2/22/2026 – After researching more than 3,000 articles about flooding since Hurricane Harvey, I’ve concluded that we’re on a flood-mitigation treadmill. In other words, we run like crazy and do not get very far. Even worse, we can’t get off the treadmill. Most of those 3,000 articles can be divided into two groups: things that […]
2/23/26 – Harris County Engineering and the County Attorney appear to have stopped enforcing floodplain regulations. On February 5, 2026, I photographed TXDoT contractors excavating dirt to form a giant detention basin adjacent to the FM2100 expansion project in Huffman. From there, they trucked the dirt to a farm north of Huffman Eastgate Road, where […]
2/21/26 – A person believed responsible for illegally placing massive amounts of fill in the floodway and floodplain of the San Jacinto West Fork near the intersection of Savelle and Sorters-McClellan Roads has yet to pay fines or remove the fill. He has also failed to appear at multiple hearings on the case, resulting in […]
2/20/2026 – The San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) will hold a public input meeting at the Humble Civic Center on March 5 from 6-8 PM to discuss its Joint Reservoir Operations Study. According to Matt Barrett PE, SJRA’s Water Resources and Flood Management Division Manager, “one of the main objectives of the study is to […]
2/19/26 – Texas 2036 and the American Flood Coalition hosted an informative seminar on 2/17/26. It emphasized lessons learned from other states that help ensure flood resilience. One of the dominant themes of the day was the need for watershed-wide flood solutions. Without watershed-wide solutions, upstream communities can create the conditions of their own future […]
2/18/26 – In the Republican primary for Harris County Judge, I’m endorsing Marty Lancton. There are many good candidates on the Republican slate. I’ve been to several forums and heard them all speak. And I’ve talked personally with most. I first met Lancton at Amadeus over lunch five months ago. And I’ve had numerous meetings […]
2/17/26 – Early voting starts today. I hope everyone votes. Electing people who address the problems of their constituents is essential. But sometimes, it’s hard to recognize who those people are because of political deception using trolls, bots and “engagement farms.” These invisible influencers can: How? By flooding social media with false information disguised as […]
2/14/26 – The Republican primary in the newly redrawn Congressional District 2 (CD2) pits U.S. Congressman Dan Crenshaw against State Rep. Steve Toth. Crenshaw is running for his fifth term in Washington. Toth is running for his first, although Toth has served five terms in the Texas House representing a portion of southern Montgomery County. […]
2/13/26 – Three days ago, Jennifer Stewart, one of my readers, was riding her bike up the Spring Creek Greenway when she witnessed a river of sludge pouring out of a construction site. It was going straight into the creek at a high rate of speed. She immediately contacted me and within the hour I […]
Update 3/10/26: To compare old and new flood maps, see New 2026 DRAFT Floodplain Maps for Harris County. See how floodplains and floodways have changed since Tropical Storm Allison. Mapping Change Comparison checkbox in lower left activates a slider that lets you see changes between old and new maps. 2/12/26 – FEMA has released new draft […]