Harris County’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has produced an excellent presentation designed to help you get ready for emergencies of almost any type. While it primarily focuses on hurricanes, it also covers other natural and man-made disasters such as tornadoes, train derailments, plant explosions, and more.
Complexity Complicates Times of Chaos
Some reminders: Harris County has…
More people than half the states in the country
The largest port (by export tonnage)
The largest petrochemical complex in the world
56 fire departments
125 law enforcement agencies
34 cities
23 major watersheds
1200+ utility districts
9,000 miles of pipeline
Staying safe amidst that kind of complexity requires preparedness and situational awareness.
Fundamentals of Safety
The presentation focuses on four fundamentals of preparedness:
Getting a kit
Making a plan
Staying informed
Being involved.
It also contains numerous links you can use to sign up for alerts from various sources.
Homeland Security urges you to share the presentation and links below with family, friends, neighbors and community groups.
Better yet, ask them to put on a personalized presentation for your group. Remember. Some people may not have the ability to see, hear, or evacuate as well as you.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Screenshot-2023-06-23-at-8.13.36-PM.png?fit=2524%2C1376&ssl=113762524adminadmin2023-06-23 21:06:062023-06-23 21:06:07Ready for Emergencies?
Two pieces of good news came out of the Texas General Land Office (GLO) in two days! Yesterday, the GLO announced that both Houston and Harris County met their respective expenditure goals for Harvey disaster-relief funds. Today, Commissioner Dawn Buckingham M.D. announced the approval of more than another $128 million worth of flood-mitigation projects in the region.
This batch of funds includes several major projects in the north Houston region:
City of Dayton received $1.45 million for sewer rehabilitation.
Liberty County received $21.27 million to develop a master-drainage plan and make drainage improvements.
Waller County received $6.7 million for drainage improvements and another $2 million for Prairie View Water Improvements and a Planning study.
Of these, the Liberty County batch stands out for its sheer size. And Liberty County will need it. That’s because of the recently completed Grand Parkway. It cuts a wide arc through the county’s farms and fields. Thousands of acres are currently under development thanks to improved transportation. And they will stress local watersheds, such as the San Jacinto East Fork and Luce Bayou.
FM2090 at East Fork of the San Jacinto in Liberty County on May 3, 2021. New development has flooded Plum Grove and areas farther south along the East Fork.
And another.
Also in Plum Grove, FM1010 washed out at Rocky Branch during Harvey and has yet to be repaired.
Scope of HUD/GLO Awards
The GLO awarded the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds to improve street, water and drainage facilities in Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Nueces, Polk, San Jacinto, and Waller Counties.
$128,208,664 will benefit 19 federally eligible infrastructure projects to improve streets as well as water and drainage facilities. The cities of Aransas Pass, Coldspring, Corrigan, Dayton, Freeport, Hitchcock, Iowa Colony, Katy, La Marque, Palacios, Pearland, Richwood, Rosenberg, Shepherd, Texas City, and the counties of Jefferson, Liberty, and Waller will all receive the mitigation dollars.
Difference Between Disaster Relief and Flood Mitigation
Disaster relief dollars help individuals recover from past floods. Mitigation dollars, on the other hand, help strengthen infrastructure against future floods.
According to the GLO, HUD defines mitigation as “Activities that increase resilience to disasters and reduce or eliminate the long-term risk of loss of life, injury, damage to and loss of property, and suffering and hardship, by lessening the impact of future disasters.”
Locally-Led Methods of Distribution
The approvals announced today will filter down to cities and counties through regional councils of governments (COGs), such as the Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC).
Through its Regional Mitigation Program, the GLO enabled local prioritization. This local prioritization will have a tremendous impact across multiple regions, according to Commissioner Buckingham.
“Locally-led prioritization of mitigation projects is important because it strengthens critical infrastructure and protects communities against the impacts of natural disasters,” said Buckingham. “At the Texas General Land Office, we are not only helping those in need, but also supporting our communities as they grow.”
Who Will Get What
The table below shows a high-level description and the award amount for each of the 19 projects. For detailed descriptions of each project, click the caption below the table.
How the Money Got from D.C. to Texas Projects on the Ground
The Texas General Land Office (GLO) allocated $1,166,997,000 in Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the Regional Mitigation Program. The program aims to reduce the risks and impacts of future natural disasters.
Each Council of Government (COG) with HUD-designated eligible counties developed a method of distribution (MOD) for allocation of funds to units of local governments. Each COG developed its MOD through extensive public participation.
HUD requires that at least 50% of total funds must be used for activities benefiting low- to moderate-income (LMI) persons.
The Texas General Land Office (GLO) announced today that for the first time ever since Hurricane Harvey, both Houston and Harris County have each met their benchmarks for expending disaster relief funds – in the SAME time period. They may have individually met performance benchmarks before, but never together in the same review period.
