The land in Woodridge Village naturally slopes from north to south and west to east. That means it forms a funnel pointed at Taylor Gulley in the southeast portion of the development. During heavy rains, as we saw last May and September, that funnel turns into a water cannon aimed at Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest. These new aerial photos show where the water is aimed.
Looking toward southeast, you can see how all the land in Woodridge Village slopes toward the far corner.North Kingwood Forest is the group of houses you can see in front of the water tower. Elm Grove is behind those and also the far tree line right of those.
When the land above was wooded and populated only by forest and wetlands, water percolated through the area slowly. Now that the Perry Homes’ gang clearcut the entire 268 acres, water shoots through it like the barrel of a water cannon.
“What Happens If We Cross The Streams?”
LJA Engineers designed the drainage for this development so that virtually all water would converge in the kite-shaped detention pond below before flowing into Taylor Gulley.
Looking west from the southeastern corner of Woodridge Village. North Kingwood Forest is at the bottom of the frame and Elm Grove is tucked into the trees in the upper left and beyond. Virtually all water from the development flows to the pond in the center of this photo. Then it flows through the twin culverts into Taylor Gully on the left.
When the pond fills and water starts to back up, channel starts flowing through the backwards of the homes at the bottom of the photo above.
Looking southwest. Water flows from top to bottom and right to left. Water from Taylor Gulley, the channel that forms a V above, must either squeak through a 3 foot pipe at the end of the concrete section on the left, or make a double U-turn into the detention pond and then back into the gulley on the left.That’s like forcing traffic make a U turn in the center of a busy intersection.
Egon: Don’t cross the streams. Peter: Why? Egon: It would be bad. Peter: I’m fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. What do you mean “bad”? Egon: Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light. Raymond: Total protonic reversal. Peter: That’s bad. Okay. Alright, important safety tip, thanks Egon.
Obviously, the LJA Engineers who designed this drainage either didn’t see the movie or didn’t take it seriously.
Dumping Overflow into Surrounding Streets and Homes
In the photo below, you can see where the water goes when the streams cross during heavy rains. The pond and the stream (Taylor Gulley) leading to it become water cannons when they overflow. Water shoots into the homes in North Kingwood Forest (right). It also shoots down the streets of Elm Grove (bottom left).
Looking north up Village Springs Drive toward Woodridge Village. Virtually all water from the development converges in the kite-shaped detention pond. During floods, overflows shoots down Village Springs or into North Kingwood Forest (right).
Below are links to two videos that show water overflowing from the detention pond into Village Springs Drive and the homes there.
Of course, part of the problem with crossing these streams is that Perry Homes still has only installed 23% of the detention. There’s just no way that 23% can do the job of 100%. The rest of that water has to go somewhere else. Like living rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/7/2020 with thanks to Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Alyssa Harris and Edy Cogdill
921 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 170 since Imelda
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern 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/2020/03/20200306-RJR_0180.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-03-07 16:48:322020-03-07 16:48:42Staring Down the Barrel of a 268-Acre Water Cannon
Despite the fact that Perry had substantially completed S2 before Imelda, it has now taken the company 2X-3X more time than they said it would – with no end in sight.
I took all the ground-level photos below on January 25, 2020.
Looking north toward the southern edge of S2. Perry is elevating the lip of the pond which is now as high as this truck.Looking NW. The elevated lip tapers down as you move west of Village Springs. This should effectively shift the locus of the next flood.View looking west at construction work on southern lip of pond. Backslope swales were destroyed. Grass is gone.Because of lack of grass, increased slope, and lack of compaction, knee-high mud is piling up against silt fence.Edythe Cogdill, owner of the home in the background, is near tears over the lack of progress in Woodridge Village, out of frame to the right.Every home on Cogdill’s block flooded twice. This was the scene today. Six of eight homes on the block have been sold or are up for sale. S2 Pond still under construction. Photo taken 1.20.2020.
Perry Drives Families from Their Homes
I visited three Elm Grove families today. All have “snapped.” They have that 1000-yard stare.
One man kept shouting over and over again, “What are we to do?”
One woman broke down crying.
Another family is getting ready to walk away from their home.
They are not alone.
