based on 3-hour peak intensity.
It easily surpassed the design capacity of infrastructure. Events like this make a good case for flood insurance if you don’t have it.
FM2090 Gage on September 19
200-year event based on 24 hour total
10-year event based on peak intensity.
Again, think flood insurance. You’re way past the design capacity of infrastructure.
River Flooding Vs. Street Flooding
Peak intensity usually affects streets first. Storm totals usually affect rivers later.
From the frequency estimates above we can see that Harvey was extreme in its totality, but did not reach the peak intensity that either the May 7th or September 19th storms did. In fact…
The highest one-hour total for the May 7th and September 19th storms at all three gages exceeded the highest one-hour measurement during Harvey.
The real story of Harvey: how much rain KEPT falling for days and days. And how much water was released from the Lake Conroe Dam at the peak of the storm. Harvey was not about street flooding. It was about river flooding.
River Flooding Versus Street Flooding
Rainfall totals, intensities and durations affect flooding differently.
Street Flooding
Intense bursts of rain like we saw on September 19th create street flooding. Short bursts quickly exceed storm drain capacity, and the storage capacity of sewers and streets. Water comes up in the streets quickly and goes down quickly. This could be miles from a river, long before river flooding. Rainfall just can’t get out of the neighborhood quickly enough.
River Flooding
It can take days for water to migrate to a river and for large rainfall totals to force the river out of its banks. River flooding usually happens long AFTER street flooding, when the storm totals exceed the conveyance capacity of the river.
Importance of Location
During Imelda, New Caney received 20 inches of rain, while Lake Conroe received only 2. So there was no need to release water from Lake Conroe. For the most part, West Fork flooding was minor. But it was a totally different event on the East Fork where heavy rain piled up for two days.
Harvey – Classic River Flooding
During Harvey, the rainfall intensity only briefly surpassed the carrying capacity of infrastructure. But when the rain piled up in rivers for days and the SJRA released 80,000 cubic feet per second from Lake Conroe, tens of thousands of people flooded.
As the river rose, the water in ditches had nowhere to go.
As the ditches rose, the water in storm drains had nowhere to go.
As the water in storm drains backed up, the water in streets had nowhere to go.
And when the rain kept coming…you know the rest.
Summary
I hope this helps explain why some people flooded on May 7th and/or September 19th and not during Harvey. Different intensities and different durations produced different types of flooding.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/27/19 and dedicated to my old friend David Lyday
759 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/CallbackPanelPartial-1-1.png?fit=820%2C400&ssl=1400820adminadmin2019-09-26 19:03:322019-09-27 17:17:01Why Some People Flooded on May 7th or September 19th, But Not During Harvey
During Imelda, most of the new Kingwood Docks development in Town Center went underwater and stayed that way for days. Much of it is still underwater. Many people have expressed concerns about the development of this area in recent months. It frequently floods. They worry about the potential for the development to increase flood risk for surrounding homes and businesses.
Let’s look at this property, its history, and the plans for it.
Repetitive Flooding
When the site was apartments for the first 30 years of Kingwood, it had a history of flooding repeatedly. It still does. It went underwater during Harvey, May 7th, and Imelda – three times in the last two years.
Here’s what the site looked like before redevelopment into commercial space. Note the triangular area at the far right.Here’s what it looked like a couple years ago. Lovett started clearing the land on the end.
Entire Property in Flood Plain
FEMA’s National Flood Hazard Layer Viewer shows the entire development is in the 100 year flood plain (aqua). Brown areas represent the 500 year flood plain. Unshaded areas (top right) are not in a known flood hazard zone.
Restaurants with a River View
Since 1998, this site went through a series of five owners. All chose not to develop it once they discovered the site’s problems … until now.
Lovett Commercial bought this property in 2014 under the name Kingwood Retail Partners LTD. They intend to develop this area into a strip of restaurants. During heavy rains, those restaurants will have a river view. Except no one will be able to park by them.
Here’s what the area looked like from Kingwood Drive on 9/19 as rains for Imelda receded. Photo courtesy of Josh Alberson.
How High the Water Got
The debris on this sign shows how high the water got in what will become the parking lot/entry area. Docks! A prophetic name if ever there was one.Perhaps someone was trying to turn a negative into a positive.What the parking area looked like the day after the storm. Water stayed like this for days.Part of it is still under water a week after Imelda. Photo taken 9/21/19 shows erosion to pad site.The restaurants themselves will be built up 6-7 feet.Get out your climbing gear. That’s going to be one hell of an ADA ramp.
