8/14/26 – Yesterday, someone asked me why flood mitigation takes so long. It’s a simple question that ultimately demands another question. How can we speed it up? Let me outline what I’ve learned about the “why so long” issue before wading into whether we can speed it up. The process isn’t always linear. Surprises in […]
8/13/26 – The American Flood Coalition (AFC) is a nationwide advocate for flood-risk reduction at the local, state and federal levels. August 2026 is a landmark month for federal disaster recovery, according to the group. CDBG-DR Simplification On July 10, Congress passed a bipartisan proposal to authorize the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) […]
8/12/2026 – On 8/11/26 in a two-part meeting, the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District (LSGCD) voted to increase groundwater pumping and ignore subsidence…at least for now. The first part of the meeting included a discussion of how they arrived at their recommendations and public comments on “Desired Future Conditions” (DFCs). The second part included formal […]
8/10/26 – The watchdog group “Montgomery County Concerned Citizens” led by former MUD Director Paul Cote has raised several red flags about issues that affect the future of the county’s groundwater supplies. They include: Groundwater as a Safety Net These controversies come amid a cautionary tale out West. Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir which […]
8/8/26 – The major action these days on the Northpark Drive Expansion project centers around the Loop 494 intersection. While Northpark is open and flowing in both directions, Loop 494 is totally blocked off and will remain so for the next month as contractors work on the bridge. However, there’s good news to share. There […]
8/7/26 – Yesterday, Harris County Commissioners discussed the largest tax hike in Harris County history. Before raising taxes a penny, they should examine the efficiency of the departments they oversee. To see why, review the recent history of the Harris County Housing & Community Development (HCD) Department and Flood Control District (HCFCD). Together, they manage […]
8/6/2026 – One of the strongest El Niños ever is suppressing tropical activity in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf. El Niños create wind shear that disrupts the formation of tropical storms and hurricanes. As a result, forecasters have lowered their estimates which were already below normal to begin with. NOAA Updates Seasonal Forecast In an […]
8/5/2026 – In 2020 – three years after Hurricane Harvey – the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) applied for $500,000 grant from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to study Joint Reservoir Operations between Lake Conroe and Lake Houston. They hoped they could reduce flooding through better coordination of releases from the two dams. March […]
7/4/2026 – Yesterday, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) posted Amendment 22 to its Hurricane Harvey $5.6 billion State Action Plan for public comment. That began a 30-day public comment period is required under federal law. The GLO administers disaster aid for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development in Texas. Allocation and Language […]
8/1/26 – A transmittal from Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) to Commissioners Court for their 8/6/26 meeting shows the updated status of all Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Projects. Since Dr. Tina Petersen’s last update on 5/1/2026, the new schedule shows that, of 28 projects in the Disaster Relief (DR) and Mitigation (MIT) groups, […]