Levee Update
April 19, 2016
Directors and Consultants:
Good news: River is currently at 42.5ft with a NEW projected crest of 48.5 by tomorrow morning a little after 8am instead of late tonight as previously projected. Overnight, the river continued to rise rapidly and more rain did fall throughout the county.
As of this morning, ALL districts have lost gravity flow and are on pumping operations. Throughout the night, morning and into this afternoon, we will continue to pump down all internal water levels to insure full capacity inside each district should more rainfall occur as projected. We are currently making rounds on all levees to check for any issues or problems that may have occurred from the recent rains. At this time we have no water on any levees but do expect the water levels to reach the levees at some point late this evening and into the morning.
LMS, LLC
Fort Bend County Judge Hebert Signs Disaster Declaration / Robert Hebert Juez del Condado de Fort Bend a firmado una declaración de desastre local
April 18, 2016
Fort Bend County, TX – In response to the rainfall we have already experienced in Fort Bend County, the expected additional rainfall over the next couple days, and the forecast river levels, Fort Bend County Judge Robert Hebert has signed a local disaster declaration for Fort Bend County.
Disaster declaration sample”Fort Bend County residents need to understand the severity of this incident,” says Judge Hebert, County Judge of Fort Bend County, “this is not a normal rain storm like we’re all used to dealing with: this situation is severe and an abundance of caution is required of us all.”
Conditions have worsened in Fort Bend County, even as rains move past Harris County and the bulk of the rest of the region’s population. Bands of rain pushed south of I-10 have dumped as much as 16 inches in areas of Fort Bend County and into the Brazos, with the storm system continuing to train eastward from San Antonio.
“The rain we have seen so far should continue throughout the day and into the evening,” adds Jeff Braun, Emergency Management Coordinator for Fort Bend County. Local and flash flooding is expected to continue or worsen throughout the day, as river levels continue to increase. “The river forecasts are reminiscent of last year’s floods; we’re already seeing flow measurement records upstream, and are monitoring the Brazos and San Bernard rivers closely.”
Residents need to make sure they are staying safe by monitoring weather and road conditions, the FBC OEM website, and social media for updates throughout the day. Do not drive through water on a roadway. Water can stall and destroy your vehicle, leaving you stranded for hours and putting your life at risk. Moving flood water can wash away the road or your vehicle, trapping and drowning you inside the vehicle. Please exercise extreme caution when driving near flooded roadways.
Stay tuned to local media, the Fort Bend County OEM website, the National Weather Service, and social media for more information about this incident.
Condado de Fort Bend, TX – En respuesta a la caída de lluvia que ya hemos experimentado en el Condado de Fort Bend, la precipitación adicional esperada durante los próximos días, y la previsión de los niveles del rio, Robert Hebert Juez del Condado de Fort Bend a firmado una declaración de desastre local para el Condado de Fort Bend.
“Residentes del Condado de Fort Bend necesitan entender la gravedad de este incidente,” dice el Juez Hebert, Juez del Condado de Fort Bend, “este no es una tormenta normal como a la que todos estamos acostumbrados: esta situación es grave y mucha precaución se requiere de todos nosotros.” Las condiciones han empeorado en el Condado de Fort Bend, aunque la lluvia se este moviendo pasado Harris County y el resto de la populación del región. Bandas de lluvia desplazados hacia el sur de I-10 han dejado 16 pulgadas en áreas del Condado de Fort Bend y dentro del Brazos, con el sistema de la tormenta continuado hacia el este para entrenar de San Antonio.