More Restaurants Planned
Lovett will build twin 14,000 sf structures on that elevated portion (right). They hope to squeeze five restaurants into them. Each structure will measure 200 ft x 70 ft according to their plans.
This shows part of what will become a detention pond around the eastern perimeter of the site.Note how it’s much lower than the creek next to it.Another view of the “mitigation” area.Photo taken Saturday 9/21/2019. Two days after Imelda, it still had not drained.
The parking will be underwater when it rains. So think seafood restaurants. (Sorry.) Crawfish anyone?
Lessons of History
The current owners bought this property in 2014, about the time that the adjacent apartments were cleared to make way for the HEB center. Lovett began clearing its land in 2016, as HEB and Memorial Hermann Convenient Care Center began construction. By Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, they knew something was terribly wrong.
Lovett knew that its land was lower than the adjacent shopping center as you can clearly see from this Google Earth photo dated 8/30/2017, one of the last days of Harvey. Look where all the water ponds!
Lovett clearly saw the catastrophic flooding during Harvey. Torchy’s, adjacent to them, flooded to the rafters during Harvey. So did every other building in the center.
Despite all that, Lovett started developing the property in earnest this year. Their sign promised that retail space would be available by Fall of 2019. It’s now Fall, and from the photos above, I doubt the owners will have it ready in the next three months.
Ain’t No Arguing with Mother Nature
I spent the last two years writing about flooding. One thing has become perfectly clear to me. We have flooding because people don’t respect the power of water. They think they can win arguments with Mother Nature. So in the name of science, engineering, free enterprise and private property rights, they build in areas where they should not. Confident that they will have the National Flood Insurance Program to bail them out when Mother Nature puts her foot down.
The Simple Solution to Flooding
If we want to stop flooding, we have to stop pushing the envelope into questionable areas. We pay lip service to that idea, but, here we go again. It’s death by a thousand cuts. One parcel at a time.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/26/2019
758 Days after Hurricane Harvey
All thoughts in this post represent my opinions on matters of public policy and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Docks_003-2.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&ssl=110001500adminadmin2019-09-25 23:09:412019-09-25 23:17:10Kingwood Docks Development Submerged
Correction: The head of Enforcement for the TCEQ notified me that there was a “proposed” fine of $16,875 issued to the Triple-P Mine for the May breach, but that they have not “settled” yet.
The East Fork of the San Jacinto River and the Triple-P sand mine took a terrible toll on Kingwood’s East End Park for the second time in two years during Imelda. Sand several feet thick blanketed about 30 acres of this beautiful ecological gem and the peaceful trails that wind through it. The devastation matched and in some cases surpassed Harvey’s. These pictures tell the story. After Harvey, it took hundreds of thousands of dollars to restore the trails and boardwalks in the park. It will cost at least that much again.
Carried Away
This bench on the Pelican Overlook Trail used to have about 50 feet of trail, trees and river bank in front of it. Imelda eroded the bank and the river cut away the land under the trail. The trail will now have to be moved inland. It no longer exists.
Blanketed by Sand
This boardwalk to Eagle Point used to go over pristine wetlands. It will now require excavation.Photo courtesy of John Knoezer.
Scoured by Flood Waters
Trail scouring occurred in many places. Large parts of the North Loop trail will require replacement.Photo courtesy of John Knoezer.
Taking Destruction to New Levels
This sign used to be chest high. Now it’s knee high.Photo courtesy of John Knoezer.
Giant Trees Uprooted
Trees are down in multiple places and block the main boardwalk. Photo courtesy of John Knoezer.
Covered Up
The main boardwalk is covered with a layer of ultra-slippery silt 1-2 inches thick. Photo courtesy of John Knoezer.
Under Water
In many places, trails have gone underwater.At this location, we found quicksand. See below.
Quick Sand
Rika, the safety pup, says, “Hmmmm. Lucky I don’t have to buy shoes.”
For your own safety and the safety of your shoes, do not venture into the park near the river. It’s dangerous as you can see. Quicksand even exists in some places.
Now for The Bad News
Much of this sand may have come from the Triple-P sand mine on Caney Creek, just upstream from East End Park.
Image courtesy of Charlie Fahrmeier, an expert in turbidity control. Photo taken on 9/22/2019.Image of same breach on May 17th.Location of Breach
Once again the mine breached its dike, underscoring the danger of locating mines in floodways. This particular mine sits at the confluence of two floodways: Caney Creek and White Oak Creek. During Harvey, it lost a major portion of its stockpile to floodwaters. Then it happened again.
