7/22/25 – State Representative Steve Toth has announced that he will run for U.S. Representative Dan Crenshaw’s seat in Congress. Yet Toth, who lives outside the District, has repeatedly voted against flood-mitigation measures vitally needed by the people inside the district that he now wants to represent.
That inspired a student, whose home flooded badly during Hurricane Harvey, to create this 2-minute, satirical video that brilliantly lampoons Toth. The student has asked to remain anonymous.
Toth voted against bills to create a Lake Houston Dredging District three times – even when language was added the third time in HB1532 that would eliminate any tax impact. He also voted against HB13 designed to improve flood-warning systems.
Crenshaw Actions on Flood Mitigation
Crenshaw, on the other hand, has worked diligently to obtain flood-mitigation funding for projects in his district. He even helped muck out flooded homes in Elm Grove after Imelda.
Among other things, Crenshaw helped obtain funding for:
Emergency West Fork Dredging by the Army Corps of Engineers
TC Jester Detention Basin
Westador Detention Basin
Taylor Gully and Woodridge Village Drainage Improvements
Additional flood gates for Lake Houston
New bridge across the Kingwood Diversion Ditch
Harris County Flood Control District Channel Improvement projects
Kingwood High School Flood Gates
Home buyouts along West Fork
Home-elevation projects
I have known Dan Crenshaw since he first ran for office and have immense respect for him. He has worked hard to protect the people of this district by securing funding for numerous flood-mitigation projects. Steve Toth, on the other hand, voted against flood-mitigation measures. That tells me he’s out of touch with the needs of people in this congressional district. I plan on voting for Crenshaw.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/22/25
2884 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/2025/07/Toth-video-keyframe.jpg?fit=1100%2C664&ssl=16641100adminadmin2025-07-22 12:59:042025-07-22 12:59:05Flood-Victim Video Brilliantly Lampoons Rep Who Consistently Votes against Flood Mitigation
7/21/25 – One remaining utility conflict in the receiving pit of a bore under UnionPacific Railroad Tracks is still forcing the Northpark expansion contractor to play hopscotch construction. This morning, crews worked all around the two bore pits but not in them or on them.
The bore is necessary to connect drainage on both sides of the tracks. And the bore must be completed before contractors can begin roadwork on top of the drainage. The pictures below, taken this morning, show where construction stands at the end of July 2025.
When complete, the Northpark expansion project will provide the first all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood. That’s important because during major flood events, such as Hurricane Harvey, Kingwood Drive can be cut off by high water. The expansion project includes a bridge over 494 and the railroad tracks, giving 78,000 a quick route to higher ground.
Bore Pits Under Tracks
This is the bore pit contractors are using to force two 5′ steel pipes under the tracks.
East of tracks in front of Self U Storage
And this is the receiving pit west of the tracks. Note the utility line bisecting the pit on a diagonal.
Receiving Pit west of tracks where junction box will eventually go.
According to Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority, all work within UPRR right of way is currently on hold pending approval of a modified work plan needed to: a) address a recommended shoring method which is b) needed to remove a “previously unknown abandoned water line in conflict with the bore alignment.”
It’s always something in construction. Meanwhile…
Northpark Eastbound from 59 to Loop 494
Work continues between 59 and Loop 494.
Note how all the old concrete has been removed in the center of the roadway. The left/south side of the road has also been cleared all the way from 59 to 494.Contractors have begun pouring concrete in front of the dry cleaners at 494 and eastbound Northpark.
Northpark Eastbound from Railroad Tracks
Farther east across the railroad tracks, clearing for surface lanes is complete and grading has begun (right of current roadway).
Looking E. A six lane bridge over the tracks will eventually be built between the concrete on the left and the graded area on the right.
Northpark Eastbound at Russell Palmer Road
Construction of the right turn lane at Russell Palmer Road is virtually complete.
Looking SE at Intersection of Russell Palmer and Northpark.Only a small, curved section of the turn-lane construction remains in front of the Mermaid Car Wash.Looking SW from Northpark and Russell Palmer. A long stretch of the eastbound lanes (left) is now virtually complete back past the entrance to Kings Mill.