On one block I saw 25 homes for sale.
At the end of Village Springs, six of eight owners had put their homes up for sale.
On Shady Gardens Drive, a resident told me 22 neighbors had moved out.
This neighborhood has already been destroyed by Perry Homes’ broken promises. Fear paralyzes the few families remaining. Fear every time it rains. Fear for their safety. Fear of financial ruin. Fear of renovating their homes only to be flooded a third time.
Perry Homes’ Actions Mock City of Houston Leaders
Perry Homes’s inexplicable and inexcusable delays mock the City of Houston, the Mayor, the Mayor Pro Tem and City Attorney. Their actions say with impunity, “We have nothing to fear from you. We are more powerful.”
Perhaps the City should start slow-walking Perry Homes’ permit applications until they live up to their promises.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/25/2020
879 Days after Hurricane Harvey and 128 since Imelda
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern 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/2020/01/20200125-RJR_7509.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-01-25 21:46:492020-01-26 07:14:48Perry Homes Still Not Finished with Detention Pond After 90 Days
The worst fate most brands suffer is indifference. But Perry Homes has managed to create a generation of child activists out to expose the indifference of the brand’s managers to flood victims.
Isabelle Fleenor, a student at Kingwood Middle School, created and stars in this YouTube video about how Perry Homes ruined Christmas for so many Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest residents. It’s called a “Very Un Merry Perry Christmas.”
According to Isabelle’s mother, Isabelle conceived the video, starred in it, edited it, created all the graphics and also made “Dam It Perry Homes” signs and T-shirts. They express the community’s anger and point to a constructive solution. She then took the money she raised from T-shirt and sign sales, and donated it to the Elm Grove fall festival for kids so that they might enjoy Halloween.
When I first saw this video, I said to myself, “This young lady has a future in film, television, or on the stage.” What a presenter! She has energy. She’s articulate. And she has heart! You see, Isabelle and her family did not flood. She did all this work for her neighbors who did flood.
Dam It Perry Homes T Shirt by Isabelle Fleenor from her video.Screen capture from Isabelle Fleenor’s video.
Merry Christmas, Perry Homes, from the Younger Generation
I highly recommended you take two minutes to watch this video. Especially if your name is Kathy Perry Britton. This is the future of your brand, Ms. Britton. Merry Christmas!
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/16/2019 based on a video by Isabelle Fleenor
839 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 88 since Imelda
The thoughts expressed in this post represent my opinions and the opinions of Isabelle Fleenor 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/2019/12/Merry-Perry.jpg?fit=1200%2C672&ssl=16721200adminadmin2019-12-16 15:26:432019-12-16 22:22:17Perry Homes’ Brand Just Lost Another Generation
Ken Matthews lives in a one-story house on Shady Maple Drive in Elm Grove about a block below the troubled Woodridge Village development in Montgomery County. Homes on Shady Maple Drive experienced severe damage during both the May 7th and September 19th storms. That damage has been linked to this development.
“Had I Waited One More Minute…”
Between 8 and 9 o’clock a.m. on September 19th, Matthews saw water rising quickly in front of his home. He made a split-second decision to evacuate his wife and child. By the time he packed them in his car, they barely escaped. Water filled the street that quickly. He said, “Had I waited one more minute, we would not have gotten out.”
Matthews had just moved back into his house days before. They had lived with a friend for months while finishing repairs from the May 7th flood. He and his family went to the same friend’s house to wait out the September 19th storm.
Video from Jeff Miller’s security camera several blocks east shows his street filling up with clear water at the same time Matthews evacuated. However, a short while later, at exactly 10:10 a.m., a wave of chocolate brown muddy water came cascading down the street in a sudden surge. That much muck could only have come from one place: Woodridge Village. With only 25% of the detention installed, 75% of the runoff had to go somewhere else. It went into the streets of Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest.
When Matthews returned home, he found a thick layer of silt in his mailbox of all places. Perry Homes’ check wasn’t in the mail, but apparently their dirt was.
Matthews said he did not join the lawsuit against Perry Homes subsidiaries and contractors after May 7th. However, he does plan to join the suit now. His home has just been wiped out for the second time in four months.
