ChaptGPT Develops Harris County Flood Resilience Plan for Free in 2 Minutes 52 Seconds

8/23/25 – ChatGPT produced a detailed Flood Resilience Plan for Harris County for free in less than three minutes. Meanwhile, after almost a year, the engineering firm hired by Harris County for $3 million is still trying to define a vision for the plan.

Flood Resilience Plan on Agenda for Tuesday’s Commissioners Court Meeting

Item #407 on the agenda for Harris County Commissioners Court on 8/26/2025 is an update by Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) on the status of its effort to develop a county-wide Flood Resilience Plan. On October 8, 2024, the County approved hiring AECOM, a private engineering company, for $2,998,388, to develop the plan. See Item 336 on that agenda.

Almost a year later, the participants are still trying to establish a vision. They hope to finalize their goals by Spring 2026.

*From Flood Resilience Plan Plan status update to Commissioners Court for discussion on 8/26/25*

It seems like it’s taking the company a long time to get out of the starting blocks. So, I decided to see how long it would take ChatGPT to develop a resilience plan for the county. It took two minutes and 52 seconds and cost nothing.

Now, I am sure that experts at AECOM and Flood Control would still have to review and validate the recommendations. But this seems like a great start to me. It’s clear, concise, readable, and actionable. And it potentially saved about half of a $3 million contract. Below, see the simple question I asked and the response I got.

“Chat, can you develop a flood resilience plan for Harris County, Texas?”

Chat: Absolutely, here’s a practical, Harris-County–specific flood resilience plan you can put to work now. I’ve organized it as (1) guiding principles, (2) 12 action pillars with concrete steps, (3) a 100-day / 1–2 yr / 5–10 yr timeline, and (4) funding + governance + metrics. Sources are cited throughout.

Guiding Principles (What “Good” Looks Like)

Design to today’s risk (Atlas 14) and rising extremes. NOAA’s 2018 Atlas 14 raised the region’s 1%-annual-chance (24-hr) rainfall from ~13″ to ~17–18″; plan to that (and stress-test above it).
Map the real pathways of flooding, not just rivers. Use MAAPnext’s overland “community flooding” products while FEMA reviews new FIRMs.
No Adverse Impact (NAI). New development should not increase risk elsewhere—codify and enforce NAI countywide.
One watershed system. Coordinate cities, county, TxDOT, USACE, upstream counties, and sand-mine operators so conveyance, detention, and maintenance work as a system.

12 Action Pillars

1) Finish modern risk mapping & put it to work

Operationalize MAAPnext (overland flooding, velocities, mobility impacts) for capital planning and development review now, while FEMA finalizes the maps. Continue public-facing tools (M3, Flood Education Mapping Tool) with clear “effective vs. preliminary” labeling.
Close the FEMA gap. Press FEMA and the State to accelerate preliminary→effective FIRMs (current public reporting notes continued delays into 2026). Use county policy to consider MAAPnext where it’s the best availabledata. (Houston Chronicle)

Quick metric: % of permits reviewed against MAAPnext + Atlas 14 criteria (target: 100%).

2) Lock in stronger, uniform standards (countywide + cities)

Keep Atlas-14 standards in the HCFCD PCPM (2019) and Harris County infrastructure regs, and close any variance loopholes. Align municipalities to the same floor.
Freeboard: Maintain City of Houston’s 2 ft above 500-yr (Ch.19) standard citywide; aim for 2 ft freeboard in AO, A, AE, and shaded X in unincorporated areas as a county minimum.
Detention & outflow controls: Enforce post-Atlas-14 detention rates and multi-frequency release; require on-site peak and volume controls sized to tailwater realities.
Adopt NAI ordinance language (ASFPM model) to make “no measurable rise/no new harms” enforceable.

Quick metric: % plats meeting NAI and Atlas-14 detention without variances.

3) Deliver a prioritized capital program by watershed

Focus on the 23 watersheds with a scored, public list: benefits per $1, structures removed from risk, equity (CFRTF lens), and O&M burden.

Countywide priorities:

Regional detention & conveyance upgrades tied to Atlas 14, coordinated with city storm sewers and TxDOT outfalls.
Sediment management at scale. Expand the FEMA-funded channel desilt program that secured nearly $250M in 2021; make “design for maintainability” standard in new projects.
Stormwater tunnels as a targeted tool (e.g., Buffalo/Greens/Halls corridors) advancing feasibility toward a pilot where they outperform surface options—stay evidence-led and transparent on cost/benefit.
SAFER planning build-out. Use the new SAFER study (covering ~half the county’s watersheds) to feed the project hopper and federal asks.
Lake Houston spillway gates & dredging. Support the City/Coastal Water Authority in completing gate design and long-term maintenance dredging strategy for the West Fork delta reach.

