Today, it wasn’t Republicans vs. Democrats. It was humans helping humans. And how refreshing it was! 86-Year Old, Mobility-Challenged Woman Gets New Home, New Life Texas General Land Office (GLO) Commissioner Dawn Buckingham and her staff gathered to turn over the keys to the newly rebuilt home of Earnestine Henry. Ms. Henry is an 86-year […]
Yesterday morning at a joint press conference, the Texas General Land Office and Harris County Commissioners pledged to work more closely together to speed up flood mitigation. But four hours later, a chaotic 90-minute discussion in Commissioners Court made me wonder whether the rapprochement would ever bear fruit. At risk: $750 million. Almost 22 months […]
Five and a half years after Hurricane Harvey, I see people investing and building in areas near floodplains that will soon expand. I call this the “danger zone” because it’s not quite clear yet what their flood risk is or how to mitigate it. I came across one such property last week on Townsen Blvd. […]
A new 10-minute video by investigative reporter Wayne Dolcefino shows heat maps of Republican-leaning areas in Harris County and where voting problems occurred in the November 2022 elections. Superimposing one on top of the other shows that virtually all of the areas running out of ballot paper occurred in Republican strongholds. Experts estimate the chances […]
On March 9, 2023, the Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Service (NWS) announced that La Niña conditions which persisted for 3-years have finally ended. But we are not shifting directly into El Niño. Instead, we’re entering a transitional phase. NWS expects neutral conditions to continue through the Northern Hemisphere into spring and early […]
While major cities and counties throughout Texas post maps and detailed descriptions of their road-bond spending and projects, Harris County does not. In June 2022, County Commissioner Adrian Garcia pitched bonds for roads, parks and public safety totaling $1.2 billion. It included $900 million for roads, $200 million for parks and $100 million for public-safety […]
The Preserve at Woodridge website indicates that the developer, Guefen, will begin leasing spacious, 763 SF, 1-bedroom, 1-bath, luxury homes beginning March 16, 2023 … for only $1365 per month. Even more spacious, 1388-SF homes will begin leasing later at just $2145 per month. The marketing theme: “There’s room for you at Preserve at Woodridge.” […]
The rate of excavation for another stormwater detention basin on the Woodridge Village property picked up 47% in the last five weeks. That’s compared to the weekly average since Sprint Sand and Clay began excavating last year under the terms of its Excavation and Removal (E&R) contract with Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD). Demand […]
Several different developments are being carved out of a larger 3738-acre tract once owned by LH Ranch in northern part of Huffman. Two on the east side of FM2100 have come a long way since I first photographed them seven months ago. Last July, I flew over Los Piños and Saint Tropez. At the time, […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers an informative brochure titled Stormwater to Trees. It discusses how to engineer urban forests for stormwater management. The brochure primarily targets engineers, planners, developers, architects, arborists and public officials. However, residents concerned about the loss of trees to new development may find it a useful tool to begin […]