FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 21, 2020
Contact: Jessica Beemer (832) 393-3008
Houston, TX – Council Member Dave Martin would like to make Lake Houston Area residents aware that Houston Public Works is monitoring two tropical developments approaching the Gulf of Mexico labeled by the National Weather Service as Tropical Storms 13 and 14. If these storms develop, Houston Public Works is preparing for the potential release of possibly between 6 to 12 inches, which would lower the lake to 40.5 feet or 40 feet. Property owners should make arrangements now to secure boats and other items along the shoreline for a potential lowering of Lake Houston.
Current forecast models show potential landfall of the storms as early as Tuesday, however, forecasts can change quickly and residents should be prepared in the event Lake Houston needs to be lowered this weekend. Both lakes within the San Jacinto Watershed are approximately one foot lower than their conservation pool, which means immediate lowering is not necessary based on existing forecasts.
Lake Conroe’s current elevation 199.8 mean sea level (msl) with a conservation pool elevation is 201 msl. There is currently 22,672 acre-feet of storage available on Lake Conroe. There are approximately 445 square miles of land draining to Lake Conroe. Lake Houston’s elevation is 41.75 msl with a conservation pool elevation of 42.4 msl.
In the meantime, Houston Public Works, Houston Police Department, and the Houston Fire Department are making preparations to put in place high water vehicles as well as barriers near locations known to flood. All agencies are monitoring the weather closely and actively communicating on pre-storm procedures. Residents can help us prepare for this storm by making sure that all drains are clear, keeping our storm water lines free of debris.
Great Resources:
AlertHouston: Receive emergency alerts via email, text message, or phone by signing up.
Harris County Flood Control District’s Flood Warning System: Track rainfall amounts and monitors water levels in bayous and major streams on a real-time basis.
Sign up for Power Alert Services for information on individual outages
Visit Outage Tracker for general outage locations
Follow @cnpalerts on twitter
To stay updated on lake levels and releases, please visit:
Coastal Water Authority (Lake Houston): https://www.coastalwaterauthority.org/
San Jacinto River Authority (Lake Conroe): https://www.sjra.net/
The District E office will continue to monitor the weather and provide updates via Mayor Pro Tem Martin’s Facebook Page.
For real time alerts, please visit: https://houstonemergency.org/alerts/.
For more information, please contact Council Member Martin’s office at (832) 393-3008 or via email at districte@houstontx.gov.
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