Even More Dirt
If you want to find more dirt on Perry Homes, its subsidiaries and contractors, just go to the north end of Village Springs Drive next to Woodridge.
Significantly, Perry Homes has not lifted a finger to help the residents of Elm Grove. Instead it is suing them. This ranks as a new low in the annals of American corporate history.
Harris County Stormwater Rules Discourage Clearcutting Giant Sites All at Once
What do best practices in the development industry have to say about clearing such large sites all at once?
Harris County Stormwater Quality Management regulations discourage clearcutting giant sites like Woodridge Village all at once. See section 4.2.3.1, Stormwater Pollution Prevention (SWPPP) During Construction. The text states, “The clearing, grubbing and scalping (mass clearing or grading) of excessively large areas of land at one time promotes erosion and sedimentation problems. On the areas where disturbance takes place the site designer should consider staging construction [emphasis added], temporary seeding and/or temporary mulching as a technique to reduce erosion. Staging construction involves stabilizing one part of the site before disturbing another [emphasis added].“
Of course, these are Harris County regulations and Woodridge Village sits in Montgomery County. Montgomery County has no comparable regulations posted on its website as far as I can tell.
Construction Sequencing Not Addressed In Construction Plans
Section 4.2.5 of the same Harris County document addresses Construction Sequencing. This section states, “The construction drawings should clearly state the designer’s intentions and an appropriate sequence of construction should be shown on the plans. This sequence should then be the topic of a detailed discussion at the pre-construction meeting (that must include the on-site responsible construction personnel) and then enforced by an appropriate inspection program throughout the construction period.”
Perry Homes Gang Still Stalling Lawsuit, But Some Hope
Meanwhile, the Perry Homes gang is still stalling the Webster-Spurlock law suit against them. Two weeks after the judge in the case heard arguments in the motion to compel discovery, she still has not made a ruling.
However, there was some movement in the case last week. Lawyers for both sides agreed to keep all documents and depositions obtained during discovery confidential. Perry’s subsidiaries and contractors may have material that would embarrass the parent company if it became public. The court documents refer to “protecting trade secrets.” That sounds like convenient cover to me. How many trade secrets can there be about bulldozing dirt?
The intent of the order seems to be to keep documents away from the watchful eyes of the media, such as ReduceFlooding.com. On the plus side, though, lawyers tell me that sometimes such agreements may be a prelude to settlement talks. If this moves the case forward, I’m all for it. The flood victims desperately need help.
Posted by Bob Rehak on October 5, 2019
767 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 16 since 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/Ken-Matthews-Mailbox.jpg?fit=1500%2C2000&ssl=120001500adminadmin2019-10-05 21:27:282019-10-05 21:27:39More Dirt on Perry Homes
In the world of process quality-control, a consulting company named Kepner-Tregoe built a reputation for itself with a simple methodology. The foundation? When a problem appears, look for something different you did. Chances are, you’ll find the cause there.
Applying that same methodology to Elm Grove, an area that never flooded before May 7th, but which has flooded twice since then, one would have to look at the clearcut area immediately to the north, home of a new development called Woodridge Village.
Shortly after Perry Homes, its subsidiaries and contractors clearcut approximately 268 acres the problems started. But that wasn’t all the Perry gang did.
Before Harvey
They also filled in all the natural streams and wetlands that wound through the dense forest, slowing down runoff. Here’s what the area looked like before Harvey.
This is where the wetlands were (past tense).
Source: USGS. According to the Army Corps of Engineers, no one requested a jurisdictional delineation for the wetlands on this site. Normally, engineering companies request such a ruling to see if the Corps will object to the loss of valuable wetlands.So this project could have required a Corps permit that the developer never obtained.
After Clearcutting
Here’s what the same area looks like today from a helicopter facing south.
Shot taken on 9/21/19 two days after Imelda. Land slopes generally from NW to SE, funneling toward Taylor Gully at the tip of the arrow. Note the ponding water on the northwest side of the dirt pile near the base of the arrow.Depending on where rain falls within this area, it could take a different path, but the destination remains the same – Taylor Gully.
