12/30/25 – Part III of the top flood-related stories of 2025 concerns a slowdown in flood-mitigation activity at Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) and how it is already becoming an issue in the election of a new Harris County Judge. Let’s look at the slowdown part first.
Spending Drops for Fifth Year
The graph below illustrates the slowdown.
HCFCD 2018 Bond spending through Q3 2025. Approximately 60% of bond/partner funds remain unspent 8.5 years after Harvey. The bond was originally sold as a 10-year program.
That slowdown means people live with higher flood risk than necessary.
Potential Loss of $322 Million in Partner Funding At Stake
The slowdown also puts 11 grants totaling $322 million at risk.
That’s the total of Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) to Harris County from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Texas General Land Office (GLO) administers those grants for HUD.
All have a firm deadline of 2/28/2027, according to the GLO. But most have not even been advertised for bids yet and won’t be until the first quarter of next year.
CDBG-DRprojects highlighted in red have not yet been bid or bids have not yet been awarded.All must be completed by 2/28/27.
Only one CDBG-DR project so far is in construction: Arbor Oaks. Brookglen bidding has closed. Three others are still in bidding: Lauder, Greens Mid-Reach, and Keegans. Others highlighted above haven’t even started bidding yet.
It typically takes three to four months from advertising a project for bids until a winner is selected, Commissioners Court approves the award, contracts are signed and a notice to proceed is issued. That leaves less than a year for construction on most of these projects. And many could take longer than a year to build, if history is any guide.
T.C. Jester Project Illustrates Problem
For instance, HCFCD has issued a press release saying that construction of the T.C. Jester East Basin (partially funded by CDBG-DR dollars) will not finish until Q4 of 2028. HCFCD finished the preliminary engineering review in 2021.
T.C. Jester project area on Cypress Creek. The small basin (r) will expand to cover most of the forested area in center.
It’s all part of a bigger story about the slowdown and complacency. Collectively…
“We have lost the sense of urgency that once fueled our flood mitigation crusade after Hurricane Harvey.”
Bob Rehak
According to an HCFCD press release, $20 million HUD CDBG-DR dollars are at risk for one of the three detention basin compartments that will be built on the site above. But the project also involves funding from other sources. State Rep Sam Harless secured $12 million for the project through the Texas Water Development Board.
If the HUD funding falls through, what will happen to the state money? There likely wouldn’t be enough money to complete the project.
Two additional stormwater detention basin compartments on the east side of TC Jester have longer deadlines, but are scheduled to finish earlier in 2028 – ten years after the flood bond and eleven years after Harvey! They involve funding from FEMA (via Congressman Dan Crenshaw).
Any time you get two departments of the federal government (each with their own rules), the state government (with its own rules), and county government (with its rules), things get complicated. And the current leadership in Harris County has added bureaucracy that has contributed to the slowdown.
Lancton Makes Slowdown an Election Issue
The potential loss of funding has already become a campaign issue in the Harris County Judge election year.
Candidate Marty Lancton, now endorsed by Governor Abbott, has jumped on it. He issued this statement.
“The implementation of CDBG funds has taken an unacceptably long amount of time. As County Judge, I will ensure that every Harris County department is thoroughly evaluated to identify and implement process improvements. The Harris County Flood Control District will be among the first departments reviewed.”
Lancton continued, “In developing the current funding priorities, three commissioners and the current County Judge established a project list that did not adequately prioritize initiatives with the greatest potential impact, nor did it sufficiently account for whether projects could realistically be completed within the required timelines.
“As County Judge, I will ensure that taxpayer dollars are invested responsibly and that funding priorities are established based on effectiveness, feasibility, and measurable benefit to Harris County residents. Finally, I will work closely with HUD and the Texas General Land Office to improve coordination and accelerate the implementation of projects that protect and serve the people of Harris County.”
Lancton is a long time leader of first responders and is extremely aware of flood risk.
In major storms, Cypress Creek is usually one of the hardest hit areas in the County. For people who live in that area as well as downstream areas, such as Lake Houston, flood-risk reduction can’t come fast enough.