Northpark Westbound by Sun Auto
Looking W. Sidewalk work has started next to the Sun Auto on the north, outbound side of Northpark.
This phase of sidewalk construction will go from Sherwin-Williams Paint to Self-U Storage next to the railroad tracks.Looking W. A new development called the Northpark Enclave on the left has finished grading and installing drainage. Meanwhile, westward expansion of the surface lanes (right) has stalled in front of Public Storage (orange) because of the bore issue.
Loop 494 Northbound
Elsewhere…
Looking N along Loop 494. Crews have finished a new northbound surface lane south of Northpark and are installing drainage before paving another.Looking S along Loop 494 opposite Slim Chickens.
Light-pole foundations on the south/eastbound side of Northpark are currently on hold due to conflicts.
Check back next month for more adventures in hopscotch construction.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/21/25
2883 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/20250721-DJI_20250721072815_0522_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2025-07-21 14:15:082025-07-21 14:20:35Utility Conflict Still Forcing Hopscotch Construction on Northpark
7/18/2025 – Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) under the county’s current Democratic leadership has not put a high priority on improving flood risk in the San Jacinto watershed. That’s despite the fact that the San Jacinto had the highest flooding in Harris County during Harvey. And almost half of the deaths due to Harvey occurred in Kingwood.
“Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is”
An analysis of spending in all Harris County watersheds shows where the focus has been to date. The table and graphs below show the county’s true priorities.
“Put your money where your mouth is” means you back up your words with action. But that is not happening with 2018 Flood Bond money. Promises made long ago have not been kept. Words do not match actions.
One caveat about the numbers below: During the initial days of the bond, HCFCD contributed money to the Army Corps to complete projects the Corps had been working on in several watersheds: Brays, Hunting, Clear Creek and White Oak. That skewed the figures below slightly.
Total and Construction Spending by Watershed To Date
The table below shows dollars budgeted to each watershed in the 2018 bond. It also shows how much has been spent in total and against construction to date. It is arranged by descending order in the “% Spent” Column. Only one watershed has gone over budget to date: Carpenters. It had three small projects. The other watersheds range from almost 90% spent to 4%.
Critical Role of Construction in Reducing Flood Risk
Preliminary engineering reviews, feasibility studies and design are absolutely necessary to document the need for a project, determine its scope, and bid it. But they don’t reduce flood risk one iota. They only talk about how to do it.
Only when someone actually starts turning dirt during construction does flood risk start to come down.
The bar graph below compares “total budgeted dollars,” “total dollars spent,” and “construction dollars spent” for each watershed in the 2018 bond.
Note the huge variation in all three columns. The blue “budgeted” bars show the most dramatic difference from high to low.
Beyond that, note how White Oak, Cypress, Greens and Brays are close to $200 million in spending to date and how all four have more than $100 million in construction spending.
Now compare that with the San Jacinto Watershed. It had the fifth largest budget. But…
The San Jacinto ranks second from the bottom both in terms of “% Spent” and “% of Construction $ Spent.”
Other Lake Houston Area watersheds such as Spring Creek, Luce Bayou and Cedar Bayou show similar disparities.
This is not an accident. The cherry-picked metrics in the Rodney Ellis’ Equity Prioritization Framework favor other watersheds and no longer even include flood risk.
Critical Role of Construction
Construction is the most critical component of spending. Historically, it comprises the largest share of a project life cycle.
Eight years after Harvey and seven after passage of the flood bond, we’ve only spent about 17% of the total budget on construction.
Beyond that, comparing individual watersheds with the Brays Bayou watershed shows tremendous disparities in construction spending.
Halls Bayou, for instance, has the highest percentage of people in the county making less than the median income for the region. It also suffered the most “damage per square mile” in five major storms (Harvey, Imelda, Tax Day, Memorial Day and Allison). See below how it compares to Brays, where Rodney Ellis lives.
Halls had far more dollars allocated than Brays, but Ellis’ formula put Halls residents at the back of the bus compared to where he lives in the Brays Bayou watershed.
