10/7/2025 – Newly posted spending figures on the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) website for the third quarter of 2025 show a continuing slowdown in spending. Last quarter, HCFCD spending fell below where we started after the flood-bond election in 2018 … almost to a quarter of what it was at the peak under previous management.
Adjusted for 25% inflation during the period shown, the drop off is even more dramatic. Yet we have more than $3 billion waiting to be spent for flood-mitigation projects.
HCFCD explained the delays by saying it is troubleshooting and working through issues related to each of the projects on its plate. When asked for details, a HCFCD spokesperson cited environmental and Army Corps permitting as examples.
HCFCD on Track to Spend $80 Million Less This Year than Last
The first shows incremental spending since the start of the 2018 flood bond.Last period reflects nine months.The second shows that spending in 2024 totaled $246 million.And the third shows that in the first 9-months of 2025, HCFCD spent only about half ($125 million) of the 2024 total.
At the current rate, annualized 2025 would equal $167 million. That’s $80 million less than last year’s total – a third less.
Only $2.1 Billion Spent after 7 Years
This graph shows that flood-bond spending to date totals almost $2.1 billion out of the $5.2 that voters and partners have pledged.
Screen capture from Microsoft Power BI chart on HCFCD Activity page showing breakdown of spending to date.
Out of that, spending in 2025 Q3 totaled approximately $33 million
During the third quarter, HCFCD spent at a rate lower than before the bond, especially when discounting for inflation.
Importance of Speed: Inflation and Deadlines
The first graph above (spending by quarter since 2018) shows two distinct trends: one up and the other down. The difference largely coincides with a management change in 2021.
The decline in the rate of project spending continues to concern flood victims. Not only do delays expose residents to more flood risk, delays also take a toll in inflation. Partially as a result, County Commissioners have already adopted a plan that trims the flood-bond project list. In making cuts, they focused on three primary factors:
Expected benefits that didn’t materialize
Projects that failed to attract matching funds
Projects that had low equity scores.
But there’s another threat: looming deadlines from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In May 2021, GLO Commissioner George P. Bush announced that Harris County would receive $750 million.
However, the Disaster Relief grants come with a firm deadline of 2/28/27 – less than 15 months away. One former HCFCD employee told me that it typically takes 2 years to develop a detention-basin project. But another one told me HCFCD can put the pedal to the metal and do it in less time – if pushed.
The question at this point is, “Can HCFCD’s current management push hard and fast enough to get the jobs done before time runs out?” All of the HUD money is on a reimbursement basis. So, not finishing projects in time puts hundreds of millions at risk.
Of the Disaster Relief projects that have received authorization to use government funds so far, one is in construction – Arbor Oaks on White Oak Bayou.
In sharp contrast, according to the GLO, Phase II of the Brookglen Stormwater Detention Basin received authorization to use government funds in August 2024. And HCFCD anticipates advertising it for bids in November 2025.
Harris County’s purchasing database shows that, so far this year, HCFCD has only bid six capital improvement projects. Now it must bid and complete more than 30 projects in the next 2+ years to avoid losing close to a billion dollars.
Even my Weird Nephew Izzy understands that math. He called today and said, “We dug ourselves into a hole without digging many holes, Uncle Bob.” Longtime readers may remember that Nephew Izzy applied for the job of HCFCD executive director in 2021. Fortunately or unfortunately, he didn’t get the job. For Izzy’s take on all this, come back tomorrow.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/7/2025
2961 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Q3-25-Spending-e1759876554808.png?fit=1100%2C660&ssl=16601100adminadmin2025-10-07 17:58:192025-10-07 18:14:182025 Q3 HCFCD Spending Figures Show Continuing Decline
10/6/25 – Today, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) approved approximately $42 million to construct Taylor Gully Channel Conveyance Improvements and a Woodridge Stormwater Detention Basin in Kingwood.
GLO also approved six other HCFCD projects today. See below.
HUD CDBG-MITProjects approved on 10/6/25
All seven projects are part of a larger group of 34 HCFCD projects in various stages of funding approval by the GLO for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The practical difference between the two categories primarily has to do with their deadlines. DR projects face February 28, 2027 deadlines. And MIT projects have a little longer – until March 31, 2028.