In the last 125 years, we’ve been hit with major floods 48 times. We were lucky this year. But it’s only a matter of time before one strikes again. We must be prepared.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/30/2025
3045 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/HCFCD-spending-through-Q3-2025-e1762554426251.png?fit=1100%2C430&ssl=14301100adminadmin2025-12-30 14:50:412025-12-30 19:59:44Top Flood-Related Stories of 2025: Part III – Mitigation Slowdown Becomes Election Issue
12/28/2025 – This is the second part of a three part series on the top flood-related stories of 2025. Part I covered the major disasters of the year. Part II will cover the government response in terms of regulations and funding for flood mitigation efforts. And Part III will cover the progress of mitigation.
Government Response to Camp Mystic/Guadalupe Tragedy
Hearings on the Camp Mystic disaster last July identified a failure of warning signs (weather reports, alarm systems, etc.) as one of the primary causes. Investigations also discovered that the camp’s operators lobbied for changes to flood maps so that they could build in floodplains. And then they evidently expanded the camp before regulators became aware. Finally, evacuation plans were evidently not well communicated or understood.
In response, the Texas Legislature passed the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act (a reference to the number of young girls who died at Camp Mystic). The act bars camp cabins in high risk areas. It also requires camps to have state-approved emergency plans, regular evacuation drills and disaster alert systems.
Lawmakers approved nearly $300 million “to boost flood preparedness, including $200 million to match federal disaster aid, $50 million for local grants to purchase flood warning equipment and $28 million to improve weather forecasting.” A companion bill also expanded government oversight of youth camps.
It also canceled the fiscal year 2024 notice of funding opportunity (NOFO), involving $750 million for grants.
BRIC was FEMA’s largest pre-disaster mitigation program. Congress established it through the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018. Its purpose: to fundamentally shift federal-disaster spending from post-disaster recovery to pre-disaster risk reduction. In other words, to encourage a shift from “Repair” to “Resilience.”
BRIC aimed to prevent disasters by helping communities build to higher standards. Flood-risk reduction grants typically helped finance projects such as:
Elevation or floodproofing of critical facilities (hospitals, EOCs, fire stations)
A press release that accompanied the cancellation of the BRIC program called it a “wasteful, politicized grant program.” However, investments in hazard mitigation programs are the opposite of “wasteful,” according to the Association of State Flood Plain Managers. They point to studies showing flood-hazard mitigation investments return up to $8 in benefits for every $1 spent.
States sued to prevent the cancellation. The lawsuits are still locked up in courts.
Prevention is always cheaper than correction. After Harvey, a Harris County engineering study found 20 times less damage in subdivisions using newer, more stringent building codes compared to those built under older codes.
FEMA Slowdown
Meanwhile, approvals for other types of FEMA grants have slowed. According to The Hill, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Christy Noem has adopted a policy of personally approving all major expenditures that cost $100,000 or more. The Hill article reported $900 million in grants and loans reportedly awaiting Noem’s review.
Separately, in other FEMA news, according to the Washington Post, hundreds of residents signed up for FEMA buyouts after Cat 4 Hurricane Helene devastated the southeast in 2024. Not one has yet been approved.
HUD/GLO Finish Rebuilding Program
On a more positive note, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) administers U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) flood-mitigation/disaster-relief programs in Texas. The GLO recently announced completion of the rebuilding of more than 9600 homes across the state under its Homeowner Assistance Program (HAP). That total includes mostly homes from its Hurricane Harvey disaster recovery mission. But it also includes homes impacted by Imelda, Laura, and repetitive flooding events in the Rio Grande Valley.
GLO poster celebrating program completion.
Status of Other GLO/HUD Programs
The GLO continued advancing long-term recovery and resilience by administering more than $1 billion in Community Development Block Grant for Disaster Recovery and Mitigation Projects. Additionally, HUD approved the GLO’s plan for $555 million to help communities impacted by 2024 Disasters.