The LJA engineer who authored the Woodridge hydrology report characterized the slope on the northern section as 1% or greater. That’s confirmed by this contour map. And that slope is enough to make water move.
Kepner-Tregoe aside, just because something happened after something else does not automatically mean that A caused B. In logic, that assumption is called the Post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy. (Latin for “after this, therefore because of this.”)
Even though the Kepner-Tregoe methodology strongly suggests a linkage, do we have more direct proof that runoff from this subdivision caused the Elm Grove/North Kingwood Forest Flood on 9/19/19? Yes.
Clue #1
Well, for one thing, 75% of the detention pond capacity was supposed to be installed on that steep northern section, which is twice as big as the souther section. But none was. Or at least, none of it was fully functional.
Here’s where LJA intended it to go. It virtually ringed the western, southern and eastern sides.
This illustration shows that234 acre feet of detention capacity should have been built on the northern section. But before Imelda, only 75.7 acre feet were actually built, all on the southern section. Less than 25% of the detention was fully functional when Imelda hit.
Out of the promised 309 acre feet of detention, only 75 acre feet actually existed before Imelda, about 25% of the eventual total. All of that was on the southern section. Despite the fact that the northern section contained far more land.
N1 detention in NW corner missing.Looking SW.N2 Detention only partially available in SW corner. Montgomery County excavated this to a depth of approximately three feet between 2006-2008.But it needs to go much deeper to reach its detention goal.Looking West.Where the top part of the missing N3 detention pond should beon the NE corner.Looking SE.Where the bottom part of the missing N3 should be. A shallow trench channeled water toward Taylor Gully (out of frame in the upper right), without the benefit of any detention on the northern section to slow it down.Also looking SE.
Clue #2
When all that water reached the tree line that separates Elm Grove from Woodless Village (sic), it pushed the silt fence over. Notice the giant chunks of wood slammed up against the fence.
Silt fence that separates Woodridge Village from Elm Grovenow leans toward Elm Grove.The same thing happened on the border with Taylor Gully. When the rainfall exceeded the capacity of the detention pond, water came up out of it and pushed the silt fence near the culvert outward.The same thing happened with the silt fence that borders North Kingwood Forest to the East. It leans toward the damaged area.
Water pushed the silt fence outward in all directions, like an exploding water balloon. This indicates the S2 pond exceeded its capacity.
Clue 3
If all this inferential evidence isn’t enough, we have direct evidence – video shot by Allyssa Harris during the flood. It shows water streaming out of the development in the background, directly into the streets of Elm Grove.
What it looked like from the Elm Grove side of the silt fence during the storm. Video courtesy of Allyssa Harris. Video looks north toward S2 detention pond from Village Springs.
This is what happened to the 75% of the runoff that the two southern detention ponds could not hold.
Clue #4
When the flood subsided, there was muck in streets, driveways, yards and homes. This was not just rainwater; it was runoff from 268 clearcut acres.
Abel Vera had to grab his car to avoid slipping in ankle-deep sediment on Village Springs. What Village Springs looked like the day after Imelda.
Clue 5
According to the USGS gage at US59, a foot of rain fell on this 268 clearcut area on 9/19. All of it had to squeeze through the two tiny box culverts circled in the lower right. It was like aiming firehoses into a kitchen sink.Note: it’s worse than it looks. Additional acreage exists out of frame on left and right.
Likely Path of Water
As in May, water that should have been detained elsewhere rushed to S2. S2 overflowed and added to already heavy rainfall.
It rushed to the SE corner of Woodridge, couldn’t get through the culvert, backed up, and sought ways around – via the streets of Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest.
Likely path of water in May and September floods. Background image is from February, before S2 pond was completed.
What Should Happen Next?
In my opinion, for all the reasons listed above, as a result of clearcutting all this land without installing required detention, hundreds of families flooded for a second time in four months. Worse, the threat remains.
Perry, its subsidiaries and contractors had ideal construction weather during that time yet construction activity ground to a half almost a month ago.
That exposed hundreds of people to needless flood risk. Again. Worse, more than two months remain in hurricane season. And lawyers for the defendants in the lawsuit are dragging the case out by stonewalling production of evidence. They refuse to answer even simple questions like, “Who was in charge of this project on the day of the flood?” And “Who is your insurance company?”
