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So far Harris County MUD 152 has created 17 blog entries.

Hurricane Preparedness 2021

Be ready for hurricane season. Today you can determine your personal hurricane risk, find out if you live in a hurricane evacuation zone, and review/update insurance policies. You can also make a list of items to replenish hurricane emergency supplies and start thinking about how you will prepare your home for the coming hurricane season. If you live in hurricane-prone areas, you are encouraged to complete these simple preparations before hurricane season begins on June 1.  Keep in mind, you may need to adjust any preparedness actions based on the latest health and safety guidelines from the CDC and your local officials.


Find out today what types of wind and water hazards could happen where you live, and then start preparing how to handle them. Hurricanes are not just a coastal problem. Their impacts can be felt hundreds of miles inland, and significant impacts can occur without it being a major hurricane.


The first thing you need to do is find out if you live in a hurricane evacuation zone.  If you do, now is the time to begin planning where you would go and how you would get there. You do not need to travel hundreds of miles, but have multiple options. Your destination could be a friend or relative who doesn’t live in an evacuation zone.  If you live in a well-built home outside the evacuation zone, your safest place may be to remain home.  Be sure to account for your pets in your plan.  As hurricane season approaches, listen to local officials on questions related to how you may need to adjust any evacuation plans based on the latest health and safety guidelines from the CDC and your local officials.


You’re going to need supplies not just to get through the storm but for the potentially lengthy and unpleasant aftermath. Have enough non-perishable food, water and medicine to last each person in your family a minimum of three days. Electricity and water could be out for at least that long. You’ll need extra cash, a battery-powered radio and flashlights. You may need a portable crank or solar-powered USB charger for your cell phones.

If you need to go to a public shelter, the CDC recommends bringing items that can help protect you and others from COVID-19, such as hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, bar or liquid soap, disinfectant wipes (if available) and two masks for each person. (Children under two years old and people having trouble breathing should not wear face coverings.)


Call your insurance company or agent and ask for an insurance check-up to make sure you have enough homeowners insurance to repair or even replace your home. Don’t forget coverage for your car or boat. Remember, standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flooding. Whether you’re a homeowner or renter, you’ll need a separate policy for it, and it’s available through your company, agent or the National Flood Insurance Program at floodsmart.gov. Act now as flood insurance requires a 30-day waiting period.


If you plan to ride out the storm in your home, make sure it is in good repair and up to local hurricane building code specifications. Many retrofits are not as costly or time consuming as you may think. Have the proper plywood, steel or aluminum panels to board up the windows and doors. Remember, the garage door is the most vulnerable part of the home, so it must be able to withstand the winds.


Many Americans rely on their neighbors after a disaster, but there are also many ways you can help your neighbors before a hurricane approaches. Learn about all the different actions you and your neighbors can take to prepare and recover from the hazards associated with hurricanes. Start the conversation now with these Neighbor Helping Neighbor strategies but remember you may need to adjust your preparedness plans based on the latest health and safety guidelines from the CDC and your local officials.


The time to prepare for a hurricane is before the season begins, when you have the time and are not under pressure. If you wait until a hurricane is on your doorstep, the odds are that you will be under duress and will make the wrong decisions. Take the time now to write down your hurricane plan. Know who issues evacuation orders for your area, determine locations on where you will ride out the storm, and start to get your supplies now.  Being prepared before a hurricane threatens makes you resilient to the hurricane impacts of wind and water. It will mean the difference between being a hurricane victim or a hurricane survivor.

By |2024-01-14T21:41:37-06:00May 6th, 2021|

Winter Is Coming!

COLD WEATHER IS COMING!

WHAT ARE FREEZING TEMPERATURES?

When approaching winter in Texas, it can be uneventful as our winters tend to be somewhat mild in our area. Nevertheless, we do still have the chance of a detrimental cold front and we must be prepared. When talking about winter with Inframark, we take the WHAT, WHEN, WHERE and HOW approach on our facilities. So, what are freezing temperatures?
Technically freezing temperatures are when the air reaches 32 degrees Fahrenheit. However, it is typically uncommon to see damage to pipes or facilities if the temperature
drops down to 32 degrees and doesn’t stay there for a long period of time. When the temperature reaches 30 degrees or below and stays for just a few hours, it can cause the
pipes to freeze, damage irrigation equipment and cause control failures at many different levels. Additionally, there can be latent damage which doesn’t show immediately. An
example of this would be galvanized pipes. While the pipe may not burst, expansion can occur separating the galvanizing from the pipe creating an area for corrosion to start and
ultimately cause leaks.

WHEN DO YOU PREPARE FOR A FREEZE?

That question is probably the hardest to answer in our area. At Inframark, we do an annual freeze protection audit starting in the Fall. We also do periodic checks as winter continues, since it may actually be months before the cold weather makes its way to our area. It is always the best practice to make sure the preventive measures taken are in good condition throughout the winter. With preparations in place and a cold front approaching, the weather should be monitored regularly to determine arrival time, anticipated temperatures and duration of temperatures below freezing.

WHERE SHOULD WE HAVE FREEZE PROTECTION?

This is the easiest question, everywhere! We don’t believe you can prepare enough for a winter freeze. The potential loss and damage due to a freeze can be extremely costly. Your outside spigots should be covered and insulated along with any other pipes directly exposed to freezing temperatures. This also includes pipes in the attic, garden hoses, irrigation lines and irrigation system backflow preventers. The lines outside exposed to the air are the most common areas to see damage. It is not uncommon for our Inframark team to turn the water off to hundreds of broken backflow preventers in the residential communities after a big freeze. Typically, pipes in the home are fairly safe with heaters running.