The GLO completed reviews and approvals of all remaining project applications under the Regional Mitigation Program (RMP), providing funding for critical infrastructure improvements including drainage systems and flood-prevention measures. In total, the GLO has approved more than 200 RMP projects for more than $1.1 billion.
The GLO also approved more than $135 million in applications through the Disaster Recovery Reallocation Program (DRRP). It utilizes unspent disaster recovery funds from older disasters to help communities with outstanding unmet needs. These investments will reduce risk related to hurricanes, tropical storms, flooding, and other hazards.
The agency also announced it will be closing applications at the end of the year for both the Local Hazard Mitigation Plans Program (LHMPP) and the Resilient Communities Program (RCP). Both are part of the GLO’s long-term strategy to help communities strengthen local planning efforts, modernize codes, and protect life and property from future disasters.
Montgomery County Updates Flood Regulations
Eight years after Harvey, Montgomery County finally adopted new subdivision, floodplain, and drainage regulations.
The county adopted its new subdivision (development) regulations on March 4, then amended them on May 27 and October 14. MoCo also issued subdivision guidelines and recommendations on November 4.
Commissioners adopted a new Drainage Criteria Manual on August 26. And new Floodplain Management Regulations became effective on October 1, 2025.
While MoCo regs don’t perfectly reflect the Minimum Drainage Standards recommended by Harris County for other counties draining into it, they are a great improvement.
Competing Forces at Work
Flood safety is a constant struggle between competing forces that increase or reduce flood risk. There are so many, the public can hardly know whether it’s winning or losing.
Just because the government appropriates money, doesn’t mean it’s enough or will be spent promptly.
Even if it is, will it actually reduce risk in the face of offsetting factors such as legislative loopholes, grandfather clauses, willful blindness, the profit motive, shifting political winds, and insufficiently mitigated upstream development?
And maybe that’s THE Top Flood-Related Story of 2025. More on that tomorrow.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/28/2025
3043 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/20230716-Screenshot-2023-07-16-at-10.29.06-AM.jpg?fit=1100%2C579&ssl=15791100adminadmin2025-12-28 20:24:522026-01-03 14:59:08Top Flood-Related Stories of 2025: Part II – Regs and Funding
12/27/25 – There was so much flood news this year that I’m splitting the Top Flood-Related Stories of 2025 up into three parts. Part I will cover the storms. Part II will cover funding and government regulations. And Part III will cover the progress of mitigation efforts.
Cyclones Ravage Indian Ocean
On the other side of the world, tropical cyclones ravaged Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand. Approximately 200,000 people died altogether. The cyclones also destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes.
Cyclone Senyar
According to Wikipedia, Cyclone Senyar caused heavy flooding and landslides across central and southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, and Sumatra, Indonesia, killing at least 1,400 people and causing US$19.8 billion in damages.
At least 1,138 deaths, more than 7,000 injuries, and 163 missing persons were reported in Indonesia.
Thailand also recorded at least 297 fatalities and 102 injuries, including 229 deaths, although local sources claim a much higher figure. Malaysia reported 3 deaths. Senyar is listed as one of the deadliest tropical cyclones in this century.
Cyclone Ditwah
Around the same time, Cyclone Ditwah, dumped heavy rains on Sri Lanka off the southeastern coast of India. The storm caused heavy flooding and landslides that killed more than 600 people and caused more than US$1.6 billion dollars of damage.
For example, the country’s National Building Research Organisation, for years, produced detailed landslide-hazard maps identifying unstable terrain. Yet many of the landslides triggered by the cyclone occurred squarely within long-designated high-risk zones.
“When a mapped hazard zone collapses, it is not just a natural disaster—it is also a governance failure,” says Rohan Cooray, an disaster-risk management specialist.
“The maps are clear. But land approvals and construction often proceed as though these risks do not exist.”
Rohan Cooray
No Hurricanes Strike U.S. Coastline
While a hurricane-free U.S. season is uncommon, it’s not rare. It happens about once every 4-5 years on average. Recent examples include 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015, and 2025, thanks to storms often turning away from the coast.