Water Six Feet Deep in Places
What started as a dispute over negligence has turned into a massive public safety issue. Residents estimated water in the streets of Elm Grove reached six feet in places. That’s deep enough to sweep people away and drown them.
My Wishes for Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest
That Perry Homes settles these lawsuits immediately and makes people whole, or…
That Perry Homes fast-tracks construction and completes the promised detention ponds, or…
That Perry Homes puts a conservation easement on the land, donates it to the County or a conservation organization, and converts the property back to its natural state or a giant lake/detention pond.
Failing any of the above, that the City of Houston or Montgomery County pulls construction permits for this property and renders it useless and valueless.
But before any of those things happen, the judge in this case may need to throw some lawyers and CEO’s in jail. If someone walked into a 7-11 and stole a loaf of bread, he would get jail time.
But steal the lives and destroy the homes of hundreds of people and what do you get? Delays.
It’s time to put a stop to this nonsense and hold people accountable.
These are my opinions on matters of public safety and concern. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP statute of the Great State of Texas.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/23/2019 with grateful thanks to Matt Swint for his drone images, Jeff Miller for his reporting, Allyssa Harris for her video, and Daryl Palmer for arranging the helicopter from National Helicopter Service, Inc.
755 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 3 since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/All-of-this2-copy.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&ssl=110001500adminadmin2019-09-22 22:48:042019-09-23 07:15:42New Drone and Helicopter Footage Reveals How Elm Grove Disaster Unfolded
Judge Lauren Reeder of the 234th Judicial District Court has set the trial date in the Elm Grove/North Kingwood Forest flooding case for July 13, 2020.
The docket control order issued by Judge Reeder also lays out the general order of events in the case. On or before:
12/16/2019, all parties to the case must be added and served, a legal process called “joinder.” Inviters this case, more than 200 individual plaintiffs are suing the defendants. Interestingly, the defendants do not yet include the parent company, Perry Homes, or LJA Engineering Inc., the company that designed the development and its detention systems.
4/13/2020, all expert witnesses for parties seeking affirmative relief must be named.
5/13/2020, all other expert witnesses must be named.
6/12/2020, the court will hold a status conference to discuss discovery limitations and alternative dispute resolution (i.e., mediation). The discover period ends on 6/12. All pleadings, amendments and challenges to expert testimony must also be heard by this date.
On 6/29/20 at 1:30 pm, Judge Reeder has scheduled a docket call at which all parties to the case must be prepared to discuss every aspect of the case.
Judge Reeder also tentatively scheduled the trial for 7/13/2020.
Construction on the Woodridge Village development will continue during the pre-trial phase. This has some residents concerned. While the construction of detention ponds is encouraging, any flaws in the construction of the engineering plans will be set in concrete before the case goes to trial. If there are flaws, that could affect flooding for years to come.
Jeff Miller, an Elm Grove resident, reports that two more culverts have been added to Taylor Gulley where it bisects the northern and southern portions of Woodridge Village.
Posted by Bob Rehak on July 25, 2019 with help from Bill Fowlerand Jeff Miller
695 days after Hurricane Harvey
All thoughts expressed in this post represent my opinions on matters of public policy and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP statute of the great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Culverts.jpg?fit=1500%2C867&ssl=18671500adminadmin2019-07-25 14:06:432019-07-25 14:08:21Judge Sets July 2020 Trial Date in Flood Case
Harris County Flood Control crews restoring conveyance of Taylor Gully near Harris/Montgomery County line. Video courtesy of Jeff Miller.Woodridge S2 Detention Pond, immediately upstream from Elm Grove on Taylor Gully.Video courtesy of Jeff Miller.
More than 200 homes flooded near Taylor Gully on May 7th that had never flooded before. The ditch winds through Porter, Woodridge Village, Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest. Homes on all four sides of the new development flooded after contractors altered drainage when clearing the land.
LJA Surveyors Worked over Weekend in Elm Grove
Additional still photos taken last Sunday by Nancy Vera also show LJA Surveying the streets of Elm Grove. Vera asked them what they were doing and the surveyors professed (or feigned) ignorance. They said the reason they were there was “above our pay grade,” according to Vera.
