Those of us who were residents of Harris Fort Bend MUD 1 in late August of 2017 will never forget watching Hurricane Harvey come ashore near Rockport and then go back out into the Gulf, re-intensify, and then make its way up the coast to come ashore as a Cat 4 storm near Cameron Louisiana.
Our engineering firm, Vogler and Spencer, created an extensive model of the Harvey rainfall and flooding that independently supported the destruction we experienced. The water that flooded portions of Falcon Point came into the subdivision from four drainage pipes through the berm and from the overflowing of Katy Lake around the very eastern edge of the berm at Kingsland Boulevard, flooding the entry lake and adjacent homes, then down Falcon Point Drive to Merlin Roost Drive in Falcon Rock and then to Wellshire Drive. In addition, floodwater backed into the subdivision from Roesner Road and, when coupled with the water flooding Falcon Point Drive, spelled disaster for Wellshire Drive homes.
From this model, we developed a plan to construct improvements. We were delayed by the City of Katy Engineer, as we needed his permission to construct diverting walls on the shared property line behind houses that are adjacent to the drainage pipes through the berm from Katy Lake. When the City of Katy hired a new Engineer, we were able to proceed with the construction.
We have completed the following:
- Constructed 4 concrete diversion walls where the berm’s drainage pipes come through the berm from Katy Lake;
- Cleared out the swale between the berm and Falcon Point;
- Constructed a 2-foot-high divergent berm in front of the Kingsland entrance into Falcon Point;
- Constructed a concrete swale from Falcon Point Dr to the detention pond behind the Club;
- Engaged a contractor to repair and harden the eroded detention pond edges at the golf course; and
- Cleaned out the Storm Sewers to increase conveyance capacity.