Both Harris County and Houston have semiannual expenditure benchmarks in their Community Development Block Grant Disaster Relief funding contracts with the GLO, per HUD guidance. “These milestones were set by the City and County and approved by the GLO to ensure all programs will be completed as timely as possible,” said a GLO spokesperson.
A New Era of Cooperation Yielding Results Already
Dawn Buckingham, M.D., the new GLO Commissioner credits open communications and focused cooperation. “The GLO is dedicated to helping Harris County and the City of Houston put these vital funds to good use.”
GLO Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., speaking at a joint press conference in March. Others L to R: Harris County Community Services Interim Exec Director Thao Costis, HCFCD Exec Director Dr. Tina Petersen, P4 Commissioner Lesley Briones, P2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, P3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey PE, P1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, County Attorney Christian Menefee.
This is good news. In years past, the relationship between Houston, Harris County, GLO and HUD foundered over performance benchmarks, cooperation and communication. But now, new players are in place. And 5+ years after Harvey, the City, County and State all face “use it or lose it” deadlines from HUD.
More Money Hangs in Balance
While the performance benchmarks in question have to do only with unexpended, Harvey-related, disaster-relief funds, much more money hangs in the balance.
Earlier this month, HCFCD presented Commissioners Court with a proposed project list for those funds. HCFCD is reportedly still trying to define the areas benefited by each of those projects before final approval. However, HUD and the GLO seem pleased with both the progress and the collaborative working relationships that have developed.
Everyone seems to respond positively to Dr. Buckingham’s working style – described as “supportive,” yet “results oriented.”
Commissioner Adrian Garcia stated publicly, “I want to give a shout out to the GLO and Commissioner Buckingham for her support of Harris County and giving us a degree of trust.”
Commissioner Tom Ramsey complimented the fairness of project list, noting that it worked out to about 25% for each precinct. He stated, “job well done by the whole.”
Commissioner Lesley Briones said, “This is so wonderful that we were able to hit reset and really focus on the progress going forward.”
Nature Provides Its Own Deadlines
It can’t happen soon enough for Harris County residents who live under constant threat of floods. Monday afternoon, Tropical Storm Brett formed in the Atlantic. Another storm with an 80% chance of formation in the next 7 days follows closely behind. That’s up from 50% yesterday afternoon.
National Hurricane Center update as of 10:45AM EDT Tuesday, June 20, 2023
It’s too early to tell with any reliability where/whether/when either of these disturbances will make landfall.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/19/2023
2120 Days since Hurricane Harvey and Updated on 6/20/2023 with new storm information and photo.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/20230620-image0.jpg?fit=1100%2C824&ssl=18241100adminadmin2023-06-19 16:57:252023-06-21 22:08:33A First: Houston, Harris County Both Meet HUD/GLO Disaster-Relief Benchmarks in Same Time Period
Ready for Emergencies?
Harris County’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has produced an excellent presentation designed to help you get ready for emergencies of almost any type. While it primarily focuses on hurricanes, it also covers other natural and man-made disasters such as tornadoes, train derailments, plant explosions, and more.
Complexity Complicates Times of Chaos
Some reminders: Harris County has…
Staying safe amidst that kind of complexity requires preparedness and situational awareness.
Fundamentals of Safety
The presentation focuses on four fundamentals of preparedness:
It also contains numerous links you can use to sign up for alerts from various sources.
Homeland Security urges you to share the presentation and links below with family, friends, neighbors and community groups.
Better yet, ask them to put on a personalized presentation for your group. Remember. Some people may not have the ability to see, hear, or evacuate as well as you.
Helpful Links
Website: www.readyharris.org
Offices of Emergency Management: Ready Harris > Contact
Sign up for ReadyHarris Alerts: member portal (everbridge.net)
Sign up for ReadyHarris Accessible Alerts: Sign Up | Harris County (ahasalerts.com)
Hurricane Brochures:
Accessible Videos: ASL Videos
Disaster Checklist
Harris County Resources:
Other resources:
STEAR Evacuation Assistance
Not Enough First Responders to Help Everyone
Less than 1% of the people in Harris County are first responders. So we must help each other to the extent we can.
It normally takes until June 20th before we have our first named storm in the Atlantic Basin. However, we’ve already had three so far this year. And this was supposed to be an average year.
So please bookmark this page and share it.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/23/23
2024 Days since Hurricane Harvey
GLO Announces Regional Mitigation-Project Approvals Totaling $128 Million
Two pieces of good news came out of the Texas General Land Office (GLO) in two days! Yesterday, the GLO announced that both Houston and Harris County met their respective expenditure goals for Harvey disaster-relief funds. Today, Commissioner Dawn Buckingham M.D. announced the approval of more than another $128 million worth of flood-mitigation projects in the region.
