5/3/25 – A well-intentioned bill that just moved from the Texas House to the Senate could have dire unintended consequences in certain circumstances. One of the unintended consequences is increased flood risk.
State Capitol Building in Austin. Your future flood risk could depend on what happens here.
Bill Purports to Make Housing More Affordable
HB23 (and nearly identical companion bills SB2354 and HB2977) give developers the ability to privately hire engineers to approve the developer’s plans as a substitute for review by cities or counties. The intention: to speed up approvals of everything from plats to permits, thus lowering the costs of housing.
However, the bills are also a recipe for conflict of interest. It doesn’t take much imagination to see why. Moreover…
Corners could be cut that endanger public safety.
Neighbors would have no way to protest new developments that could adversely affect their property values.
And that’s only one barrel of the shotgun. The second barrel? Potential interaction with a law passed in 2023.
Land once promised as parks could be turned into apartments.
Forests could be leveled.
High-density development could clog quiet residential streets.
Increased stormwater runoff could increase flood risk.
The combination of HB23 and the 2023 ETJ law would remove governmental accountability and oversight from development. It would be like going to a basketball game without referees. The results might not be so pretty.
Homes could flood repeatedly because assumptions about floodplains and flood elevations fundamentally changed without oversight.
HB23 purports to make housing more affordable. But it also fundamentally changes the balance of power between developers, neighbors and government. It takes government out of the equation, leaving neighbors without protection.
An Amendment Could Help
If HB23 survives the Senate, at a minimum, the Senate needs to add language to HB23 (or one of its companion bills) that prevents developers from bypassing government reviews for plats and re-plats by removing their land from a city’s ETJ.
If a developer wants to re-plat land, that’s fine. But make them go through a government review that lets adjoining property owners and their HOAs have their voices heard.
As it stands, HB23 and its companion bills stifle protest.
The bills would also make government unaccountable.
How You Can Help
At this point in the legislative session, it looks like HB23 has a better chance of success than its companion bills. I am against HB23 and its companion bills as they stand.
At a bare minimum, they need to include amendments that preclude re-platting land without government approval.
If you agree, during the next commercial break email the authors of these bills:
Legislation should create predictable outcomes, not unintended consequences.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/3/25
2804 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/capitole_1024.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=17681024adminadmin2025-05-03 20:51:412025-05-04 12:27:59Unintended Consequences of Legislation Could Increase Flood Risk
5/2/25 – Because of heavy rains on Friday, City Council Member Fred Flickinger’s Median Madness event on Saturday 5/3/25 has been cancelled and will be rescheduled. A new date is not yet available.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/2/25 at 10 PM
2802 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Median-Madness-Cancelled.jpg?fit=1100%2C786&ssl=17861100adminadmin2025-05-02 21:45:572025-05-02 21:45:58Median Madness Event Rained Out, Will Be Rescheduled
The National Weather Service in Houston has published a 2025 Hurricane Guide tailored for the southeast Texas area. The guide includes information about how to prepare for all hazards associated with hurricanes, including strong winds, storm surge, flooding, and tornadoes.
The 38-page guide is filled with helpful tips, explanatory visuals, checklists, evacuation routes, easy-to-read text and helpful links. Whether you grew up in the area or recently arrived, this guide contains updated information for you.
Destruction on Bolivar Peninsula After Hurricane Ike
Contents
The guide begins with lists of hurricane names for this and the next four years and a readiness checklist. Next, it discusses changes to familiar National Hurricane Center graphics, including a new 2025 look for forecast cone graphics.
For boaters and beachgoers, the brochure contains a discussion of hurricane surf and rip currents, and why even distant hurricanes can be deadly.
One of the most eye-opening sections discussed how storm surge from Category 1, 3 and 5 hurricanes would affect communities from the Bolivar Peninsula to Matagorda Bay. I was shocked to see that surge from a Cat 5 storm could reach inside Loop 610 through the bayous and up to the Lake Houston Dam.
