10/19/26 – Update includes several changes to text to clarify origin and status of $113 million. See GLO clarification at bottom of post.
10/16/26 – GLO Commissioner Dawn Buckingham says she is moving $133 Million of Community Development Block Grant funds for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) designated for Harris County to another county. [GLO disputes this. See clarification below.]
Here’s how the story unfolded.
Garcia Pulls CDBG Update from Commissioners Court Agenda
Agenda Item 93 for the 10/15/26 Harris County Commissioners Court Meeting concerned an update on $322 million of HUD CDBG-DR funds that were at risk because of an imminent 2/28/27 deadline.
Two weeks ago, a one-year extension from the Texas General Land Office (GLO) gave Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) more breathing room. However, it was not clear whether HCFCD could expend all the money … even with the extension.
But yesterday, before Marcus Stuckett, the new executive director of HCFCD, could answer that question, Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia pulled Item 93 from the agenda. It will now be considered on November 12 – AFTER the upcoming election. Hmmmm. That made me curious!
No one with Harris County or HCFCD could or would tell me why it was pulled from the agenda. And the County refused my Public Information Request for Stuckett’s presentation … within minutes. They said the presentation didn’t exist. Never a good sign! See below.
Record request denial. Red box added to redact my phone number and address.
So, I sent my request for information to the GLO. They immediately supplied two letters that explain what happened and what will happen.
Letter #1: Stuckett Request to GLO
On 10/2/26, Stuckett sent a letter to GLO Deputy Director Heather Lagrone. In it, he thanks the GLO for the one year extension, and says that it will give HCFCD time to finish the CDBG-DR projects.
But he also explains that $113 million of the $322 million – more than a third of the total – will not be expended before the extended deadline. The reason: Actual project bids compiled under his predecessor came in lower than initial estimates used for grant applications. Stuckett also references “scope changes” as a reason for the lower-than-expected billing.
The first paragraph says she is pleased that the extension will give HCFCD time to complete the CDBG-DR projects.
But Paragraph #2 says “Harris County” failed to provide information that it promised “months ago” about swapping projects from the MIT category to DR – a proposal initiated by Stuckett’s predecessor, Dr. Tina Petersen. Stuckett has been in his new job for only about three months.
In addition to the vague timing reference, the generic “Harris County” reference also stood out. Harris County Housing & Community Development and Harris County Engineering also manage CDBG grants. Buckingham did not specify whether HCFCD, one of the others, or all of the above failed to comply.
Paragraph #3 explains that Buckingham will reallocate the Harris County funds to another county because she fears Harris County will eventually fail to complete the projects. [GLO disputes this. See clarification below.]
Buckingham does not acknowledge that several of the projects that Stuckett proposed moving from MIT to DR were already completed.
One thing is clear, however. Harris County will lose $113 million of flood mitigation funds … at a time when Harris County just raised taxes by a record amount.
Image created by ChatGPT
How We Got Here
It’s important to remember that we would not even be in this position if it weren’t for Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia. He pushed to remove exceptional HCFCD leaders who sold the 2018 Flood Bond and were delivering projects at a record pace through 2022. After pushing those leaders out, he replaced them with an inexperienced, unqualified leader he could control.
And boom. Here we are today. $113 million. Gone. Precinct 2 residents should remember that when early voting starts.
To read the full text of Stuckett’s letter to the GLO, click here.
And to read the full text of the GLO’s response to Stuckett, click here.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/16/2026
3335 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.
GLO Clarification
We would like to clarify Commissioner Buckingham’s intent with regards to the $322 million in CDBG-DR funding currently being administered by HCFCD.
In your story you state, “GLO Commissioner Dawn Buckingham says she is moving $113 Million of Community Development Block Grant funds for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) designated for Harris County to another county.” That is not accurate. Commissioner Buckingham has not identified any amount of funding to be removed from the $322 million in CDBG-DR (disaster recovery funding) that she secured for Harris County projects. All Commissioner Buckingham has said specifically relating to reducing the funding was in her 9/28/2026 letter to Judge Hidalgo in which she states, “But in this contract, failure to meet each benchmark will result in the unused balance being reclaimed and reallocated to other shovel-ready projects not managed by HCFCD.”