LJA Surveying crew working in Elm Grove on Saturday, July 13, 2019. LJA Surveying is a subsidiary of LJA Engineers, the company hired by the developer of Woodridge Village.Note dumpster in background. Families are still repairing homes more than two months after the May 7th flood. Image courtesy of Nancy Vera.LJA Surveying Truck in Elm Grove. Note: glare caused by shooting photo through windshield. Image courtesy of Nancy Vera.
I’m going to take a wild guess and assume that they’re going to claim that some of the homes were in the 100- and 500-year flood plains. Of course, that ignores the fact that none of those homes had every flooded before, not even in Harvey.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/17/2019 with contributions from Jeff Miller and Nancy Vera
687 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_2635.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1480640adminadmin2019-07-17 21:03:042019-07-17 21:17:27Video shows Taylor Gully Restoration Reaching County Line; Giant Berm Now Separating Elm Grove and Woodridge
On June 17, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the suit. The basis of the motion: that Webster and Spurlock had not filed a certificate of merit against LJA Engineers with the initial suit. They claimed that filing such a certificate is a requirement under Texas law when suing engineers.
Motion to Consolidate, Change Venue and Counterclaims
July 8 – Defendants responded to the plaintiff’s motion to dismiss the case(s). They cited the facts that they were NOT suing LJA Engineers, nor were they alleging any defect in their engineering plans or designs. Their claims, they said, related solely to construction practices. Specifically, they cited:
a. Blocking the drainage channels;
b. Filling in existing drainage channels;
c. Failing to properly install box culverts;
d. Failing to create temporary drainage channels;
e. Failing to allow adequate drainage after construction;
f. Failing to install silt barriers;
g. Allowing the Development to force rainfall toward Plaintiffs’ homes;
h. Failing to pay proper attention;
i. Failing to provide notice or warning; the filling in of creeks
j. Failing to have a proper rain event action plan;
k. Failing to have a proper storm water pollution prevention plan;
l. Failing to follow a proper storm water pollution prevention plan;
m. Failing to coordinate activities and/or conduct;
n. Failing to supervise the activities of the Development;
o. Failing to instruct in proper construction and/or drainage requirements;
p. Failing to train in proper construction and/or drainage requirements,
q. Failing to construct the emergency release channel; and,
r. Failing to timely implement the detention ponds.
Judge Reeder has not yet ruled on the change of venue motion or access to the property. Nor has she set a trial date.
Meanwhile, Back at the Construction Site…
Meanwhile, construction on the job site in the last week continued but at a slower pace. According to Elm Grove resident Jeff Miller who has closely monitored construction progress:
Had Hurricane Barry dropped the kind of water here that it did on Louisiana and Mississippi, Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest residents would almost surely have flooded again.
LJA Engineers designed the onsite detention to hold a little more than a foot of rainfall. But with only an estimated 25% of the detention functioning at this point, 3″ of water could produce another flood (assuming my estimate is accurate).
Posted by Bob Rehak on July 15, 2019
685 Days since Hurricane Harveyand 9 weeks since May 7
All 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/2019/07/IMG_2575.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1480640adminadmin2019-07-14 23:23:032019-07-14 23:53:02Update on Webster, Spurlock Elm Grove Lawsuits; Woodridge Construction
When Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest flooded on May 7, the Woodridge Village contractor had cleared most of the 268 acres of land north and west of them. The contractor also had sloped the drainage toward those subdivisions without first installing a critical 50 acre-foot detention pond to intercept runoff. Tonight after months of delays, and the flooding of almost 200 homes, work on that pond is almost complete.
S2 Pond Finally Connected to Drainage Ditch Today
Regular readers may remember plans call for a 15-foot deep detention pond shaped somewhat like a hockey stick (see below). The area circled in red is the channel that will connect the pond to the drainage ditch that runs down the east side of the property. Today, some workers excavated that channel while others deepened the pond.
Circled in red: the channel excavated today that will connect the drainage ditch with the detention pond.