2025 Named-Storm Tracks
The 2025 season saw no hurricane landfalls on mainland U.S. soil. Many powerful storms formed, but recurved out to sea.
That doesn’t mean the season had no threats. Three Category 5 hurricanes formed, the second-most on record in the Atlantic basin. The only other season that saw more was 2005 with four.
Guadalupe Tragedy
In Texas, by far the worst flooding tragedy this year was on the Guadalupe River in the Hill Country. The July 2025 tragedy on the Guadalupe was caused by:
The remnants of an extremely slow moving, moisture-rich storm system (remnants of Tropical Storm Barry) stalling over the region.
It dumped more than 20 inches of rain in places onto soil that couldn’t absorb it.
Peak rainfall reached 2-3 inches per hour.
The massive influx of water where the north and south forks of the Guadalupe converge caused the river to rise 29 feet in 45 minutes near Hunt, TX.
This sent a “pitch black wall of death” rushing through areas like Camp Mystic, causing 27 deaths and disappearances.
Kerr County did not have a dedicated flood warning system, despite prior proposals from local officials citing the area’s high flood risk.
The highest death toll occurred at Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ summer camp. It was in a special flood hazard area. However, following various appeals by the camp, several buildings were removed from the hazard area, as the camp continued to operate and expanded in and around the flood plain.
Flood zones near Camp Mystic. Cross-hatched = floodway, aqua = 100-year floodplain, brown = 500-year.
States throughout the midwest and Gulf Coast deployed search and rescue teams to assist. Altogether, 137 people died (the count as of September 24, 2025).
The tragedy spurred the 2025 Texas Legislature to pass urgent camp safety reforms, including House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 1 (Heaven’s 27 Act), mandating stricter emergency plans, improved warning systems, and prohibiting cabins in floodplains, signed into law by Governor Abbott to prevent future disasters.
Victim’s families testified that the tragedy was preventable, highlighting failures in planning and complacency regarding flood risk.
Top Flood-Related Stories of 2025 Illustrate Lessons of History
Together, these stories illustrate how tragedies happen. They usually come down to a lack of preparation. Best-case scenarios lull people into a false sense of security. So, they aren’t ready for the worst-case when it happens.
We see this over and over again. After the Harvey tragedy, people demanded change to floodplain regulations and building codes and voted to tax themselves billions for flood mitigation. But as years slipped by, our collective sense of urgency waned.
But more on that in the next two parts of this series.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/27/25
3042 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/20250821-Camp-Mystic-Close-up.jpg?fit=1100%2C635&ssl=16351100adminadmin2025-12-27 16:28:202025-12-27 20:05:33Top Flood-Related Stories of 2025: Part I – The Storms
Top Flood-Related Stories of 2025: Part III – Mitigation Slowdown Becomes Election Issue
12/30/25 – Part III of the top flood-related stories of 2025 concerns a slowdown in flood-mitigation activity at Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) and how it is already becoming an issue in the election of a new Harris County Judge. Let’s look at the slowdown part first.
Spending Drops for Fifth Year
The graph below illustrates the slowdown.
That slowdown means people live with higher flood risk than necessary.
Potential Loss of $322 Million in Partner Funding At Stake
The slowdown also puts 11 grants totaling $322 million at risk.
That’s the total of Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) to Harris County from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Texas General Land Office (GLO) administers those grants for HUD.
All have a firm deadline of 2/28/2027, according to the GLO. But most have not even been advertised for bids yet and won’t be until the first quarter of next year.
Only one CDBG-DR project so far is in construction: Arbor Oaks. Brookglen bidding has closed. Three others are still in bidding: Lauder, Greens Mid-Reach, and Keegans. Others highlighted above haven’t even started bidding yet.
It typically takes three to four months from advertising a project for bids until a winner is selected, Commissioners Court approves the award, contracts are signed and a notice to proceed is issued. That leaves less than a year for construction on most of these projects. And many could take longer than a year to build, if history is any guide.