Halls Bayou was budgeted to receive 55% more dollars than Brays. But it has received far less than half of Brays’ total funding to date. And far less than a quarter of Brays’ construction spending!
The San Jacinto story is similar.
The bond promised the San Jacinto watershed more than Brays. But Brays has received 4 times more total dollars and six times more construction dollars to date.
The Great Irony
We should be coming into the home stretch with this bond money. Far more than half should have been spent by now and far more construction should have been completed or in progress.
The great irony is that both total and construction spending are decreasing when they should be increasing.
I have been told by many people that capacity among construction contractors is not the issue.
From HCFCD Activity Page. Shows spending through Q2 25. Both overall and construction spending would continue to decline even if first half spending were annualized.
And despite having more than $3 billion left to spend, with only one watershed over budget to date by a tiny amount, HCFCD’s Director is talking about a $1.3 billion shortfall without providing any public explanation about her projections. And commissioners are using that as an excuse to cancel projects in watersheds that have received minuscule funding to date.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/20/2025
2882 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/2025/07/Budgeted-v-Spent-Table-e1753063622548.png?fit=1100%2C624&ssl=16241100adminadmin2025-07-20 21:13:002025-07-22 23:15:59Why You Still Live with Higher Flood Risk than Necessary
Flood-Victim Video Brilliantly Lampoons Rep Who Consistently Votes against Flood Mitigation
7/22/25 – State Representative Steve Toth has announced that he will run for U.S. Representative Dan Crenshaw’s seat in Congress. Yet Toth, who lives outside the District, has repeatedly voted against flood-mitigation measures vitally needed by the people inside the district that he now wants to represent.
That inspired a student, whose home flooded badly during Hurricane Harvey, to create this 2-minute, satirical video that brilliantly lampoons Toth. The student has asked to remain anonymous.
Toth voted against bills to create a Lake Houston Dredging District three times – even when language was added the third time in HB1532 that would eliminate any tax impact. He also voted against HB13 designed to improve flood-warning systems.
Crenshaw Actions on Flood Mitigation
Crenshaw, on the other hand, has worked diligently to obtain flood-mitigation funding for projects in his district. He even helped muck out flooded homes in Elm Grove after Imelda.
Among other things, Crenshaw helped obtain funding for:
I have known Dan Crenshaw since he first ran for office and have immense respect for him. He has worked hard to protect the people of this district by securing funding for numerous flood-mitigation projects. Steve Toth, on the other hand, voted against flood-mitigation measures. That tells me he’s out of touch with the needs of people in this congressional district. I plan on voting for Crenshaw.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/22/25
2884 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.
Utility Conflict Still Forcing Hopscotch Construction on Northpark
7/21/25 – One remaining utility conflict in the receiving pit of a bore under UnionPacific Railroad Tracks is still forcing the Northpark expansion contractor to play hopscotch construction. This morning, crews worked all around the two bore pits but not in them or on them.
The bore is necessary to connect drainage on both sides of the tracks. And the bore must be completed before contractors can begin roadwork on top of the drainage. The pictures below, taken this morning, show where construction stands at the end of July 2025.
When complete, the Northpark expansion project will provide the first all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood. That’s important because during major flood events, such as Hurricane Harvey, Kingwood Drive can be cut off by high water. The expansion project includes a bridge over 494 and the railroad tracks, giving 78,000 a quick route to higher ground.
Bore Pits Under Tracks
This is the bore pit contractors are using to force two 5′ steel pipes under the tracks.
And this is the receiving pit west of the tracks. Note the utility line bisecting the pit on a diagonal.
According to Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority, all work within UPRR right of way is currently on hold pending approval of a modified work plan needed to: a) address a recommended shoring method which is b) needed to remove a “previously unknown abandoned water line in conflict with the bore alignment.”
It’s always something in construction. Meanwhile…
Northpark Eastbound from 59 to Loop 494
Work continues between 59 and Loop 494.
Northpark Eastbound from Railroad Tracks
Farther east across the railroad tracks, clearing for surface lanes is complete and grading has begun (right of current roadway).