To be very clear, Commissioner Buckingham’s intention since taking office has been for this funding to benefit Harris County area residents. Who administers the funding and for what projects has rested with Harris County for more than 3.5 years. HCFCD has the contract, but the Harris County Commissioners Court has had authority over HCFCD the whole time.
The $113 million figure has only been mentioned by HCFCD Executive Director Marcus Stuckett. In his letter to the GLO, Mr. Stuckett stated that HCFCD “now anticipates approximately $113 million in CDBG-DR funds will remain unallocated.” HCFCD has not provided any data or documentation to support that figure or claim. The only basis for the $113 million amount is his mention of it. In fact, Mr. Stuckett’s team has failed to provide the specific documentation the GLO has requested to properly identify the current status of the budget or plans for how to spend the remaining allocations. In the past six months, HCFCD has only provided vague ideas and undefined concepts. That is not how the HUD funding process works. Subrecipients cannot piecemeal projects and Frankenstein together proposals. HUD demands specifics about complete projects that result in a defined benefit to a defined population by a defined deadline.
As we discussed, the GLO has an obligation to ensure the entirety of the $5.676 billion entrusted to the State of Texas specifically for Hurricane Harvey disaster recovery is expended in full compliance with federal regulations and within HUD’s mandatory deadlines for the full grant process. Who administers the funding and for what projects continues to be adjusted based on what can be accomplished within the deadline.
Since taking office in 2023, Commissioner Buckingham has taken every action within her authority to ensure funding is provided to benefit Harris County residents. Harris County promised “shovel ready” projects and the GLO has continued to provide technical support to facilitate federal compliance in effectively administering the funds.
Commissioner Buckingham’s intent continues to be for the full $322 million to be spent on projects to benefit the people who call Harris County home. However, if HCFCD cannot complete promised projects that can benefit residents within HUD’s mandatory process before the federal deadline, we may have to find alternative means to spend the money before time runs out. It won’t automatically go to projects outside of Harris County, but there are countless federally eligible projects in need of funding, and the clock is running out.
Emailed on October 18, 2026, by Brittany Eck, GLO Director of Communications for Disaster Recovery
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/113-Million-in-Flames.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2026-10-16 20:03:092026-10-19 16:41:26Harris County Could Lose $113 Million in CDBG Funds Despite 1-Year Extension
Today is a repeating digit day: 3333 Days since Hurricane Harvey. So, this seems like an opportunity to look back at what we have learned about flooding and flood mitigation in that time. Or at least should have learned.
I’ve published 3199 posts containing 2.2 million words since then – the equivalent of 27 novels … about flooding. One every four months.
Even the most dedicated readers find that daunting. So, I’m trying to organize what I have learned into a book. You can find the outline on my Lessons page. But even that is daunting. So, let me boil the lessons down even further – into five key takeaways.
In Southeast Texas, flooding can happen suddenly … anywhere. You need to be prepared. That includes carrying flood insurance. Don’t expect the government to make you whole after a flood. Aid is limited. Applications are laborious. Competition for limited funds is stiff.
And the documents you need to apply for government aid, i.e., real-estate titles, may have been destroyed in the flood. Digitize your important documents, encrypt them, and store them online so that they are always accessible, even if your safety deposit box floods.
And remember that while homeowner’s insurance may cover water damage, it almost never covers damage from rising floodwaters. Read your policies carefully.
Understand that Floodplains are a Shifting Target
Floodplains tend to expand for a variety of reasons having mostly to do with insufficiently mitigated upstream development and our inability to predict exactly how much rain might fall in an extreme event.
The safety of your family and home depends on your distance from and elevation above floodwaters. So when purchasing a home, select one far from flooding sources – farther than the flood surveys say you need. Give yourself a generous safety margin. And then double it.
Floodplain maps will change over time and you could find floodwaters lapping at your foundation before you pay off your mortgage. When I bought my house 30 years before Harvey, I was more than a mile from the nearest floodplain. Now the floodplain comes halfway up my property – to exactly where the water stopped during Harvey.
Not Everyone Shares Your Priorities
It’s far easier to prevent flooding than fix it after the need becomes apparent. Here we are 3333 days since Hurricane Harvey. And we’re still mired in engineering studies, grant applications, fund raising, political tug-of-wars over who should get help first, consensus building, and trying to align political jurisdictions with different interests.