This batch of funds includes several major projects in the north Houston region:
Of these, the Liberty County batch stands out for its sheer size. And Liberty County will need it. That’s because of the recently completed Grand Parkway. It cuts a wide arc through the county’s farms and fields. Thousands of acres are currently under development thanks to improved transportation. And they will stress local watersheds, such as the San Jacinto East Fork and Luce Bayou.
Another Liberty County example.
And another.
Scope of HUD/GLO Awards
The GLO awarded the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds to improve street, water and drainage facilities in Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Nueces, Polk, San Jacinto, and Waller Counties.
This is a separate tranche of money from the Houston and Harris County disaster-relief funds discussed in yesterday’s post.
$128,208,664 will benefit 19 federally eligible infrastructure projects to improve streets as well as water and drainage facilities. The cities of Aransas Pass, Coldspring, Corrigan, Dayton, Freeport, Hitchcock, Iowa Colony, Katy, La Marque, Palacios, Pearland, Richwood, Rosenberg, Shepherd, Texas City, and the counties of Jefferson, Liberty, and Waller will all receive the mitigation dollars.
Difference Between Disaster Relief and Flood Mitigation
Disaster relief dollars help individuals recover from past floods. Mitigation dollars, on the other hand, help strengthen infrastructure against future floods.
According to the GLO, HUD defines mitigation as “Activities that increase resilience to disasters and reduce or eliminate the long-term risk of loss of life, injury, damage to and loss of property, and suffering and hardship, by lessening the impact of future disasters.”
Locally-Led Methods of Distribution
The approvals announced today will filter down to cities and counties through regional councils of governments (COGs), such as the Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC).
Through its Regional Mitigation Program, the GLO enabled local prioritization. This local prioritization will have a tremendous impact across multiple regions, according to Commissioner Buckingham.
“Locally-led prioritization of mitigation projects is important because it strengthens critical infrastructure and protects communities against the impacts of natural disasters,” said Buckingham. “At the Texas General Land Office, we are not only helping those in need, but also supporting our communities as they grow.”
Who Will Get What
The table below shows a high-level description and the award amount for each of the 19 projects. For detailed descriptions of each project, click the caption below the table.
How the Money Got from D.C. to Texas Projects on the Ground
The Texas General Land Office (GLO) allocated $1,166,997,000 in Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the Regional Mitigation Program. The program aims to reduce the risks and impacts of future natural disasters.
Each Council of Government (COG) with HUD-designated eligible counties developed a method of distribution (MOD) for allocation of funds to units of local governments. Each COG developed its MOD through extensive public participation.
HUD requires that at least 50% of total funds must be used for activities benefiting low- to moderate-income (LMI) persons.
For more information, please visit recovery.texas.gov/mitigation.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/20/23
2121 Days since Hurricane Harvey
A First: Houston, Harris County Both Meet HUD/GLO Disaster-Relief Benchmarks in Same Time Period
The Texas General Land Office (GLO) announced today that for the first time ever since Hurricane Harvey, both Houston and Harris County have each met their benchmarks for expending disaster relief funds – in the SAME time period. They may have individually met performance benchmarks before, but never together in the same review period.
Both Harris County and Houston have semiannual expenditure benchmarks in their Community Development Block Grant Disaster Relief funding contracts with the GLO, per HUD guidance. “These milestones were set by the City and County and approved by the GLO to ensure all programs will be completed as timely as possible,” said a GLO spokesperson.
A New Era of Cooperation Yielding Results Already
Dawn Buckingham, M.D., the new GLO Commissioner credits open communications and focused cooperation. “The GLO is dedicated to helping Harris County and the City of Houston put these vital funds to good use.”
This is good news. In years past, the relationship between Houston, Harris County, GLO and HUD foundered over performance benchmarks, cooperation and communication. But now, new players are in place. And 5+ years after Harvey, the City, County and State all face “use it or lose it” deadlines from HUD.
More Money Hangs in Balance
While the performance benchmarks in question have to do only with unexpended, Harvey-related, disaster-relief funds, much more money hangs in the balance.
The success of the relationship will also affect $750 million in CDBG-mitigation funds and another $322 million in unspent funds that the GLO shifted from expiring projects to Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD).
Earlier this month, HCFCD presented Commissioners Court with a proposed project list for those funds. HCFCD is reportedly still trying to define the areas benefited by each of those projects before final approval. However, HUD and the GLO seem pleased with both the progress and the collaborative working relationships that have developed.
Everyone seems to respond positively to Dr. Buckingham’s working style – described as “supportive,” yet “results oriented.”
Nature Provides Its Own Deadlines
It can’t happen soon enough for Harris County residents who live under constant threat of floods. Monday afternoon, Tropical Storm Brett formed in the Atlantic. Another storm with an 80% chance of formation in the next 7 days follows closely behind. That’s up from 50% yesterday afternoon.
It’s too early to tell with any reliability where/whether/when either of these disturbances will make landfall.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/19/2023
2120 Days since Hurricane Harvey and Updated on 6/20/2023 with new storm information and photo.