Next came a series of preparation tips for people who live and work in different types of structures. They include but are not limited to recommendations for:
Protecting vital records
Pet safety
Insurance (before and after the storm)
Emergency contacts
Supply kits
Time-sensitive checklists:
Actions to take when a storm is in the Gulf
Final actions to take if leaving
Final actions to take if staying
Where to find forecast/emergency information
Tourist safety
The guide concludes with sections on:
How people with special needs or disabilities can register for assistance
Evacuation routes
Evacuation zones by zip code
Returning home
Cleanup
Emergency management contacts for counties and cities throughout the region
Unintended Consequences of Legislation Could Increase Flood Risk
5/3/25 – A well-intentioned bill that just moved from the Texas House to the Senate could have dire unintended consequences in certain circumstances. One of the unintended consequences is increased flood risk.
Bill Purports to Make Housing More Affordable
HB23 (and nearly identical companion bills SB2354 and HB2977) give developers the ability to privately hire engineers to approve the developer’s plans as a substitute for review by cities or counties. The intention: to speed up approvals of everything from plats to permits, thus lowering the costs of housing.
However, the bills are also a recipe for conflict of interest. It doesn’t take much imagination to see why. Moreover…
And that’s only one barrel of the shotgun. The second barrel? Potential interaction with a law passed in 2023.
Changing Plats Already Approved
In 2023, the legislature gave developers the right to opt out of a city’s Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ). Once a developer, such as Ryko has left the ETJ, it could change plats at will with the developer’s hired gun running the show. And nearby homeowners would have no recourse or even an opportunity to protest.
The combination of HB23 and the 2023 ETJ law would remove governmental accountability and oversight from development. It would be like going to a basketball game without referees. The results might not be so pretty.
Homes could flood repeatedly because assumptions about floodplains and flood elevations fundamentally changed without oversight.
HB23 purports to make housing more affordable. But it also fundamentally changes the balance of power between developers, neighbors and government. It takes government out of the equation, leaving neighbors without protection.
An Amendment Could Help
If HB23 survives the Senate, at a minimum, the Senate needs to add language to HB23 (or one of its companion bills) that prevents developers from bypassing government reviews for plats and re-plats by removing their land from a city’s ETJ.
If a developer wants to re-plat land, that’s fine. But make them go through a government review that lets adjoining property owners and their HOAs have their voices heard.
The bills would also make government unaccountable.
How You Can Help
At this point in the legislative session, it looks like HB23 has a better chance of success than its companion bills. I am against HB23 and its companion bills as they stand.
At a bare minimum, they need to include amendments that preclude re-platting land without government approval.
If you agree, during the next commercial break email the authors of these bills:
And don’t forget Governor Greg Abbott.
Legislation should create predictable outcomes, not unintended consequences.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/3/25
2804 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
Median Madness Event Rained Out, Will Be Rescheduled
5/2/25 – Because of heavy rains on Friday, City Council Member Fred Flickinger’s Median Madness event on Saturday 5/3/25 has been cancelled and will be rescheduled. A new date is not yet available.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/2/25 at 10 PM
2802 Days since Hurricane Harvey
NWS Publishes 2025 Hurricane Guide Tailored for SE Texas
The National Weather Service in Houston has published a 2025 Hurricane Guide tailored for the southeast Texas area. The guide includes information about how to prepare for all hazards associated with hurricanes, including strong winds, storm surge, flooding, and tornadoes.
The 38-page guide is filled with helpful tips, explanatory visuals, checklists, evacuation routes, easy-to-read text and helpful links. Whether you grew up in the area or recently arrived, this guide contains updated information for you.
Contents
The guide begins with lists of hurricane names for this and the next four years and a readiness checklist. Next, it discusses changes to familiar National Hurricane Center graphics, including a new 2025 look for forecast cone graphics.
For boaters and beachgoers, the brochure contains a discussion of hurricane surf and rip currents, and why even distant hurricanes can be deadly.
One of the most eye-opening sections discussed how storm surge from Category 1, 3 and 5 hurricanes would affect communities from the Bolivar Peninsula to Matagorda Bay. I was shocked to see that surge from a Cat 5 storm could reach inside Loop 610 through the bayous and up to the Lake Houston Dam.
Next came a series of preparation tips for people who live and work in different types of structures. They include but are not limited to recommendations for:
The guide concludes with sections on:
Start Now
This is a great all-in-one guide. You can download the English version here. Or the Spanish version here.
Remember, hurricane season starts in less than a month and storms may strike even before then.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/2/25 with thanks to NWS/Houston.
2803 Days since Hurricane Harvey