Watershed notes (examples):

Buffalo Bayou / Addicks & Barker: Coordinate with ongoing USACE Buffalo Bayou & Tributaries work; keep options open (selective widening, detention, or tunnels) per federal study direction.
Greens/Halls: Prioritize conveyance + storage + potential tunnel pilot (equity win with high benefit density).
San Jacinto (Spring, Cypress, mainstem): Accelerate regional detention partnerships upstream; integrate sediment traps and set-back rules near pits to reduce delta growth in Lake Houston. (See Pillar 6 & 7.)

Quick metric: public “Top 50” project list with BCR, equity score, O&M cost.

4) Buyouts & floodplain preservation at scale

Two tracks: (a) Voluntary buyouts (HCFCD) where projects are infeasible; (b) county Project Recovery mandatory area program where risk is intolerably high. Keep the “stay in-county” relocation incentives.
Greenways & storage: Convert acquired land to passive storage/greenways to reduce future risk and add value.

Quick metric: buyouts closed per quarter; open-space acres added.

5) Maintenance: make capacity durable

Fund a permanent desilt & repair program using FEMA/NRCS where eligible; publish a rolling 3-yr maintenance map.
Design for maintainability (access benches, hardened inlets, riparian stabilization) in every capital project.

Quick metric: miles of channel restored to design capacity per year.

6) Sand-mine & pit-capture risk reduction (San Jacinto focus)

Codify river set-backs, armored crossings, and flood emergency plans for in-floodplain pits; align local criteria with TCEQ quarry BMP rules (30 TAC 311 Subchapter J).
Create a pit-capture remediation fund seeded by performance bonds/fees; require post-mining reclamation to flood-safe end uses.

Quick metric: % pits with compliant flood plans; # of reclaimed pits.

7) Streets as secondary channels (urban flooding)

City/County program to upsize storm sewers and raise sag points where MAAPnext shows ponding; synchronize with roadway rehab.
Critical facility hardening & dry access (hospitals, shelters, EOCs) against MAAPnext mobility maps.

Quick metric: lane-miles where depth–velocity at 1% event drops below hazardous thresholds.

8) Early warning, gauges, & comms

Expand Harris County Flood Warning System (more gages in sheet-flow basins; redundant power/comms), integrate push alerts and low-water crossing sensors.
Neighborhood-level nowcasts and standardized evacuation/road closure criteria.

Quick metric: % population within 3 miles of a rain+stage gage.

9) Coastal surge interface (doing both: surge and rain)

Track Coastal Texas / “Ike Dike” components and ensure interior drainage (gate-closed conditions) is accounted for in our designs. Surge protection won’t fix rainfall flooding—plan for both.

10) Equity & community governance

Use the Community Flood Resilience Task Force to set equity scoring and co-design projects; publish how community input changed designs. (Harris County Judge, cfrtf.harriscountytx.gov)

Quick metric: % of projects with documented CFRTF input; equity score trend.

11) Funding stack & federal alignment

Annualized grant calendar & “shovel-ready” shelf: FEMA BRIC/FMA/HMGP; TWDB Flood Infrastructure Fund (FIF) 2024–25 cycle; CDBG-MIT; NRCS EWP; USACE/WRDA; Texas Water Fund.
Bond program transparency. Keep the 2018 Bond dashboards, “completed Bond IDs,” and press updates current to maintain match-making credibility with federal partners. (Harris County Flood Control District)

Quick metric: external $ leveraged per local $ (target: ≥2:1).

12) Data, transparency, and O&M lifecycle costs

Single public map integrating: project pipeline & status, MAAPnext layers, buyout tracts, maintenance backlog, mowing/repairs, and 12-month bid outlook.
O&M endowment concept: dedicate a slice of every capital dollar to long-term upkeep.

Timeline

First 100 days

Publish a Top-50 priority projects list (with BCR, equity, O&M).
Adopt NAI ordinance language and reaffirm Atlas-14 PCPM as the countywide minimum.
Stand up a MAAPnext-based development review policy for best available data.
Announce an expanded desilt/repair schedule (3-yr horizon) and launch low-water crossing sensor pilots.
File pre-applications for FEMA BRIC/FMA, TWDB FIF, NRCS EWP on the Top-50 set.

1–2 years

Let construction for the first 15–20 high-BCR projects across multiple watersheds.
Close 1,000+ buyouts in deepest risk pockets; green them into storage/greenways.
Complete SAFER recommendations → add to pipeline and federal asks.
Advance Lake Houston gate design and a long-term delta dredging framework.

5–10 years

Deliver full regional detention + conveyance corridors (multi-benefit parks where feasible).
If merited by feasibility, design/construct a tunnel pilot in the corridor with the strongest cost-effectiveness and equity benefits.
Integrate interior drainage with Coastal Texas components as they progress.