HOW DO WE PREPARE FOR THE FREEZE?

There are many different methods and materials which can be utilized to make sure you are safe from freeze damage. Some of these are: foam and fiberglass insulation sized for specific pipes and secured with vinyl and plastic tape, prefabricated spigot covers, spray foam insulation, heat tape, heat lamps and portable heaters. Almost all building supply stores have these items, but do not wait until the night before because they are known to sell out. Should supplies be unavailable, one can improvise, such as utilizing towels and duct tape to insulate vulnerable areas. Turning off the water and draining the lines is the most reliable way to prevent freeze damage. This should always be done for backflow preventers and irrigation systems; however, most everyone needs to have potable water inside the house while it is occupied, so turning off the water and draining the lines is not an option. It is also best practice to periodically flush the lines through all fixtures inside the house during a freeze to bring fresh water into all the lines. This will prevent the water from expanding and breaking the pipes during the freeze. Space heaters, heat lamps and heat tape can be used for small areas directly exposed to freezing temperatures, but care should be taken with any device using extension cords.

By |2021-03-06T13:11:01-06:00February 11th, 2021|

MUD 152 invests in early childhood outdoor learning space at Timbers Elementary

On Wednesday, January 13, 2021, board members of MUD 152 were proud to present a check in the amount of $7,500 to Timbers Elementary in support of their new early childhood outdoor learning space called “Timbers Town”. Timbers Town, which will be open to the community after school until dark, will have a farmers market, music & art center, fire & police station, fire truck & police car, and a Timbers school bus once completed!

Principal Micah Bachemin shared the need and vision of an outdoor learning space for Timbers’ youngest scholars with the board in October 2020. Timbers Town will repurpose space in the playground area that currently has no equipment for the children to use. The total project cost involves Timbers Elementary fundraising efforts, contributions from the Timbers PTO, Humble ISD, and MUD 152.

A few of the four-year-old scholars at Timbers made these comments when they saw the new playground equipment that will be purchased:

“I can’t wait, it’s going to be so much fun! I’m going to tell everybody and I’m going to drive the bus!” – Charlotte

“I think it’s so cool! I give it a thumbs up!” – Zoey

“Woah! Is that for us? I like the music part because I love to dance!” – Jorge

“Fun, fun, so fun!” – Judah

The project is the second investment MUD 152 has made in partnership with Timbers Elementary in recent years. In 2019, MUD 152 worked with Timbers and Humble ISD to build a sidewalk in front of the school that makes walking near the school safer for kids and the community. In addition, MUD 152 worked with the Atascocita High School Student Council to place more than 1,000 storm water inlet markings in the neighborhood and hosted them in a mock MUD meeting to learn more about the function of a MUD board.

By |2024-01-14T21:41:14-06:00January 14th, 2021|

Tropical Storms- Marco and Laura

Beginning on August 20th, your Inframark management team began preparations and tracking of what was known then as tropical disturbance number 13. TD 13 intensified and became tropical storm Marco. As of this Sunday morning Marco is forecast to begin a counterclockwise movement and make landfall as a hurricane on the Louisiana coast. At that point, the storm will continue on a west-northwest track taking it through Louisiana and eventually coming in to East Texas just north of Beaumont. At this point it will be a tropical depression.
Additionally, we are watching tropical storm Laura. This system is currently bringing inclement weather to the Dominican Republic, Haiti and the southeastern Bahamas. Experts predict the storm will continue on a north northwest track, strengthening as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico.

The storm is still too far out to forecast a point of landfall, but experts generally agree it could be anywhere from Houston all the way to Mississippi. Additionally, there is much discussion on the impact Laura may or may not exert on Marco as these two storms potentially are going to be close.

With the amount of data that we have been presented and the significant discrepancy in its interpretation by the weather experts, INFRAMARK has decided to prepare all of our clients as if both storms are going to make a direct hit on the Houston area.

Here are the steps we have taken:

  • We are in direct contact with Jeff Lindner from Harris County OEM to assist us in understanding the forecast.
  • We have 2 daily briefings to review the data points with our emergency team.
  • All facilities have been placed in a hurricane prep condition ready to withstand the unique weather characteristics that are brought about by hurricanes.
  • We have verified fuel delivery with our multiple fuel vendors.
  • We have placed our Shelter in Place Packs (SIPPS) in strategic locations for our employee’s safety.
  • Our customer service and billing teams are set up to perform their functions remotely via the internet.
  • Our 2-way radio system is active and ready in the event cellular communications are compromised.
  • We will be deploying the mobile command center (MCC) Monday AM.

The MCC is a self-contained mobile vehicle that has 100 gallons of diesel, an 85kW generator, communications tools and food to keep our 24-hour emergency team ready.

As always, we hope that this becomes a non-event and dissipates quickly. If you have any questions about anything related to the storm or your district preparation, please reach out to your designated account manager for more information. If anything changes, we will share it with another special edition of our customer first newsletter.

NHC forecasting as a Sunday morning:

By |2021-03-06T13:11:16-06:00August 25th, 2020|

Atascocita HS Student Council Efforts

On February 26th, 2020, MUD 152 hosted Atascocita HS Student Council along with MUD 152 consultants in a mock meeting. Students were able to participate, ask questions, and understand the function of a MUD board.
MUD 152 thanked Atascocita HS Student Council for their efforts and provided a $5,000 stipend for their efforts in installing over 1,100 storm inlets throughout Atascocita South and Atasca Woods.

Additional info:
https://www.cleanwaterways.org/swim/
https://www.cleanwaterways.org/downloads/brochures/SWIM%20brochure%20english.pdf

By |2024-01-14T21:45:06-06:00April 22nd, 2020|
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