Not everyone places a high priority on flood mitigation. In the controversy over Lake Conroe lowering and pre-release for instance, the Lake Conroe Association commissioned an engineering study that radically underestimated the extent of Lake Houston Area flooding to support the desired conclusion that lake lowering wouldn’t help.
Public safety may be your highest priority after getting flooded. But the owners of undeveloped property upstream may be lobbying in Austin for their right to develop their property as they see fit. And they sure don’t want downstream residents spoiling their fishing experience on Lake Conroe.
Flooding is like the death of a 1,000 cuts. In most cases, watersheds are far larger than the jurisdictions that control them. So, no one group is responsible for oversight of development, mining, floodplain preservation, road building, dredging, etc.
At the confluence of San Jacinto West Fork and Spring Creek, a developer is trying to build up to 7,000 homes in one of the most flood-prone areas in the Houston region. One of the area’s leading hydrologists has said that the development would be like aiming a fire hose at the Humble/Kingwood area.
But after a flood, it takes forever to line up all those dominoes. Witness the paucity of flood-mitigation progress made in the last 3333 days. And the difficulty State Rep. Dennis Paul has had passing legislation to create a river-basin-wide flood-control district.
Money Has a Short Memory
People and money have short memories and few flood victims understand flooding statistics.
Almost 10 years after a flood, people need to get on with their lives. Kitchen layouts may count for more in a home-buying decision than the depth of flooding experienced years ago in a record storm.
So they rationalize. “That was an extreme event,” they say. “What are the chances of it happening again?” Well, a 100-year flood has a 1% chance of happening EVERY year. And indeed, between 2015 and 2019, the Houston area experienced five 100-year-plus floods in five years. And three of the events were non-tropical in origin.
Leadership Matters
Elect leaders who will enforce fair and sensible regulation that protects property rights and flood victims alike. There’s not enough money or willpower in the world to fix all the flooding problems caused by bad decisions in the past.
Also see how many key department head positions they’ve filled with unqualified political supporters.
The mid-term election is just weeks away. Make sure the people we elect:
Have not forgotten
Share your priorities
Understand that floodplains are a shifting target
Will work to prepare your community for the next big flood.
It WILL come.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/14/26
3333 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Ryko-Floodplains-Streams.jpg?fit=1100%2C723&ssl=17231100adminadmin2026-10-14 19:30:132026-10-14 19:30:14What We Should Have Learned About Flooding in the Last 3333 Days
10/13/6 – Harris County Commissioners will consider 44 items on their 10/15/26 agenda this week from the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD). In addition to several routine easements, property acquisitions and settlements, commissioners will consider more than $30 million of flood-control contracts and $75 million of grants from the Texas Water Development Board.
CDBG Grants
However, the most lively discussion will likely be around the Community Development Block Grant Programs for Disaster Recover and Mitigation (CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT), for which HCFCD recently received a one-year extension. Without the extension, the county faced the imminent loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in CDBG funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Texas General Land Office.
With just five months left before the 2/28/27 deadline, only two of seven subdivision drainage projects totaling $112.5 million were completed and only two-thirds of the money had been expended. And of 30 other CDBG-DR and MIT projects backed by grants totaling $850 million, only $69.8 million had been expended – 8% of the total.
But the county needed to spend at least $322 million of the $850 million before 2/28/27. So…
With roughly 90% of the allotted time expired, HCFCD has spent only 22% of the $322 million.
Calculation based on HCFCD spreadsheet
Little wonder that the previous executive director of HCFCD resigned under pressure in June despite Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia’s defense of her performance.
According to the agenda, new management at HCFCD has been working with the GLO “on potential approaches to maximize the benefits county entities can deliver utilizing the grant funds,” so commissioners can take “potential action on a path forward for the programs.”
