Kingwood Town Hall Ends with Wonderful Surprise
10/3/25 – Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger’s Kingwood Town Hall Meeting on 9/30/25 had a lot of great news. Speakers talked about 20+ infrastructure projects in various stages of development. Together, they should help reduce flood risk for people throughout the Lake Houston Area.
In addition, we learned about airport improvements, crime reductions, a family-violence awareness campaign, fire station enhancements, property tax relief, bail reform, help for the homeless, and attempts to balance the city budget.
My Big Surprise
At the end of the presentations, Flickinger called me up to the front of the auditorium to receive a framed proclamation.
Mayor John Whitmire had declared Sept. 30, 2025 to be Bob Rehak Day in Houston.
I had no idea this was about to happen and I hesitate to even mention it, lest it appear like bragging. However, I am grateful that my efforts to reduce flooding seem to be noticed by the community. And even more grateful that I have helped keep flood mitigation high on the public agenda.
I’ve seen how flooding can devastate families, their homes and their savings. How it can disrupt entire communities for years. And worst of all, how it can take lives.
When I started this blog in 2018, I had two objectives: to raise awareness of the causes of flooding and to advocate for flood mitigation.
Little did I realize at the time how difficult flood mitigation is. Eight years after Harvey, we’re still trying to document needs, develop solutions, prioritize projects, raise funds, and coordinate multiple agencies at all levels of government.
Along the way, I’ve written almost two million words for 2,906 posts and taken 63,122 photos for 1.8 million readers.
The word count alone is especially staggering. To put it in perspective, that’s the equivalent of about 25 average length novels – three a year!
So yes, the recognition was nice. But even nicer was what it was for. The proclamation reads…
Bob Rehak
WHEREAS, Bob Rehak of Kingwood has distinguished himself as a tireless advocate for flood awareness, mitigation and community resilience, documenting local conditions and solutions with clarity and consistency for the benefit of residents, businesses and policy makers alike; and
WHEREAS, through his widely read blog, Reduce Flooding, which features reporting, photography, data visualization, and plain language explanations of complex water and infrastructure issues, Bob Rehak has equipped Houstonians with the tools to make informed decisions about preparedness, recovery, and long term planning; and
WHEREAS, Bob Rehak has collaborated constructively with neighbors, neighborhood associations, nonprofit groups, engineers, and local, regional and state agencies to advance dredging, drainage, watershed management, and other risk reduction efforts that directly impact the Lake Houston area; and
WHEREAS, his persistent, on-the-ground documentation before, during, and after major rain and flood events has elevated community voices, improved transparency, encouraged problem-solving, and supported evidence-based action to protect property; and
WHEREAS, beyond his technical focus, Bob Rehak exemplifies the spirit of public service by showing up, listening, and communicating respectfully, thereby fostering trust between residents and government and helping unite diverse stakeholders around practical, measurable results; and
WHEREAS, the City of Houston commends Bob Rehak for his outstanding contributions to the safety, resilience and well-being of the Lake Houston area and the greater Houston community, and extends gratitude for exemplary service and steadfast advocacy….
Therefore, I, John Whitmire, Mayor of the City of Houston, hereby proclaim September 30th, 2025 as Bob Rehak day in Houston, Texas.
Signed and Sealed
Many Thanks
I was especially pleased with recognition of efforts to document impacts, elevate community voices, improve transparency and support evidence-based action that unites diverse stakeholders around practical, measurable results.
Too often these days, public discourse divides people. We’ve seen far too many sad and sorrowful examples lately of what those divisions can produce. In reality, we have far more that unites us than divides us. We just need to focus on those things. Which is what I intend to continue doing as long as my age and health allow.
Grateful thanks to my readers, Mayor Whitmire; Council Member Flickinger; all the talented public officials, engineers and environmental experts who have helped educate me about flooding; and especially my wife of 50 years – and proofreader for even longer – Dr. Susan Davy.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/3/25
2957 Days since Hurricane Harvey
