Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, and Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia are pushing the idea of a Community Resilience Task Force focused on helping socially vulnerable neighborhoods receive a higher percentage of the $2.5 billion flood bond. However, zip codes that rank in the top 50% of the CDC’s Social […]
On 7/23/2020, consultants for the San Jacinto River Basin Master Drainage Plan gave the SJRA Board and the public a first look at a draft of the plan. The final report is due out at the end of August. The draft shows the broad outline of the team’s efforts. Draft Shows Broad Outline of Recommendations […]
After three months of histrionic, apocalyptic debate about SJRA’s policy of seasonally lowering Lake Conroe, the lowering turned out to be neither the end of the world, nor the salvation of the Lake Houston Area. Simply put, no megastorms tested the policy. So there was no proof that it succeeded or failed. Instead, regular smaller […]
The New York Times ran a story on flood-bond spending, but forgot to look at where the budget to date has gone. The story by Christopher Flavelle was titled, “A Climate Plan in Texas Focuses on Minorities. Not Everyone Likes It.” It outlined arguments on each side of the equity debate in flood-bond spending. From […]
Imagine you pull up to a stoplight and two needy people approach you for a handout. You want to help, but have only $1 in your pocket. Do you give the dollar to the person who has not eaten for the longest time? Or to the person from the zip code with the highest percentage […]
Overnight, TD 8 turned into Tropical Storm Hannah. Hannah’s track continues to take it toward Corpus and the Rio Grande Valley. The shift in direction compared to earlier projections means wind and rainfall threats to Houston are reduced. However, tropical storm warnings remain up for most of the Texas coastline, including San Luis Pass to […]
Tropical Depression 8 is very close to becoming a tropical storm, likely later this evening or early Friday. TD 8 is continuing to move toward the WNW at 8mph. However, the track of the storm has shifted slightly south. That should reduce both rainfall and winds in the Houston area, compared to yesterday’s forecast. Regardless, […]
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has begun advisories on Tropical Depression 8 in the central Gulf of Mexico. Tropical Storm Watches have been issued for the Texas coast from Port Mansfield to High Island including Matagorda and Galveston Bays. Recent model guidance brings the system to the Texas coast with 48-60 hours over the Gulf […]
Several deadlines are converging to force a decision on whether to purchase Woodridge Village from Perry Homes and turn it into a giant regional detention pond. Every day that passes makes that deal appear more remote for reasons I will discuss below. Luckily, Elm Grove residents have an option, which I will discuss at the […]
Due to Covid, the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) Board of Directors will hold its regular board meeting via webinar Thursday morning. Start time is 8 a.m. One of the more interesting things on the agenda is a first peak at the San Jacinto River Basin Master Drainage Plan. Chuck Gilman, SJRA Director of Water Resources and […]