We should learn more on Thursday about exactly what that means. The GLO says it is looking forward to seeing a comprehensive plan. In other news…
Contract Approvals
HCFCD is asking for contract approvals totaling approximately $31 million. They include:
$1,000,000 for VERSA Infrastructure with four additional one-year renewal terms to provide on-call construction engineering and inspection services
$1,000,000 for Aguirre & Fields, LP with four additional one-year renewal terms to provide on-call construction engineering and inspection services
Reimbursement to MUD #276 for mowing for the next five years in the Addicks Reservoir Watershed under an Interlocal Agreement ($41,130.45/year)
Mowing reimbursement to MUD #439 for the next five years in the Halls Bayou Watershed ($41,964.45/year)
$393,210 one-year joint-funding agreement with the U.S. Department of the Interior/U.S. Geological Survey to research surface water resources and provide technical assistance
Amendment to staff augmentation and geotechnical services agreement with Aviles Engineering ($200,000)
Amendment to agreement with HR Green to provide design, bidding, and construction-phase engineering services for a detention basin in the Sims Bayou Watershed
Change in Contract #2 with Environmental Allies Inc. for the Brookglen Stormwater Detention Basin (Phase 2) in the Armand Bayou Watershed
Extending contract #7 with Allgood Construction for 32 days for the excavation of the Inwood Forest Stormwater Detention Basin in the White Oak Bayou Watershed
$6,186,800 low-bid contract with Ceballos Construction for channel repairs in Vince Bayou, Armand Bayou, San Jacinto/Galveston Bay, Clear Creek and Brays Bayou watersheds for one year with four one-year renewal options
$192,000 one-year contract with SiteOne Landscape Supply to supply wildflower seeds with four one-year extensions (only bid)
With Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. for professional engineering services/program management for the Clear Creek Federal Flood Risk Management Program on basis of highest overall evaluation
$429,619 one-year renewal with ArborTrue for hazardous tree and tree limb removal
$3,500,000 one-year renewal with A. Morfin Trucking for concrete-channel-lining repairs
$977,450 with Outreach Strategists for community-income surveys and evaluation for mitigation projects
$281,250 one-year renewal for CSI Consolidated for de-silting outfalls and storm sewer systems
$2,036,970 with HR Green for professional engineering/support services for the Helms Stormwater Detention Basin and conveyance improvements
$7,263 for additional ClayHr services
One-year Disaster Recovery Renewal Options with:
GrantWorks for $4,000,000
Tetra Tech for $4,000,000
Stuart Consulting for $7,000,000.
Grant-Agreement Approvals
HCFCD is asking for approval of eight grants from the Texas Water Development Board totaling $75 million that were approved by the Texas Legislature in the last session. They include:
$5,000,000 for Kingwood Diversion Ditch Improvements in the San Jacinto River Watershed
$6,500,000 for the West Little York Stormwater Detention Basin in the Addicks Reservoir Watershed
$22,500,000 for repairs along Cypress Creek adjacent to the Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve
$2,500,000 for the Halls Aldine Westfield South Stormwater Detention Basin and Channel Conveyance Improvements in the Halls Bayou Watershed
$10,000,000 for the South Mayde Creek Bypass Channel in the Addicks Reservoir
$11,000,000 for the Cloverleaf Area Drainage Improvements in the Carpenters Bayou Watershed
$15,000,000 for the Helms Stormwater Detention Basin and Channel Conveyance Improvements in the Halls Bayou Watershed
$2,500,000 for channel modification and stormwater detention basins in the Greens Bayou mid-reach area.
Transmittals
HCFCD sent a number of reports to commissioners, including:
Two certificates of substantial completion with:
RES Environmental for floating islands at a detention basin in the Clear Creek Watershed
Texas Dewatering for the Addicks and Barker Reservoir Watersheds Package 2
12-month procurement outlook as of Q3 2026, reflecting both Invitations to Bid and Requests for Proposals/Qualifications
Harris County Community Flood Resilience Task Force annual report
Projects scheduled for advertisement to bid for:
Mowing and maintenance for the East, Northeast, West and Central Regions (separately)
Friendswood Regional stormwater detention basin
Watershed repairs to channels in the Spring Creek, Cypress Creek, Little Cypress Creek, Barker Reservoir, Addicks Reservoir, and Willow Creek watersheds
Installation of Aerating Fountains at Hill at Sims Park.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/KingwoodGreens-e1551452236612.jpg?fit=1500%2C1038&ssl=110381500adminadmin2026-10-13 15:20:562026-10-13 15:20:57Harris County Commissioners To Consider 44 Flood Control Items Thursday
Harris County Could Lose $113 Million in CDBG Funds Despite 1-Year Extension
10/19/26 – Update includes several changes to text to clarify origin and status of $113 million. See GLO clarification at bottom of post.
