FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance Division is attempting to speed up disaster relief with its Swift Current program. The goal is to shorten the disaster/repair cycle for repetitively flooded or substantially damaged properties. According to a FEMA press release, “Swift Current strives to better align the delivery of flood mitigation funding with the disaster survivor experience. […]
Part 3 of a 3-part series – In Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, I discussed root causes of flood damage. Today, let’s start a community brainstorming session about possible ways to address the issues. I’ll briefly summarize each of the root causes, then list three or four ideas to address them. What are your thoughts? Unreliable Predictions […]
Second in a 3-part Series on the Root Causes of Flood Damage – Yesterday, I posted about three root causes of flood damage. Beyond “too much rain,” they included: Today, I’ll discuss three more root causes of flood damage: Through this series, I hope to distill key lessons from thousands of observations during the last […]
Part 1 of a three part series – We can’t stop flooding because we can’t control rainfall. But we can control flood damage – by regulating where and how we build. So, why do we experience so much flood damage? If our scientific and regulatory systems always worked, homes would never flood. But they do […]
11/18/23 – It was a busy week for the new Northpark South development. A Drainage Impact Analysis submitted to Montgomery County for the development at the west end of Northpark Drive shows that the developer intends to drain its property through adjacent sand mines owned by other entities. The analysis does not address potential sedimentation […]
The Northpark Drive Expansion Project struck oil this week. But this was no Jed-Clampett moment. Oil in the context of a construction project is not good. Workers discovered what appears to be oil dumped some years ago on the site of what will become the north pond at the 59 entrance to Kingwood. Ralph De […]
November 15, 2023 – The San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) Board of Directors announced today the selection of Aubrey A. Spear, PE, as general manager. Duties As general manager, Spear will oversee the development and implementation of SJRA’s vision, mission and strategic goals through the collaboration with the SJRA’s Operating Divisions: General and Administrative Services, […]
The San Jacinto West Fork has turned into a sludge fest again. I took the picture below on 11/11/23. Not since the day that the West Fork turned white have I seen the contrast so dramatic at the confluence with Spring Creek. In that prior case, the cause was obvious. Two sand mines were discharging […]
Colorado-based Century Land Holdings of Texas, LLC has started clearing land for Northpark South in Porter along the West Fork of the San Jacinto River at the west end of Northpark Drive. Documents from the Houston Planning Commission, USGS, and FEMA; eyewitness accounts from nearby residents and flood professionals; and aerial photos indicate: The same […]
On November 7, Brad Johnson published a copyrighted article in The Texan under the headline, “Austin’s Project Connect Challenged for ‘Bait and Switch’ of $11 Billion and Rising Transit Plan.” The subhead reads, “The suit alleges a breach of what voters were originally promised by the city since the tax increase was approved in 2020.” […]