It appears that Triple P dumped some sand in the breach in a feeble attempt to stop the hemorrhage. But it obviously did not hold for long. Fahrmeier, who discovered this latest breach on his Waverunner, is an expert in turbidity and environmental pollution control. He said that sand is the wrong type of material for repairing dikes and that the repeat blowout was predictable.
Fahrmeier said that as he was coming up Caney Creek, the stream of sediment coming from the mine made it look as though there were two different streams. “There’s still quite a bit of sediment flowing into the river as evidenced by the discoloration. The pit is pretty large and no doubt contributed a significant volume of water and sediment flowing into Lake Houston since last week.”
KSA Repairs
KSA will begin initiating repairs on East End Park quickly. But many parts of the park are still not accessible. It may be months before all this damage can be repaired. In the meantime, please limit use of the park to the higher parts unaffected by Imelda and Triple P. No doubt some of this sand comes from river bed and bank erosion. But I believe a lot came from the mine, too. I hope KSA decides to sue the mine this time. It’s clear that they do not fear the TCEQ.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/23/2019 with images from John Knoezer and Charlier Fahrmeier
756 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 5 since Imelda
The thoughts expressed in this post represent my opinions on matters of public policy and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Overlook-Washout.jpg?fit=1500%2C2000&ssl=120001500adminadmin2019-09-23 21:00:282019-09-25 14:53:10Triple-P Sand Mine Breached Again; East End Park Destroyed for Second Time in Two Years
Many homes flooded in Elm Grove this week that did not flood on May 7th, or ever before. Estimates from the homeowner’s association range from 2 to 3 times the number that flooded on May 7th. The shocking part: most of the flooding was preventable.
History of Problems with Woodridge Village
On May 7th, floodwater from a new development in Montgomery County contributed to the flooding of almost 200 homes in Elm Grove Village.
The basic problem: Perry Homes, its subsidiaries and contractors had clearcut approximately 268 acres. They filled in natural streams and wetlands without installing needed detention ponds. Runoff from the development then went straight into Elm Grove.
In the weeks that followed, hundreds of Elm Grove residents filed lawsuits against the developer and contractors. In the months that followed:
The Perry gang, managed to complete less than 25% of the needed detention pond capacity, despite ideal construction weather, and then they apparently stopped work altogether.
Drone Footage Shows Huge Clearcut Area Where Three Detention Ponds Should Have Been
As work came to a standstill, residents became concerned. Last Sunday, Matt Swint flew his drone over the development to document the status of work on detention ponds. Just four days later, Imelda struck.
Swint captured all three of the images immediately below on 9/15/2019. They show that no progress was made on ANY of the detention ponds planned for the northern section.
Woodridge N1 Detention Pond should have gone here. Woodridge N2 Detention Pond should have gone here. It was supposed to be the largest pond on the site, but the only work done on it was between 2006 and 2008 by Montgomery County.N3 Pond should have gone here.
No Work Ever Done on Northern Detention Ponds Despite Area Having Been Clearcut for Months
They could have hired extra crews to build those northern detention ponds. But no. Why be aggressive when you’re months behind schedule and have ideal construction weather?
Their lawyers were, however, working overtime, blocking discovery in the court case against the developer and contractors.
A judge failed to recognize the dire threat that Elm Grove residents still lived under. She may have unwittingly contributed to this mess. With no sense of urgency, she tolerated deliberate delays and set a trial date a year away.
Meanwhile, at an August 27th meeting, MoCo commissioners considered a motion to close a loophole that allowed developers to get away without installing detention ponds. Commissioners chose to table the motion. They insisted that Montgomery County didn’t have a flooding problem. They worried that closing the loophole could change the economics of work in progress and harm developers.
The Harris County Flood Warning System shows that the USGS gage at US59 recorded 11.56 inches of rain on 9/19/19, most of it during the late morning.
Second Verse, Worse than the First
On September 19, Elm Grove flooded again. Worse than on May 7th. Much worse. Beth Guide of the Elm Grove Homeowners Association and numerous homeowners estimate that the water was at least a foot to eighteen inches deeper. The additional water involved twice as many streets, and affected as many as two to three times more homeowners. Now they, too, get to join the lawsuit and battle institutional indifference. (Note: many streets are so congested that it is virtually impossible to get an exact count at this time. That number could change.)
