4/5/2025 – On 4/4/25, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the termination of BRIC grants. The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Grant Program encouraged better building practices. The grants also funded mitigation projects that reduced future flood damage. Through its project scoring matrix, BRIC grants incentivized the adoption of building codes that strengthened […]
4/4/25 – A Kingwood-sized development just upstream from the I-69 Bridge over the San Jacinto West Fork is half built out and growing quickly thanks to the construction of Townsen Blvd. which began recently in Montgomery County. The area is bounded by the Grand Parkway, Spring Creek, and the San Jacinto West Fork. It lies […]
4/3/2025 – Colorado State University (CSU) researchers issued their forecast for the 2025 hurricane season today for the Atlantic basin. Forecasters expect the season to be above average, with 17 named storms, 9 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher). The 30-year average is for 14.4 for named storms, 7.2 for hurricanes, and […]
4/2/2025 – Despite massive funding shortfalls associated with the 2018 Flood Bond that have become the talk of Commissioner’s Court, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) still claims no projects will be cancelled – even after it cancelled several. See the screen capture below taken this afternoon. That page has been up since at least […]
4/1/25 – In their 3/27/25 meeting, Harris County Commissioners wrestled for more than an hour with a massive, $100 million drainage funding shortfall. But $100 million may not come close to solving drainage problems in the county’s subdivisions. Also very worrying, Commissioners have had a hard time getting data that will tell them exactly where […]
3/31/25 – In the first two parts of this “Wastelands to Wetlands” series, I presented a vision for restoration of the San Jacinto West Fork and listed all the various parties who have an interest in the effort and could help. But how do you coordinate them? Who would take responsibility/authority for ensuring restoration? And […]
3/30/25 – Yesterday, I outlined a vision for transforming the San Jacinto sand pits from wastelands to wetlands. The idea: create a mile-wide, 20-mile long natural recreational area between I-45 and I-69 with lakes and ponds, all connected by hike-and-bike trails. It would be called the Montgomery County Lake District. And it would connect to […]
3/29/25 – Every time I fly over the San Jacinto West Fork, I wonder, “What would it take to transform all the wastelands to wetlands again?” That burning question has guided much of my research for the last eight years. I don’t have all the details worked out, but I would like to share a […]
The most cherished compliments come from the people you respect the most. Yesterday, I (and ReduceFlooding.com) received an award from the Lions Clubs International Foundation for Dedicated Humanitarian Services. About Lions Clubs You would be hard pressed to find a group of people more dedicated to community service than the 1.4 million members of 49,000 […]
3/26/25 – From a public policy perspective, is it more economical to permit floodplain developments or mitigate them after floods? I asked ChatGPT that question this morning. It was consistent with year’s of research on flooding. The issue pertains directly to posts in the last two days about a proposed development called the Crossing at […]