10/16/26 – GLO Commissioner Dawn Buckingham says she is moving $133 Million of Community Development Block Grant funds for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) designated for Harris County to another county. [GLO disputes this. See clarification below.]
Here’s how the story unfolded.
Garcia Pulls CDBG Update from Commissioners Court Agenda
Agenda Item 93 for the 10/15/26 Harris County Commissioners Court Meeting concerned an update on $322 million of HUD CDBG-DR funds that were at risk because of an imminent 2/28/27 deadline.
Two weeks ago, a one-year extension from the Texas General Land Office (GLO) gave Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) more breathing room. However, it was not clear whether HCFCD could expend all the money … even with the extension.
But yesterday, before Marcus Stuckett, the new executive director of HCFCD, could answer that question, Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia pulled Item 93 from the agenda. It will now be considered on November 12 – AFTER the upcoming election. Hmmmm. That made me curious!
No one with Harris County or HCFCD could or would tell me why it was pulled from the agenda. And the County refused my Public Information Request for Stuckett’s presentation … within minutes. They said the presentation didn’t exist. Never a good sign! See below.
So, I sent my request for information to the GLO. They immediately supplied two letters that explain what happened and what will happen.
Letter #1: Stuckett Request to GLO
On 10/2/26, Stuckett sent a letter to GLO Deputy Director Heather Lagrone. In it, he thanks the GLO for the one year extension, and says that it will give HCFCD time to finish the CDBG-DR projects.
But he also explains that $113 million of the $322 million – more than a third of the total – will not be expended before the extended deadline. The reason: Actual project bids compiled under his predecessor came in lower than initial estimates used for grant applications. Stuckett also references “scope changes” as a reason for the lower-than-expected billing.
To make up the $113 million, Stuckett proposed shifting several Subdivision Drainage Projects and/or CDBG-Mitigation Projects to the CDBG-DR budget. Some were already completed.
Letter #2: GLO Reply to Stuckett
GLO Commissioner Dawn Buckingham replied to Stuckett in a terse, three-paragraph letter dated 10/14/26.
The first paragraph says she is pleased that the extension will give HCFCD time to complete the CDBG-DR projects.
But Paragraph #2 says “Harris County” failed to provide information that it promised “months ago” about swapping projects from the MIT category to DR – a proposal initiated by Stuckett’s predecessor, Dr. Tina Petersen. Stuckett has been in his new job for only about three months.
In addition to the vague timing reference, the generic “Harris County” reference also stood out. Harris County Housing & Community Development and Harris County Engineering also manage CDBG grants. Buckingham did not specify whether HCFCD, one of the others, or all of the above failed to comply.
Paragraph #3 explains that Buckingham will reallocate the Harris County funds to another county because she fears Harris County will eventually fail to complete the projects. [GLO disputes this. See clarification below.]
Buckingham does not acknowledge that several of the projects that Stuckett proposed moving from MIT to DR were already completed.
One thing is clear, however. Harris County will lose $113 million of flood mitigation funds … at a time when Harris County just raised taxes by a record amount.
How We Got Here
It’s important to remember that we would not even be in this position if it weren’t for Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia. He pushed to remove exceptional HCFCD leaders who sold the 2018 Flood Bond and were delivering projects at a record pace through 2022. After pushing those leaders out, he replaced them with an inexperienced, unqualified leader he could control.
As her performance slipped, Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey warned other commissioners and the county judge. But Garcia kept defending her poor performance.
And boom. Here we are today. $113 million. Gone. Precinct 2 residents should remember that when early voting starts.
To read the full text of Stuckett’s letter to the GLO, click here.
And to read the full text of the GLO’s response to Stuckett, click here.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/16/2026
3335 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.
GLO Clarification
We would like to clarify Commissioner Buckingham’s intent with regards to the $322 million in CDBG-DR funding currently being administered by HCFCD.
In your story you state, “GLO Commissioner Dawn Buckingham says she is moving $113 Million of Community Development Block Grant funds for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) designated for Harris County to another county.” That is not accurate. Commissioner Buckingham has not identified any amount of funding to be removed from the $322 million in CDBG-DR (disaster recovery funding) that she secured for Harris County projects. All Commissioner Buckingham has said specifically relating to reducing the funding was in her 9/28/2026 letter to Judge Hidalgo in which she states, “But in this contract, failure to meet each benchmark will result in the unused balance being reclaimed and reallocated to other shovel-ready projects not managed by HCFCD.”
