9/6/2025 – On August 26, 2025, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) transmitted an update to Commissioners Court on the release of new flood insurance rate maps. The update showed the release date slipping yet again. This makes at least the seventh postponement in four years. The amount of time it’s taking FEMA to vet […]
9/5/25 – The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has completed investigating exposed pipelines carrying highly volatile liquids at a sand mine in Porter operated by Texas Frac Sand Materials Inc. TCEQ documented the pipeline issue and referred it to the Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates pipelines in the state. As of this writing, […]
9/4/25 – Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) issued an update on its maintenance activity to Commissioners Court in a transmittal on 8/26/25. Without explaining exactly where (geographically) the money went, the 7-page overview details HCFCD’s increase in activity enabled by its November 2024 “Proposition A” maintenance tax. The tax provides another $100 million annually […]
9/3/25 – A new study by City of Houston Controller Chris Hollins found that Houston is underprepared for disasters. FEMA ranks Harris County #1 nationally for hurricane risk. However, Houston has roughly half the disaster reserves of other cities studied and half the amount recommended by Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Best Practices. The study […]
9/2/2025 – The following is reprinted from Houston District E City Council Member Fred Flickinger’s newsletter. It relates to the purchase of backup generators to keep critical city facilities such as sewage treatment plants, running when power goes out during storms. This issue has plagued the Lake Houston Area. Some of the money below will […]
2/16/26 – Update – Mealer now endorsed by President Trump – Two local Republicans have announced their intention to run for Congress in the newly redrawn U.S. Congressional District 9. Alexandra Mealer, who ran for Harris County Judge in the 2022 election, will square off against State Representative Briscoe Cain in a primary. President Trump […]
8/30/25 – On the eighth anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, more than 400 residents crowded into the Kingwood Community Center to hear Congressman Dan Crenshaw talk. Unfortunately, a group of unruly agitators wouldn’t let the Congressman speak about flood mitigation to an audience whose lives had been upended by flooding. They kept shouting questions about random, […]
8/29/25 – Eight years ago today, the Lake Houston Area woke up to the dawn of a disaster. During the previous day and night, the San Jacinto River rose 22 feet above flood stage at US59. It swept several townhomes in Forest Cove off their foundations. And destroyed all the rest for blocks around. Rising […]
8/28/25 – NOAA’s Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (SCIPP) just published its annual report. It includes new research findings on three key elements of tropical systems: a lengthening tropical season, stalling storms, and tropical cyclone size at landfall. SCIPP publishes fascinating reports tailored to the south central region of the U.S. including Texas, Oklahoma and […]
8/27/2025 – This week marks the 8th anniversary of Hurricane Harvey and the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina – two of the most destructive storms in recent American history. So I wanted to see what the hurricane stats tell us about this part of the hurricane season as far back as we can reliably see. […]