“La lluvia que hemos visto debe de continuar durante todo el día hacia la noche,” añade Jeff Braun, Coordinador de la oficina de gestión de emergencias del Condado de Fort Bend. Se espera que las inundaciones locales y flash a aumentar o empeorar durante el día, mientras el nivel del rio continúe a incrementar . ” Las previsiones de los ríos son una reminiscencia de las inundaciones del año pasado, ya estamos viendo los registros de medición de caudal aguas arriba , y están monitoreando los ríos Brazos y San Bernard de cerca. ”
Los residentes necesitan asegurarse de que se quedan seguros supervisando las condiciones climáticas y de camino , el sitio web de FBC OEM , y medios de comunicación social para actualizaciones durante todo el día . No conduzca a través del agua en una carretera. El agua puede detener y destruir su vehículo , dejándolo atrapado durante horas y poniendo en peligro su vida . El agua en movimiento inundación puede lavar la carretera o su vehículo , atrapamiento y ahogarse en el interior del vehículo. Por favor, tenga mucho cuidado al conducir cerca de las carreteras inundadas.
Estate atento a los medios de comunicación locales , el sitio web del Condado de Fort Bend OEM , el Servicio Meteorológico Nacional , y los medios sociales para obtener más información acerca de este incidente.
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Update on Emergency Preparedness
April 18, 2016
With the severe weather in our area, the Greatwood Districts and Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District No. 11 (“LID 11”) would like to update you regarding the current status, as well as steps being taken to protect our community. Our Emergency Preparedness Committee has met, our emergency signs are ready to be posted if needed, our emergency radio system is ready to be activated if needed, and LID 11’s new emergency operations building by the golf maintenance barn is ready to be used by our operators during emergencies.
Up to date water levels and additional information regarding the Brazos River can be obtained at http://www.fbcoem.org. Currently, LID 11’s operator is monitoring water levels and drainage facilities within the District 24 hours a day. The District’s pumps have been turned on and all systems and facilities are functioning properly. Residents within the community should anticipate higher than normal water levels in the lakes and drainage channels. Ponding water in the streets should also be anticipated and is a normal part of the overall drainage and flood projection system. Please avoid driving through those areas.
The Greatwood Districts operator is currently and will continue to monitor the water and wastewater treatment plants to ensure they are functioning properly. Also, should there be a power outage, the Greatwood Districts have emergency generators to operate our water and sewer systems. These generators were recently topped off with fuel, are regularly tested and maintenanced, and are ready for action if needed.
Please continue to check this website and the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management’s website at http://www.fbcoem.org for additional information as it becomes available.
Garbage and Recycling Unavailable Today
April 18, 2016
Garbage and recycling collection will not occur today, April 18, 2016 due to the high water event. Best Trash should be able resume normal routes tomorrow, April 19, 2016 and they will make up todays missed collections on Thursday, April 21, 2016.
Brazos River Update
Message from LID 11 Operator LMS
Updated: April 18, 2016 at 10:36 AM
With all the recent rains in the area overnight and this morning, the Brazos River has once again started to rise. With that, the new projections of the Brazos River have come out, and we are off to operate in emergency preparedness conditions. The current projection of the Brazos River elevation is to reach 49.3 feet by late Tuesday (4/19) night and then begin to fall slowly throughout the week. This is a different type of storm that we had previously this year. These river levels are happening at a rapid rate and not giving us out normal 3 day notice. Currently, ALL districts have full gravity flow and no gates are sealed so the current rainfall is able to leave the District without any pumping needed. By tonight however, if projections hold, quite a few districts will lose gravity flow and LMS will need to begin pumping if the rain continues.
At this time, all districts are experiencing large amounts of street ponding and higher than normal channel and lake elevations which is expected and normal. With the projected elevations we DO anticipate levees being affected with water on the levee toe as well as high water levels in detention areas. The elevations that we are projected to see will be very similar to last Memorial Day’s river event which crested at 49.9. If everyone remembers, we still had plenty of free board on the levees and never had any serious issues with water on the levees. Please remember that if rainfall does occur during a high river event, all internal drainage will be slower than normal, showing signs of higher channel heights and street ponding until the water can be pumped out of your district.
LMS will begin continuous updates to the District engineers once the river passes 40 feet to get them ready for any additional communication that is needed. We will try to send out another website notification as the River progresses to let everyone know how we stand. Everyone please stay safe if you have to go anywhere today.
Lawn Care and Stormwater
February 29, 2016
Proper lawn care can go a long way to prevent unnecessary stormwater pollution in your community. Download guide ( PDF ).