6/16/25 – Not many people understand the value of education and preservation as a flood-mitigation strategies. Leaving land near waterways in its natural state costs a tiny fraction of building giant detention basins after people flood. Plus the natural land provides recreation for people and habitat for wildlife. The people who built communities like Kingwood […]
6/14/25 – In the NorthPark Drive expansion project last week, the traffic switch originally scheduled for 6/6 finally happened on 6/10. Since then, demolition of the old westbound lanes on Northpark between Loop 494 and US59 has begun. In other Northpark news, contractors are laying rebar in preparation for a concrete pour between Public Storage […]
6/13/25 – We had a decentralized system of disaster assistance for almost 200 years before FEMA. But more than 60% of the U.S. population has never known life without FEMA. So my post about President Trump’s intention to dismantle the agency caused considerable fear and anxiety. This post may help reassure those people. While change […]
6/12/25 – As Harris County begins setting its budget for 2026, a number of events have underscored the County’s appalling lack of transparency that involve billions of dollars in spending. For example: Projected $270 Million Shortfall and Tax Increase The County has a mandatory deadline of September 30, 2025 to set its budget for the […]
6/11/2025 – President Donald Trump has provided the most specific timeline yet for his plans to eliminate FEMA. He says he will phase out the agency after this hurricane season ends on November 30. According to news reports on CNN and ABC, Trump says he will shift responsibility for disaster relief onto states. Some Funding […]
6/10/25 – City of Houston Council Members Fred Flickinger and Twila Carter threw an “appreciation party” yesterday for dozens of Median Madness volunteers who came out to help trim back vines. The event was at a relatively new eatery in Kingwood Town Center. It’s called Parry’s Pizzeria and Taphouse. Despite torrential rains that forced the […]
6/9/25 – While re-reading the final version of the state flood plan recently I came across two images that explain why we need a watershed-wide flood agency. Unfortunately, a bill to create one, HB2068, died in the House Natural Resources committee this session. Floodplain-Management Practices and Enforcement in Texas The first image shows the level […]
6/8/2025 – Harris County’s Flood Control District, Engineering Department, Budget Office and County Administrator’s Office have missed another deadline for an update on Flood Bond and Subdivision Drainage Project shortfalls. After a request for an update in early February – 122 days ago – they missed two deadlines. And it wasn’t on the agenda for […]
6/7/2025 – The Texas General Land Office (GLO) has provided an update on the status of more than $850 million in Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) grant applications related to Hurricane Harvey – including two that affect the Humble/Kingwood/Lake Houston Area. GLO manages grants for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) […]
Correction: 6/6/25 @ 10:25 PM. The traffic switch scheduled for tonight has been delayed without explanation. It’s not yet clear when it will occur. 6/6/25 – A major Northpark traffic switch is scheduled to begin tonight at 9 PM on the westbound lanes between Loop 494 and US59, according to Ralph De Leon, project manager. […]