To be very clear, Commissioner Buckingham’s intention since taking office has been for this funding to benefit Harris County area residents. Who administers the funding and for what projects has rested with Harris County for more than 3.5 years. HCFCD has the contract, but the Harris County Commissioners Court has had authority over HCFCD the whole time.
The $113 million figure has only been mentioned by HCFCD Executive Director Marcus Stuckett. In his letter to the GLO, Mr. Stuckett stated that HCFCD “now anticipates approximately $113 million in CDBG-DR funds will remain unallocated.” HCFCD has not provided any data or documentation to support that figure or claim. The only basis for the $113 million amount is his mention of it. In fact, Mr. Stuckett’s team has failed to provide the specific documentation the GLO has requested to properly identify the current status of the budget or plans for how to spend the remaining allocations. In the past six months, HCFCD has only provided vague ideas and undefined concepts. That is not how the HUD funding process works. Subrecipients cannot piecemeal projects and Frankenstein together proposals. HUD demands specifics about complete projects that result in a defined benefit to a defined population by a defined deadline.
As we discussed, the GLO has an obligation to ensure the entirety of the $5.676 billion entrusted to the State of Texas specifically for Hurricane Harvey disaster recovery is expended in full compliance with federal regulations and within HUD’s mandatory deadlines for the full grant process. Who administers the funding and for what projects continues to be adjusted based on what can be accomplished within the deadline.
Since taking office in 2023, Commissioner Buckingham has taken every action within her authority to ensure funding is provided to benefit Harris County residents. Harris County promised “shovel ready” projects and the GLO has continued to provide technical support to facilitate federal compliance in effectively administering the funds.
Commissioner Buckingham’s intent continues to be for the full $322 million to be spent on projects to benefit the people who call Harris County home. However, if HCFCD cannot complete promised projects that can benefit residents within HUD’s mandatory process before the federal deadline, we may have to find alternative means to spend the money before time runs out. It won’t automatically go to projects outside of Harris County, but there are countless federally eligible projects in need of funding, and the clock is running out.
Emailed on October 18, 2026, by Brittany Eck, GLO Director of Communications for Disaster Recovery
What We Should Have Learned About Flooding in the Last 3333 Days
Today is a repeating digit day: 3333 Days since Hurricane Harvey. So, this seems like an opportunity to look back at what we have learned about flooding and flood mitigation in that time. Or at least should have learned.
I’ve published 3199 posts containing 2.2 million words since then – the equivalent of 27 novels … about flooding. One every four months.
Even the most dedicated readers find that daunting. So, I’m trying to organize what I have learned into a book. You can find the outline on my Lessons page. But even that is daunting. So, let me boil the lessons down even further – into five key takeaways.
Carry Flood Insurance/Be Prepared
During Harvey, 64% of homes flooded in Harris County did not carry flood insurance.
In Southeast Texas, flooding can happen suddenly … anywhere. You need to be prepared. That includes carrying flood insurance. Don’t expect the government to make you whole after a flood. Aid is limited. Applications are laborious. Competition for limited funds is stiff.
And the documents you need to apply for government aid, i.e., real-estate titles, may have been destroyed in the flood. Digitize your important documents, encrypt them, and store them online so that they are always accessible, even if your safety deposit box floods.
And remember that while homeowner’s insurance may cover water damage, it almost never covers damage from rising floodwaters. Read your policies carefully.
Understand that Floodplains are a Shifting Target
Floodplains tend to expand for a variety of reasons having mostly to do with insufficiently mitigated upstream development and our inability to predict exactly how much rain might fall in an extreme event.
The safety of your family and home depends on your distance from and elevation above floodwaters. So when purchasing a home, select one far from flooding sources – farther than the flood surveys say you need. Give yourself a generous safety margin. And then double it.
Floodplain maps will change over time and you could find floodwaters lapping at your foundation before you pay off your mortgage. When I bought my house 30 years before Harvey, I was more than a mile from the nearest floodplain. Now the floodplain comes halfway up my property – to exactly where the water stopped during Harvey.