T.C. Jester Project Illustrates Problem
For instance, HCFCD has issued a press release saying that construction of the T.C. Jester East Basin (partially funded by CDBG-DR dollars) will not finish until Q4 of 2028. HCFCD finished the preliminary engineering review in 2021.
It’s all part of a bigger story about the slowdown and complacency. Collectively…
According to an HCFCD press release, $20 million HUD CDBG-DR dollars are at risk for one of the three detention basin compartments that will be built on the site above. But the project also involves funding from other sources. State Rep Sam Harless secured $12 million for the project through the Texas Water Development Board.
If the HUD funding falls through, what will happen to the state money? There likely wouldn’t be enough money to complete the project.
Two additional stormwater detention basin compartments on the east side of TC Jester have longer deadlines, but are scheduled to finish earlier in 2028 – ten years after the flood bond and eleven years after Harvey! They involve funding from FEMA (via Congressman Dan Crenshaw).
Any time you get two departments of the federal government (each with their own rules), the state government (with its own rules), and county government (with its rules), things get complicated. And the current leadership in Harris County has added bureaucracy that has contributed to the slowdown.
Lancton Makes Slowdown an Election Issue
The potential loss of funding has already become a campaign issue in the Harris County Judge election year.
Candidate Marty Lancton, now endorsed by Governor Abbott, has jumped on it. He issued this statement.
“The implementation of CDBG funds has taken an unacceptably long amount of time. As County Judge, I will ensure that every Harris County department is thoroughly evaluated to identify and implement process improvements. The Harris County Flood Control District will be among the first departments reviewed.”
Lancton continued, “In developing the current funding priorities, three commissioners and the current County Judge established a project list that did not adequately prioritize initiatives with the greatest potential impact, nor did it sufficiently account for whether projects could realistically be completed within the required timelines.
“As County Judge, I will ensure that taxpayer dollars are invested responsibly and that funding priorities are established based on effectiveness, feasibility, and measurable benefit to Harris County residents. Finally, I will work closely with HUD and the Texas General Land Office to improve coordination and accelerate the implementation of projects that protect and serve the people of Harris County.”
Lancton is a long time leader of first responders and is extremely aware of flood risk.
In major storms, Cypress Creek is usually one of the hardest hit areas in the County. For people who live in that area as well as downstream areas, such as Lake Houston, flood-risk reduction can’t come fast enough.
In the last 125 years, we’ve been hit with major floods 48 times. We were lucky this year. But it’s only a matter of time before one strikes again. We must be prepared.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/30/2025
3045 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Top Flood-Related Stories of 2025: Part II – Regs and Funding
12/28/2025 – This is the second part of a three part series on the top flood-related stories of 2025. Part I covered the major disasters of the year. Part II will cover the government response in terms of regulations and funding for flood mitigation efforts. And Part III will cover the progress of mitigation.
Government Response to Camp Mystic/Guadalupe Tragedy
Hearings on the Camp Mystic disaster last July identified a failure of warning signs (weather reports, alarm systems, etc.) as one of the primary causes. Investigations also discovered that the camp’s operators lobbied for changes to flood maps so that they could build in floodplains. And then they evidently expanded the camp before regulators became aware. Finally, evacuation plans were evidently not well communicated or understood.
In response, the Texas Legislature passed the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act (a reference to the number of young girls who died at Camp Mystic). The act bars camp cabins in high risk areas. It also requires camps to have state-approved emergency plans, regular evacuation drills and disaster alert systems.
Lawmakers approved nearly $300 million “to boost flood preparedness, including $200 million to match federal disaster aid, $50 million for local grants to purchase flood warning equipment and $28 million to improve weather forecasting.” A companion bill also expanded government oversight of youth camps.
FEMA Cancels BRIC Program
In April, FEMA announced that it is ending the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program and canceling all BRIC applications from Fiscal Years 2020-2023.
It also canceled the fiscal year 2024 notice of funding opportunity (NOFO), involving $750 million for grants.
