Entries by admin

What’s Wrong with This Picture?

5/24/26 – What’s wrong with this picture? It shows the confluence of Spring Creek (l) and the San Jacinto West Fork (r). I took it at approximately 3PM today. It has not been retouched. You are looking at the actual color difference in the water coming down the two streams after several days of rain. […]

Northpark Surface Lanes across UPRR Tracks Virtually Complete

5/23/26 – Earlier this week, contractors for the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10 finished paving the surface lanes across the UnionPacific Railroad (UPRR) tracks. Two surface lanes both east- and westbound will border the bridge being built over the tracks and Loop 494. They will provide turning capabilities at the intersection as well as access […]

TWDB Awarding $312 Million for Flood Infrastructure Projects

5/22/2026 – The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) is kicking off another round of funding for Flood Infrastructure Projects. $312 million is available for the 2026-2027 cycle. Who Can Apply for What Texas Cities, Counties and Districts/Authorities are eligible to apply for grants or 0%-interest loans. Four types of projects qualify: The New Plan for […]

NOAA Predicts Below-Normal 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season

5/21/2026 – Forecasters with NOAA’s National Weather Service predict a below-normal hurricane season for the Atlantic basin for 2026. The Atlantic season runs June 1 to November 30. NOAA predicts a 35% chance of a near-normal season, a 10% chance of an above-normal season, and a 55% chance of a below-normal season. The agency predicts […]

Flood Threats Increasing with Rainfall Predictions

5/20/2026 – According to Jeff Lindner, Harris County’s meteorologist, heavy rainfall will continue this week. “Additional rainfall through the weekend will average 3-5 inches with isolated higher totals…much of this may end up falling on Saturday and Sunday,” he said. “That’s on top of 1-3 inches that fell overnight. “Concern remains high for short-term rainfall […]

Woodridge-Taylor Gully Construction Starts Again

5/19/26 – Contractors working on the Woodridge Village-Taylor Gully Project finally appeared yesterday and started working today. Construction on the site had been paused since November, 2023. That’s when Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) cancelled an Excavation and Removal Contract with Sprint Sand & Clay to apply for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) […]

Heavy Rains Could Bring Flash and Riverine Flooding This Week

5/17/26 – According to Jeff Lindner, Harris County’s meteorologist, a wet and stormy period mid to late week could bring heavy rainfall, severe thunderstorms, flash flooding, and riverine flooding. The wet and stormy pattern will likely last through the Memorial Day weekend. Weather Pattern A slow-moving, upper-level trough will blanket the southwest through much of […]

HCFCD Director Tina Petersen Keeps Her Job … For Now

5/15/2026 – At their 5/14/2026 meeting, Harris County Commissioners discussed the job performance of the Flood Control District Executive Director, Tina Petersen, Ph.D. After coming out of executive session, Commissioners announced that they were taking “no action” re: Dr. Petersen. Petersen has come under increasing pressure to produce results on $322 million worth of projects […]

Floodplains and Affordability for First-Time Homebuyers

5/14/26 – Homes in floodplains typically sell at discounts compared to safer homes on higher ground. Therefore, they tend to attract a higher proportion of first-time home buyers. Why? For the vast majority of first-time buyers, affordability drives buying decisions more than other considerations, especially since flood risk is hard to understand. Let’s look at […]

Houston Chronicle Misses Many Points on HCFCD Leadership Discussion

The Houston Chronicle published an editorial about the leader of the Harris County Flood Control District, Tina Petersen, Ph.D., this morning. Harris County Commissioners will discuss her job performance tomorrow in executive session. The move was prompted by the detailed disclosure on May 1, 2026, of the status of Community Development Block Grant Projects (CDBG). […]