Not Everyone Shares Your Priorities
It’s far easier to prevent flooding than fix it after the need becomes apparent. Here we are 3333 days since Hurricane Harvey. And we’re still mired in engineering studies, grant applications, fund raising, political tug-of-wars over who should get help first, consensus building, and trying to align political jurisdictions with different interests.
Not everyone places a high priority on flood mitigation. In the controversy over Lake Conroe lowering and pre-release for instance, the Lake Conroe Association commissioned an engineering study that radically underestimated the extent of Lake Houston Area flooding to support the desired conclusion that lake lowering wouldn’t help.
Public safety may be your highest priority after getting flooded. But the owners of undeveloped property upstream may be lobbying in Austin for their right to develop their property as they see fit. And they sure don’t want downstream residents spoiling their fishing experience on Lake Conroe.
Flooding is like the death of a 1,000 cuts. In most cases, watersheds are far larger than the jurisdictions that control them. So, no one group is responsible for oversight of development, mining, floodplain preservation, road building, dredging, etc.
But after a flood, it takes forever to line up all those dominoes. Witness the paucity of flood-mitigation progress made in the last 3333 days. And the difficulty State Rep. Dennis Paul has had passing legislation to create a river-basin-wide flood-control district.
Money Has a Short Memory
People and money have short memories and few flood victims understand flooding statistics.
Almost 10 years after a flood, people need to get on with their lives. Kitchen layouts may count for more in a home-buying decision than the depth of flooding experienced years ago in a record storm.
So they rationalize. “That was an extreme event,” they say. “What are the chances of it happening again?” Well, a 100-year flood has a 1% chance of happening EVERY year. And indeed, between 2015 and 2019, the Houston area experienced five 100-year-plus floods in five years. And three of the events were non-tropical in origin.
Leadership Matters
Elect leaders who will enforce fair and sensible regulation that protects property rights and flood victims alike. There’s not enough money or willpower in the world to fix all the flooding problems caused by bad decisions in the past.
In that regard, before you cast your vote, see how many Freedom-of-Information Act Requests an incumbent’s office has denied. Public information belongs to you, not bureaucrats.
Also see how many key department head positions they’ve filled with unqualified political supporters.
The mid-term election is just weeks away. Make sure the people we elect:
It WILL come.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/14/26
3333 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Harris County Commissioners To Consider 44 Flood Control Items Thursday
10/13/6 – Harris County Commissioners will consider 44 items on their 10/15/26 agenda this week from the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD). In addition to several routine easements, property acquisitions and settlements, commissioners will consider more than $30 million of flood-control contracts and $75 million of grants from the Texas Water Development Board.
CDBG Grants
However, the most lively discussion will likely be around the Community Development Block Grant Programs for Disaster Recover and Mitigation (CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT), for which HCFCD recently received a one-year extension. Without the extension, the county faced the imminent loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in CDBG funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Texas General Land Office.
A related spreadsheet, dated 9/15/26 (a month ago – and just days before the extension), shows how much the County stood to lose.
With just five months left before the 2/28/27 deadline, only two of seven subdivision drainage projects totaling $112.5 million were completed and only two-thirds of the money had been expended. And of 30 other CDBG-DR and MIT projects backed by grants totaling $850 million, only $69.8 million had been expended – 8% of the total.
But the county needed to spend at least $322 million of the $850 million before 2/28/27. So…
Little wonder that the previous executive director of HCFCD resigned under pressure in June despite Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia’s defense of her performance.
According to the agenda, new management at HCFCD has been working with the GLO “on potential approaches to maximize the benefits county entities can deliver utilizing the grant funds,” so commissioners can take “potential action on a path forward for the programs.”
We should learn more on Thursday about exactly what that means. The GLO says it is looking forward to seeing a comprehensive plan. In other news…
Contract Approvals
HCFCD is asking for contract approvals totaling approximately $31 million. They include:
Grant-Agreement Approvals
HCFCD is asking for approval of eight grants from the Texas Water Development Board totaling $75 million that were approved by the Texas Legislature in the last session. They include:
Transmittals
HCFCD sent a number of reports to commissioners, including:
The meeting on Thursday will start at 9AM. To watch it live, click here.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/13/26
3332 Days since Hurricane Harvey