That’s even more good news for the people who live near Woodridge and Taylor Gully. Some doubt whether HCFCD can complete the DR projects before their deadlines.
Welcome News for Residents Near Taylor Gully
Today’s approval will come as welcome news for those who live in Kingwood’s Elm Grove, Mills Branch, Woodstream and Sherwood Trail Villages.
Due to clearcutting and grading of the Woodridge property starting in 2017, up to 600 homes flooded twice in 2019 downstream, mostly along Taylor Gully.
Subsequently, Perry Homes built several detention basins on the Woodridge property before selling it to HCFCD and the City of Houston. Perry’s basins met pre-Atlas 14 standards. The new basin will bring detention up to and possibly beyond Atlas-14 requirements. Atlas-14 is the new set of rainfall probability statistics adopted after Hurricane Harvey.
The Woodridge portion of the project includes 421.6 acre feet of additional stormwater detention capacity (Compartment 1 in diagram above).
Other planned improvements along Taylor Gully include:
13,118 feet of channel conveyance improvements
Placing a concrete channel along the base of it
Replacing the concrete culverts at Rustling Elms with an open span bridge
Current bridge over Rustling Elms would be replaced with a clear span bridge like the one downstream.Rustling Elms Bridge over Taylor Gully before peak of May 7, 2019 flood.
Together, the channel and stormwater-retention improvements should reduce the water-surface elevation in a 100-year flood by up to five feet.
In the future, HCFCD will still have enough land to build an additional detention basin (Compartment 2) should it become necessary.
As of today, HCFCD expects to bid the project sometime in the first quarter of 2026.
For more information about the other projects, see this PDF from the GLO. GLO has not yet updated this PDF with today’s approvals. However, it does contain specific information about the projects, their size, scope, cost and approval stages that some may find useful.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/6/2025
2960 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/2019/05/Taylor-Gully-at-Peak-e1728600738227.jpg?fit=1100%2C327&ssl=13271100adminadmin2025-10-06 19:33:272025-10-07 10:12:37GLO Approves $42 Million for Taylor Gully-Woodridge Project in Kingwood
10/5/25 – A Houston Chronicle article last month by investigative reporter Yilun Cheng found that 65,000 homes were built in Houston area floodplains since Hurricane Harvey. This six-minute ABC13 interview with Cheng captures the highlights of her research.
Cheng found that builders have constructed more than 65,000 new properties in flood zones since Harvey. They spread across Harris, Montgomery, Fort Bend, Galveston and Brazoria counties.
She kept hearing from people who bought homes in brand new neighborhoods. They later realized that their property was prone to flooding. So, that made her wonder, “Is this part of a bigger pattern here?”
“Texas has no statewide flood-building code,” she said. “As a result, a patchwork of local regulations has really left large parts of the region exposed.”
Families that have moved here since Harvey may not be prioritizing flood risk when looking for new homes, she said. They get seduced by spacious floor plans and suburban lifestyles only to find out months later that their house can flood every time a big storm hits.
Some of the biggest names in the Houston-area homebuilding industry kept popping up again and again in her research. They seem to rely increasingly on flood-prone land.
“We seem to be repeating the same development patterns that made Harvey so devastating in the first place.”
She added, “Unless we change course, the devastation and the displacement are only going to get worse.”
For a transcript of her entire interview with ABC13, click here.
Putting 65,000 in Perspective
Sixty-five thousand represents almost as many homes as flooded in floodplains during Harvey in Harris County. However, keep in mind that the 65,000 homes Cheng found were spread across multiple counties. Still, that’s a large number.
Harris County Flood Control District estimates that, based on house flooding assessments, the total number of homes that flooded within Harris County was 154,170.
But 68% of those were outside the FEMA 1% or 100-year floodplain. That alone should raise eyebrows about homes being built inside the region’s floodplains. Of the 154,170 Harris County homes flooded, 48,850 were within the 1% (100-yr) floodplain and 34,970 within the .2% (500-yr) floodplain. Total: 83,820.
So since Harvey, we’ve built almost as many homes in the region’s floodplains as flooded in Harris County floodplains.