BRIC was FEMA’s largest pre-disaster mitigation program. Congress established it through the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018. Its purpose: to fundamentally shift federal-disaster spending from post-disaster recovery to pre-disaster risk reduction. In other words, to encourage a shift from “Repair” to “Resilience.”
BRIC aimed to prevent disasters by helping communities build to higher standards. Flood-risk reduction grants typically helped finance projects such as:
A press release that accompanied the cancellation of the BRIC program called it a “wasteful, politicized grant program.” However, investments in hazard mitigation programs are the opposite of “wasteful,” according to the Association of State Flood Plain Managers. They point to studies showing flood-hazard mitigation investments return up to $8 in benefits for every $1 spent.
States sued to prevent the cancellation. The lawsuits are still locked up in courts.
Prevention is always cheaper than correction. After Harvey, a Harris County engineering study found 20 times less damage in subdivisions using newer, more stringent building codes compared to those built under older codes.
FEMA Slowdown
Meanwhile, approvals for other types of FEMA grants have slowed. According to The Hill, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Christy Noem has adopted a policy of personally approving all major expenditures that cost $100,000 or more. The Hill article reported $900 million in grants and loans reportedly awaiting Noem’s review.
Separately, in other FEMA news, according to the Washington Post, hundreds of residents signed up for FEMA buyouts after Cat 4 Hurricane Helene devastated the southeast in 2024. Not one has yet been approved.
HUD/GLO Finish Rebuilding Program
On a more positive note, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) administers U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) flood-mitigation/disaster-relief programs in Texas. The GLO recently announced completion of the rebuilding of more than 9600 homes across the state under its Homeowner Assistance Program (HAP). That total includes mostly homes from its Hurricane Harvey disaster recovery mission. But it also includes homes impacted by Imelda, Laura, and repetitive flooding events in the Rio Grande Valley.
Status of Other GLO/HUD Programs
The GLO continued advancing long-term recovery and resilience by administering more than $1 billion in Community Development Block Grant for Disaster Recovery and Mitigation Projects. Additionally, HUD approved the GLO’s plan for $555 million to help communities impacted by 2024 Disasters.
The GLO completed reviews and approvals of all remaining project applications under the Regional Mitigation Program (RMP), providing funding for critical infrastructure improvements including drainage systems and flood-prevention measures. In total, the GLO has approved more than 200 RMP projects for more than $1.1 billion.
The GLO also approved more than $135 million in applications through the Disaster Recovery Reallocation Program (DRRP). It utilizes unspent disaster recovery funds from older disasters to help communities with outstanding unmet needs. These investments will reduce risk related to hurricanes, tropical storms, flooding, and other hazards.
The agency also announced it will be closing applications at the end of the year for both the Local Hazard Mitigation Plans Program (LHMPP) and the Resilient Communities Program (RCP). Both are part of the GLO’s long-term strategy to help communities strengthen local planning efforts, modernize codes, and protect life and property from future disasters.
Montgomery County Updates Flood Regulations
Eight years after Harvey, Montgomery County finally adopted new subdivision, floodplain, and drainage regulations.
The county adopted its new subdivision (development) regulations on March 4, then amended them on May 27 and October 14. MoCo also issued subdivision guidelines and recommendations on November 4.
Commissioners adopted a new Drainage Criteria Manual on August 26. And new Floodplain Management Regulations became effective on October 1, 2025.
While MoCo regs don’t perfectly reflect the Minimum Drainage Standards recommended by Harris County for other counties draining into it, they are a great improvement.
Competing Forces at Work
Flood safety is a constant struggle between competing forces that increase or reduce flood risk. There are so many, the public can hardly know whether it’s winning or losing.
Just because the government appropriates money, doesn’t mean it’s enough or will be spent promptly.
Even if it is, will it actually reduce risk in the face of offsetting factors such as legislative loopholes, grandfather clauses, willful blindness, the profit motive, shifting political winds, and insufficiently mitigated upstream development?