Funding (How to Pay for It)

Federal: FEMA BRIC/FMA/HMGP, USACE (WRDA), NRCS EWP, FHWA ER.
State: TWDB FIF (planning, design, construction), Texas Water Fund; coordinate with GLO on CDBG-MIT.
Local: HCFCD 2018 Bond balances; city drainage funds; utility/impact fees aligned to Atlas-14/NAI. Keep the Completed Bond ID reporting up to date to strengthen match prospects. (Harris County Flood Control District)

Governance & Roles

HCFCD: capital delivery, maintenance, MAAPnext/M3, bond & grant execution. (Harris County Flood Control District)
Harris County Engineering + cities: subdivision codes, storm sewers, streets-as-channels, floodplain regs.
CFRTF: equity scoring, community co-design, transparency. (Harris County Judge)
USACE/TxDOT/TWDB/FEMA/GLO: federal/state partners (funding and big-ticket works).

What You Can Do Next (Fast Wins)

A one-page policy memo adopting NAI + Atlas-14 as countywide minimums (with model ordinance cites).
A Top-50 project shortlist template (BCR, equity score, O&M, funding fit).
A grant calendar & boilerplate for BRIC/FMA/FIF pre-apps.
A public dashboard outline tying MAAPnext, projects, maintenance, and bond reporting together. (Harris County Flood Control District)

Top 50 Projects

Here’s a Top 50 Harris County Flood Resilience Project Shortlist that draws on current needs, major watershed priorities, equity considerations, and funding readiness. It’s organized by theme and watershed, with a brief note on rationale, benefits, and potential funding streams.

📋 Top 50 Priority Flood Resilience Projects

1. Regional Detention Basins (storage backbone)

Cypress Creek: North Detention Regional Basin expansion
Little Cypress Creek: Accelerated spine & tributary basins
Spring Creek: Joint Montgomery–Harris County basin package
White Oak Bayou: Additional regional basins near Cole Creek confluence
Greens Bayou: Beltway 8 regional basin expansion
Halls Bayou: North & South basin pair (equity priority)
Sims Bayou: Southeast regional detention basin
Clear Creek: Joint basin with Fort Bend/Brazoria Counties
Buffalo Bayou: Addicks fringe detention (non-USACE, local)
San Jacinto West Fork: Upstream detention + sediment trap system

3. Stormwater Tunnels (feasibility and pilot builds)

Buffalo Bayou tunnel pilot (Gessner to downtown)
Greens Bayou tunnel pilot (near I-45 corridor)
Halls Bayou tunnel (equity-driven pilot)
White Oak Bayou tunnel option (study-to-prelim design)
San Jacinto urban tributary tunnel concept (Lake Houston inflow relief)

4. Buyouts & Floodplain Preservation

Greens Bayou: Deep floodplain buyouts (north Houston cluster)
Halls Bayou: Large-scale buyout/greenway conversion
White Oak Bayou: Mid-basin buyouts, tied to Cole Creek
Hunting Bayou: Buyout cluster near UP rail yard
San Jacinto West Fork: Buyouts in repeatedly flooded subdivisions

5. Sediment & Sand-Mine Risk Management

San Jacinto West Fork delta dredging (permanent program)
San Jacinto East Fork delta management project
Sediment trap pilot upstream of Lake Houston
Sand-mine pit reclamation (Hallett, TX-242 corridor)
River setback ordinance & levee armoring pilot

6. Urban Flooding (streets-as-channels & storm sewers)

Gulfton/Hillcroft street storm sewer upsize (equity priority)
Kashmere Gardens storm sewer retrofit (Halls Bayou)
Aldine storm sewer + sag point raise (Greens Bayou)
Pasadena south storm sewer upgrade (Vince/Sims interface)
Meyerland sag point + storm sewer redundancy (Brays Bayou)

7. Critical Facilities & Mobility

Texas Medical Center flood protection upgrade (Brays)
George Bush Intercontinental Airport flood-proofing (Greens)
Downtown Houston mobility floodproofing (White Oak/Buffalo)
Low-water crossing sensor network (countywide, 200 sites)
Emergency shelter hardening (10-countywide facilities)

8. Coastal Surge / Rainfall Interaction

Gate-closed interior drainage pumps (Pasadena/La Porte)
Ship Channel drainage enhancement (Buffalo/Vince confluence)
Baytown–Cedar Bayou dual drainage/surge protection pilot
Galena Park–Jacinto City levee tie-in upgrades
Surge–rainfall interface modeling & capital package (Coastal Texas synergy)

Projects Grouped and Prioritized

ChatGPT even ranked and grouped the projects. Groups include Top 10/Immediate Priority, Next 20/Medium Term and Final 20/Long Term.

The table below shows them. However, for the sake of readability, it omits 10 columns used to calculate their scores. For a PDF that shows all columns, click here.

*Content from Chat GPT but formatted by Rehak*

You may disagree with these. You may also disagree with the methodology used to rank them. But at least ChatGPT gave us a starting point for discussion that didn’t take a year and cost $1.5 million. And best of all, it’s 2,000 words, not 2,000 pages, so people can read it in 10 minutes and hold government accountable.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/23/2025 based on information from ChatGPT

2916 Days since Hurricane Harvey

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.