Northpark Eastbound at Russell Palmer Road
Construction of the right turn lane at Russell Palmer Road is virtually complete.
Northpark Westbound by Sun Auto
Looking W. Sidewalk work has started next to the Sun Auto on the north, outbound side of Northpark.
Loop 494 Northbound
Elsewhere…
Light-pole foundations on the south/eastbound side of Northpark are currently on hold due to conflicts.
Check back next month for more adventures in hopscotch construction.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/21/25
2883 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Why You Still Live with Higher Flood Risk than Necessary
7/18/2025 – Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) under the county’s current Democratic leadership has not put a high priority on improving flood risk in the San Jacinto watershed. That’s despite the fact that the San Jacinto had the highest flooding in Harris County during Harvey. And almost half of the deaths due to Harvey occurred in Kingwood.
“Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is”
An analysis of spending in all Harris County watersheds shows where the focus has been to date. The table and graphs below show the county’s true priorities.
“Put your money where your mouth is” means you back up your words with action. But that is not happening with 2018 Flood Bond money. Promises made long ago have not been kept. Words do not match actions.
One caveat about the numbers below: During the initial days of the bond, HCFCD contributed money to the Army Corps to complete projects the Corps had been working on in several watersheds: Brays, Hunting, Clear Creek and White Oak. That skewed the figures below slightly.
Total and Construction Spending by Watershed To Date
The table below shows dollars budgeted to each watershed in the 2018 bond. It also shows how much has been spent in total and against construction to date. It is arranged by descending order in the “% Spent” Column. Only one watershed has gone over budget to date: Carpenters. It had three small projects. The other watersheds range from almost 90% spent to 4%.
Critical Role of Construction in Reducing Flood Risk
Preliminary engineering reviews, feasibility studies and design are absolutely necessary to document the need for a project, determine its scope, and bid it. But they don’t reduce flood risk one iota. They only talk about how to do it.
The bar graph below compares “total budgeted dollars,” “total dollars spent,” and “construction dollars spent” for each watershed in the 2018 bond.
Note the huge variation in all three columns. The blue “budgeted” bars show the most dramatic difference from high to low.
Beyond that, note how White Oak, Cypress, Greens and Brays are close to $200 million in spending to date and how all four have more than $100 million in construction spending.
Now compare that with the San Jacinto Watershed. It had the fifth largest budget. But…
Other Lake Houston Area watersheds such as Spring Creek, Luce Bayou and Cedar Bayou show similar disparities.
This is not an accident. The cherry-picked metrics in the Rodney Ellis’ Equity Prioritization Framework favor other watersheds and no longer even include flood risk.
Critical Role of Construction
Construction is the most critical component of spending. Historically, it comprises the largest share of a project life cycle.
Eight years after Harvey and seven after passage of the flood bond, we’ve only spent about 17% of the total budget on construction.
Beyond that, comparing individual watersheds with the Brays Bayou watershed shows tremendous disparities in construction spending.
Halls Bayou, for instance, has the highest percentage of people in the county making less than the median income for the region. It also suffered the most “damage per square mile” in five major storms (Harvey, Imelda, Tax Day, Memorial Day and Allison). See below how it compares to Brays, where Rodney Ellis lives.
Halls Bayou was budgeted to receive 55% more dollars than Brays. But it has received far less than half of Brays’ total funding to date. And far less than a quarter of Brays’ construction spending!
The San Jacinto story is similar.
The bond promised the San Jacinto watershed more than Brays. But Brays has received 4 times more total dollars and six times more construction dollars to date.
The Great Irony
We should be coming into the home stretch with this bond money. Far more than half should have been spent by now and far more construction should have been completed or in progress.
The great irony is that both total and construction spending are decreasing when they should be increasing.
I have been told by many people that capacity among construction contractors is not the issue.
And despite having more than $3 billion left to spend, with only one watershed over budget to date by a tiny amount, HCFCD’s Director is talking about a $1.3 billion shortfall without providing any public explanation about her projections. And commissioners are using that as an excuse to cancel projects in watersheds that have received minuscule funding to date.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/20/2025
2882 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.