Scenes from Elm Grove, One Day after Second Flood in Four Months
Today, I:
Witnessed men and women weeping openly as they hauled belongings to the curb for the second time in four months.
Watched kids discarding Christmas and birthday presents in trash piles that sometimes reached rafters.
Talked with a family that had just finished installing replacement cabinets from the May 7th flood.
Saw desperation in the eyes of young couples who feared bankruptcy.
Met the grown children of elderly people there to help salvage what they could for parents.
Defendants’ Responses to Plaintiffs’ Questions
As this tsunami of heartbreak unfolded in front of me, I could not get the defendants’ responses to the plaintiffs’ simple requests out of my mind.
For instance:
Request: Identify the entity or individual in charge on May 7, 2019.
Response: “Defendant objects to this Request for Production on the grounds it is vague, ambiguous, unclear and overly broad with respect to the requesting party’s use of the phrase ‘in charge…'”
Or how about this one:
Request: Identify the person in charge of permit compliance.
Response: “Defendant objects to this Request for Production on the grounds that such Request is vague, overly broad, and fails to specify and/or describe with reasonable particularity – as is required by Rule 196.1(b) of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure — the documents and/or things to be produced. Defendant further objects to this Request for Production on the grounds that such Request is argumentative and assumes the truth of matters which are not in evidence, and which may be in dispute, to the extent that such Request suggests and/or assumes that one specific individual was “… in charge of compliance …” by this Defendant as to the terms and conditions of TPDES General Permit TXR150000.”
Whew! That lawyer must be getting paid by the word. I know some people that could have communicated the same meaning with a finger gesture.
The judge in this case will hear a motion to compel responses on Monday, September 23rd in the 234th Judicial District Court of Harris County. I hope she puts a stop to this nonsense. It’s time somebody did…with the rain train spread out across the Atlantic during the worst part of hurricane season.
What 23% Retention Contributed To
This video shows what the people of Elm Grove faced during Imelda from Woodridge Village and what they will continue to face. With only 23% of the detention capacity in place, it overflowed when the design limits were tested. See video below.
It’s kind of like expecting a car with one tire to work as well as a car with four.
At 10:10:09 a.m. on 9/19/19, Jeff Miller’s security camera captured a cloud of silty water invading clear rain water that had been filling Forest Springs Drive (four blocks west of Taylor Gully) all morning. Miller believes that Woodridge Village’s S2 detention pond overflowed minutes earlier.See photo below.
One Day After the Latest Storm
Silt fence pushed toward Taylor Gully adjacent to Woodridge S2 detention pond. This indicates two things: There was not enough detention capacity; it overflowed. And water from the development did not follow the route it should have, i.e., through the outflow control device to the left. Photo by Jeff Miller.Bent silt fencing above Village Springs Drive failed to stop the flow of sediment toward Elm Grove. Abel and Nancy Vera burned out two power washers trying to get Woodridge muck off their driveway after Imelda. Abel Vera had to grab his car to avoid slipping in slippery, ankle-deep sediment on Village Springs. Rainwater alone would not have deposited so much muck. Nancy Vera says that her home had more than a foot of water in it before Taylor Gully overflowed. The water contained thick sediment from Woodridge just north of her house. It made a dangerous, syrupy mess.Flood debris lodged in the wheel well of Allyssa Harris’ vehicle which took on water up to the door handles despite being parked in her drive on higher ground. Bill King, candidate for Mayor of Houston, spent the day after Imelda investigating the causes of Elm Grove flooding. Woodridge is in the background.King also visited with homeowners who lost everything for the second time in four months. Another Elm Grove debris pile from Imelda flood. There are hundreds of similar piles.The joys and fun of children were dragged to the curb, too. New furniture. Old Story. Another Imelda debris pile in Elm Grove.For block after block, people were tossing flooded items. A masking-tape sign on a discarded headboard on Shady Maple in Elm Groveprovided the only ray of hope.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/20/2019, with images from Matt Swint, Allyssa Harris, Jeff Miller
752 Days after Harvey and One Day after Imelda
All thoughts expressed in this post are my opinions on matters of public opinion and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Woodridge-N1-Detention-Pond-Location.jpg?fit=1500%2C994&ssl=19941500adminadmin2019-09-20 23:02:182019-09-21 07:54:07Elm Grove Has 2-3X More Damage Than After May 7th, Much of It Foreseeable and Preventable