And maybe that’s THE Top Flood-Related Story of 2025. More on that tomorrow.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/28/2025
3043 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Top Flood-Related Stories of 2025: Part I – The Storms
12/27/25 – There was so much flood news this year that I’m splitting the Top Flood-Related Stories of 2025 up into three parts. Part I will cover the storms. Part II will cover funding and government regulations. And Part III will cover the progress of mitigation efforts.
Cyclones Ravage Indian Ocean
On the other side of the world, tropical cyclones ravaged Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand. Approximately 200,000 people died altogether. The cyclones also destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes.
Cyclone Senyar
According to Wikipedia, Cyclone Senyar caused heavy flooding and landslides across central and southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, and Sumatra, Indonesia, killing at least 1,400 people and causing US$19.8 billion in damages.
At least 1,138 deaths, more than 7,000 injuries, and 163 missing persons were reported in Indonesia.
Thailand also recorded at least 297 fatalities and 102 injuries, including 229 deaths, although local sources claim a much higher figure. Malaysia reported 3 deaths. Senyar is listed as one of the deadliest tropical cyclones in this century.
Cyclone Ditwah
Around the same time, Cyclone Ditwah, dumped heavy rains on Sri Lanka off the southeastern coast of India. The storm caused heavy flooding and landslides that killed more than 600 people and caused more than US$1.6 billion dollars of damage.
Sri Lanka had experienced extreme weather before, but decades of ignoring scientific warnings magnified Ditwah’s impact.
For example, the country’s National Building Research Organisation, for years, produced detailed landslide-hazard maps identifying unstable terrain. Yet many of the landslides triggered by the cyclone occurred squarely within long-designated high-risk zones.
“When a mapped hazard zone collapses, it is not just a natural disaster—it is also a governance failure,” says Rohan Cooray, an disaster-risk management specialist.
No Hurricanes Strike U.S. Coastline
While a hurricane-free U.S. season is uncommon, it’s not rare. It happens about once every 4-5 years on average. Recent examples include 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015, and 2025, thanks to storms often turning away from the coast.
The 2025 season saw no hurricane landfalls on mainland U.S. soil. Many powerful storms formed, but recurved out to sea.
That doesn’t mean the season had no threats. Three Category 5 hurricanes formed, the second-most on record in the Atlantic basin. The only other season that saw more was 2005 with four.
Guadalupe Tragedy
In Texas, by far the worst flooding tragedy this year was on the Guadalupe River in the Hill Country. The July 2025 tragedy on the Guadalupe was caused by:
This sent a “pitch black wall of death” rushing through areas like Camp Mystic, causing 27 deaths and disappearances.
The flood was the deadliest inland flooding event in the United States since the 1976 Big Thompson River flood, surpassing even flooding from Hurricane Helene in 2024.
Kerr County did not have a dedicated flood warning system, despite prior proposals from local officials citing the area’s high flood risk.
The highest death toll occurred at Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ summer camp. It was in a special flood hazard area. However, following various appeals by the camp, several buildings were removed from the hazard area, as the camp continued to operate and expanded in and around the flood plain.
States throughout the midwest and Gulf Coast deployed search and rescue teams to assist. Altogether, 137 people died (the count as of September 24, 2025).
The tragedy spurred the 2025 Texas Legislature to pass urgent camp safety reforms, including House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 1 (Heaven’s 27 Act), mandating stricter emergency plans, improved warning systems, and prohibiting cabins in floodplains, signed into law by Governor Abbott to prevent future disasters.
Top Flood-Related Stories of 2025 Illustrate Lessons of History
Together, these stories illustrate how tragedies happen. They usually come down to a lack of preparation. Best-case scenarios lull people into a false sense of security. So, they aren’t ready for the worst-case when it happens.
We see this over and over again. After the Harvey tragedy, people demanded change to floodplain regulations and building codes and voted to tax themselves billions for flood mitigation. But as years slipped by, our collective sense of urgency waned.
As a result, 65,000 homes have been built in Houston-area floodplains since Harvey. This is how the cycle repeats itself.
But more on that in the next two parts of this series.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/27/25
3042 Days since Hurricane Harvey