And keep in mind, that FEMA has not yet issued new flood maps since Harvey. And when they do, floodplains should expand by 50% to 100%.
The lesson? Even Harvey didn’t teach us any lessons.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/5/2025 based on an investigation by Yilun Cheng
2959 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Yilun-Cheng-Interview-about-Homes-Built-in-Floodplains.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2025-10-05 20:29:262025-10-05 20:32:52Investigation Finds 65,000 Homes Built in Region’s Floodplains Since Harvey
2025 Q3 HCFCD Spending Figures Show Continuing Decline
10/7/2025 – Newly posted spending figures on the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) website for the third quarter of 2025 show a continuing slowdown in spending. Last quarter, HCFCD spending fell below where we started after the flood-bond election in 2018 … almost to a quarter of what it was at the peak under previous management.
Adjusted for 25% inflation during the period shown, the drop off is even more dramatic. Yet we have more than $3 billion waiting to be spent for flood-mitigation projects.
HCFCD explained the delays by saying it is troubleshooting and working through issues related to each of the projects on its plate. When asked for details, a HCFCD spokesperson cited environmental and Army Corps permitting as examples.
HCFCD on Track to Spend $80 Million Less This Year than Last
These three screen captures from the HCFCD Activity page show the slowdown.
At the current rate, annualized 2025 would equal $167 million. That’s $80 million less than last year’s total – a third less.
Only $2.1 Billion Spent after 7 Years
This graph shows that flood-bond spending to date totals almost $2.1 billion out of the $5.2 that voters and partners have pledged.
Out of that, spending in 2025 Q3 totaled approximately $33 million
Importance of Speed: Inflation and Deadlines
The first graph above (spending by quarter since 2018) shows two distinct trends: one up and the other down. The difference largely coincides with a management change in 2021.
But HCFCD has more than $3 billion at its disposal in flood-bond and partnership funds.
The decline in the rate of project spending continues to concern flood victims. Not only do delays expose residents to more flood risk, delays also take a toll in inflation. Partially as a result, County Commissioners have already adopted a plan that trims the flood-bond project list. In making cuts, they focused on three primary factors:
But there’s another threat: looming deadlines from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In May 2021, GLO Commissioner George P. Bush announced that Harris County would receive $750 million.
Since then, the total has risen. HUD awarded HCFCD $541 million in CDBG-Mitigation grants and $322 million in CDBG-Disaster Relief Grants for a total of $863 million.
However, the Disaster Relief grants come with a firm deadline of 2/28/27 – less than 15 months away. One former HCFCD employee told me that it typically takes 2 years to develop a detention-basin project. But another one told me HCFCD can put the pedal to the metal and do it in less time – if pushed.
The question at this point is, “Can HCFCD’s current management push hard and fast enough to get the jobs done before time runs out?” All of the HUD money is on a reimbursement basis. So, not finishing projects in time puts hundreds of millions at risk.
Of the Disaster Relief projects that have received authorization to use government funds so far, one is in construction – Arbor Oaks on White Oak Bayou.
In sharp contrast, according to the GLO, Phase II of the Brookglen Stormwater Detention Basin received authorization to use government funds in August 2024. And HCFCD anticipates advertising it for bids in November 2025.
Harris County’s purchasing database shows that, so far this year, HCFCD has only bid six capital improvement projects. Now it must bid and complete more than 30 projects in the next 2+ years to avoid losing close to a billion dollars.
Even my Weird Nephew Izzy understands that math. He called today and said, “We dug ourselves into a hole without digging many holes, Uncle Bob.” Longtime readers may remember that Nephew Izzy applied for the job of HCFCD executive director in 2021. Fortunately or unfortunately, he didn’t get the job. For Izzy’s take on all this, come back tomorrow.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/7/2025
2961 Days since Hurricane Harvey
GLO Approves $42 Million for Taylor Gully-Woodridge Project in Kingwood
10/6/25 – Today, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) approved approximately $42 million to construct Taylor Gully Channel Conveyance Improvements and a Woodridge Stormwater Detention Basin in Kingwood.
Other Projects Approved on 10/6/25
GLO also approved six other HCFCD projects today. See below.