Not Much Excavated on May 9
Back on May 9, about a month ago, very little of the pond was excavated when local videographer, Jim Zura, captured this image from his drone. Only a small ditch connected a pond north of Sherwood Trails to the box culvert seen below. The white outline indicates how much of the pond had yet to be excavated.
Almost nothing had been excavatedshortly after the May 7 flood.White outline shows the approximate intended dimension of the pond.
Despite the heavy rains in early May and early June, the contractor now has most of the pond excavated. See the video that Jeff Miller shot this afternoon.
Since the flood, the pond has been widened and deepened. Rebel Contractors is now approaching the pond’s final dimensions and target depth of 15 feet, according to Miller. However, Miller was even more excited about the excavation of the channel connecting the drainage ditch running down the east side of the property to the detention pond. “I’ll be able to sleep with both eyes closed tonight,” he said.
In the future, when runoff drains from the northern part of the property to the southern, it will overflow from the ditch into the pond, rather than into neighbors’ houses.
Recent Excavation Despite Heavy Rains Last Week
The next two shots show what the connecting channel looks like from the ground.
Previously, water in the ditch had to funnel down into the 3′ black culvert (bottom left). This caused the ditch to overflow into surrounding neighborhoods when the ditch got full.Now, however, this channel connects ditch (foreground) and pond (upper left). It will allow runoff to overflow into pond instead of neighbors’ homes.
Bill King Visits Elm Grove Again, Meets Texas Monthly Writer
But that wasn’t the only good news, today. Houston mayoral candidate Bill King visited Elm Grove for the third time in a month and toured the area with Mark Dent, who is covering the story for Texas Monthly.
Bill King (left) and Mark Dent talk about flood mitigation strategies with Taylor Gulley in the background.
King emphasized several needs to Dent. They included:
Greater clarity and accuracy of flood maps, so that people can realistically assess their flood risk
Safer construction practices that better protect downstream residents
Preservation of natural wetlands, buffers and drainage features like those that previously existed on the Woodridge site, and that had protected Elm Grove since it was built.
King emphasized that preserving such natural areas and the wetlands on them can provide both recreation and protection against flooding. Finally, he advocated using buyouts to build more and bigger detention ponds, and also to create more green space.
It’s good to know that King is taking Kingwood issues seriously. He’s making them a centerpiece of his campaign and using them to shine a spotlight on development practices that need improvement in my opinion.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/14/2019with help from Jeff Miller
654 Days since Hurricane Harvey, 5 weeks since the Elm Grove Flood, and 4 Months Until the Election
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/2019/06/Swale_01.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&ssl=110001500adminadmin2019-06-14 19:41:442019-06-14 19:50:21Critical Woodridge S2 Detention Pond Approaching Final Dimensions
Elm Grove resident Jeff Miller reported tonight that Rebel Contractors was busy widening and deepening a crucial detention pond near homes that flooded in Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest. According to Miller, “The pond is starting to assume its final shape with the sloping of the edges.”
Here’s the plan for the pond.
S2 (the second detention pond in the south section of Woodridge Village.
May 8
For comparison, the “pond” looked like this after the storm on May 7…non-existent. For comparison purposes, consider this the BEFORE SHOT.
Photo taken shortly after the flood on May 7 shows the area where S2 detention pond should be had not yet been excavated.Nor was silt fence in place.
May 30
Here’s what it looked like on the afternoon of 5/30/19. This Woodridge Village detention pond should ultimately hold about 50 acre feet of runoff. Had it been excavated before the May 7th rains, many homes might not have flooded. It could have reduced the height of the flood by one whole foot across a 50-acre area.
Photo of S2 taken by Jeff Miller on 5/30/19
Said Miller, “Better late than never.” The video below lets you get a better look at the expansiveness of the pond.
Video by Elm Grove resident Jeff Miller showing S2 pond in Woodridge Village taking shape.
Dirt from this pond and others will build up the rest of the subdivision.
Posted by Bob Rehak on May 30, 2019, with photos and reporting from Jeff Miller
639 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/S2-5.30.19.jpg?fit=1000%2C750&ssl=17501000adminadmin2019-05-30 21:53:172019-05-30 21:53:28Better Late Than Never: Large Detention Pond Taking Shape North of Area that Flooded