All seven projects are part of a larger group of 34 HCFCD projects in various stages of funding approval by the GLO for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The seven approved today were all Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) projects. Another category of HUD CDBG projects is Disaster Relief (abbreviated DR).
The practical difference between the two categories primarily has to do with their deadlines. DR projects face February 28, 2027 deadlines. And MIT projects have a little longer – until March 31, 2028.
That’s even more good news for the people who live near Woodridge and Taylor Gully. Some doubt whether HCFCD can complete the DR projects before their deadlines.
Welcome News for Residents Near Taylor Gully
Today’s approval will come as welcome news for those who live in Kingwood’s Elm Grove, Mills Branch, Woodstream and Sherwood Trail Villages.
Due to clearcutting and grading of the Woodridge property starting in 2017, up to 600 homes flooded twice in 2019 downstream, mostly along Taylor Gully.
Subsequently, Perry Homes built several detention basins on the Woodridge property before selling it to HCFCD and the City of Houston. Perry’s basins met pre-Atlas 14 standards. The new basin will bring detention up to and possibly beyond Atlas-14 requirements. Atlas-14 is the new set of rainfall probability statistics adopted after Hurricane Harvey.
The Woodridge portion of the project includes 421.6 acre feet of additional stormwater detention capacity (Compartment 1 in diagram above).
Other planned improvements along Taylor Gully include:
In the future, HCFCD will still have enough land to build an additional detention basin (Compartment 2) should it become necessary.
As of today, HCFCD expects to bid the project sometime in the first quarter of 2026.
For More Information
See this PowerPoint on the HCFCD website for more information about the Taylor Gully/Woodridge project.
For more information about the other projects, see this PDF from the GLO. GLO has not yet updated this PDF with today’s approvals. However, it does contain specific information about the projects, their size, scope, cost and approval stages that some may find useful.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/6/2025
2960 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.
Investigation Finds 65,000 Homes Built in Region’s Floodplains Since Harvey
10/5/25 – A Houston Chronicle article last month by investigative reporter Yilun Cheng found that 65,000 homes were built in Houston area floodplains since Hurricane Harvey. This six-minute ABC13 interview with Cheng captures the highlights of her research.
Cheng’s Key Findings
Cheng found that builders have constructed more than 65,000 new properties in flood zones since Harvey. They spread across Harris, Montgomery, Fort Bend, Galveston and Brazoria counties.
She kept hearing from people who bought homes in brand new neighborhoods. They later realized that their property was prone to flooding. So, that made her wonder, “Is this part of a bigger pattern here?”
“Texas has no statewide flood-building code,” she said. “As a result, a patchwork of local regulations has really left large parts of the region exposed.”
Families that have moved here since Harvey may not be prioritizing flood risk when looking for new homes, she said. They get seduced by spacious floor plans and suburban lifestyles only to find out months later that their house can flood every time a big storm hits.
Some of the biggest names in the Houston-area homebuilding industry kept popping up again and again in her research. They seem to rely increasingly on flood-prone land.
She added, “Unless we change course, the devastation and the displacement are only going to get worse.”
For a transcript of her entire interview with ABC13, click here.
Putting 65,000 in Perspective
Sixty-five thousand represents almost as many homes as flooded in floodplains during Harvey in Harris County. However, keep in mind that the 65,000 homes Cheng found were spread across multiple counties. Still, that’s a large number.
Harris County Flood Control District estimates that, based on house flooding assessments, the total number of homes that flooded within Harris County was 154,170.
But 68% of those were outside the FEMA 1% or 100-year floodplain. That alone should raise eyebrows about homes being built inside the region’s floodplains. Of the 154,170 Harris County homes flooded, 48,850 were within the 1% (100-yr) floodplain and 34,970 within the .2% (500-yr) floodplain. Total: 83,820.
So since Harvey, we’ve built almost as many homes in the region’s floodplains as flooded in Harris County floodplains.
And keep in mind, that FEMA has not yet issued new flood maps since Harvey. And when they do, floodplains should expand by 50% to 100%.
The lesson? Even Harvey didn’t teach us any lessons.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/5/2025 based on an investigation by Yilun Cheng
2959 Days since Hurricane Harvey