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Weird Nephew Izzy Has Fix for HCFCD Slowdown

More than four years after being awarded almost a billion dollars in HUD money for more than 30 flood mitigation and disaster recovery projects, Harris County Flood Control District has actually started building only one of the jobs. If it misses rapidly approaching deadlines, it could lose the money, a fact that has not escaped my Weird Nephew Izzy.

Izzy applied for the job of HCFCD executive director in 2021, but didn’t get it. When he stopped by yesterday, he was still a tad bitter.

Izzy Does Some Armchair Quarterbacking

“If they don’t hustle up pretty soon, Uncle Bob, we could lose all that money. They dug us into a hole without digging many holes.”

“Yes, Izzy, it appears things have slowed way down. They’re just not building those stormwater-detention basins and channel-conveyance improvements as fast as they used to.”

“I gotta get me one of dem govmint jobs. The less you do, the more you make.”

“I don’t think that’s true, Izzy. I know a lot of hard-working public servants.”

“Well, look at Flood Control, Uncle Bob.”

“What about it?”

“They’re doin’ less and less. But their executive director just got a $90,000 raise. They shoulda done hired ME for that job, Uncle Bob.”

“But Izzy, you weren’t qualified.”

“I sure could use the money, Uncle Bob. Anyway, qualifications is highly overrated. A job like that needs leadership ability.”

“I know you just got promoted to head bagger down at the Walmart, but…”

“Damn straight,” he exclaimed. “That’s because people like to work with me. My hands is always flyin’. I make everyone around me look good.”

“You are fast. I’ll give you that, Izzy.”

“And after work, I’m not afraid to tip back a few with the crew, too,” said Izzy, scratching his belly.

“I can see that.”

Lessons from Leadership School

“People gotta wanna work their hardest for ya, Uncle Bob. That’s what they done taught me in leadership school.”

“That’s very true, Izzy. But the people at Flood Control say they’re waiting on permits from other agencies like the Army Corps and EPA.”

“My point, presactly. See, I coulda introduced ’em to some dancers down at the Crystal Pistol. I woulda had those permits in a heartbeat, Uncle Bob.”

“I’m not sure that’s ethical, Izzy.”

“Why not? I’d be doing a public service for public servants. And probably savin’ taxpayers money in the long run.”

“Izzy!”

“What’s wrong, Uncle Bob?”

“It’s just not ethical.”

“You gotta understand how the game is played, Uncle Bob. I saw it all the time when I worked down at the lounge.”

Uncle Bob Sees Orange

“Enough, Izzy! It’s not legal either. You wouldn’t look good in orange.”

“OK, OK. But I’d find a way to get them permits … a legal way.”

“And what would that be?”

“Just like in school. Wait till the last minute and tell the teacher you need an extension.”

“They appear to be doing that now, Izzy. And they’ve already been told there won’t be any more extensions.”

“Welllllll then… just sayin’. Foxy Roxy flooded in Harvey, Uncle Bob. And she can be very discrete.”

“Does she have an engineering degree?”

________________

Satire by Bob Rehak on 10/8/25

2962 Days since 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.

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.

HCFCD spending by Quarter since 2018 — *From data reported by HCFCD.*

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.

*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.

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:

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.

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.

*Compartment 1 was started but paused during the application process, per HUD rules.*

*Woodridge Village Basin 1 as of May 31 2025.*

Other Projects Approved on 10/6/25

GLO also approved six other HCFCD projects today. See below.

HUD *CDBG-MIT* *Projects 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 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:

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

Rustic Elms Bridge on Taylor Gully — *Current bridge over Rustling Elms would be replaced with a clear span bridge like the one downstream.*

Taylor Gully rustling elms bridge — *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

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.

*Keyframe from Yilun Cheng interview on ABC 13 about 65,000 homes built in Houston Floodplains*

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.

“We seem to be repeating the same development patterns that made Harvey so devastating in the first place.”
Yilun Cheng, Houston Chronicle Investigative Reporter

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

Provisions of FEMA Reform Bill That Cleared House Committee

10/4/2025 – One in 3 counties across America receive federal disaster declarations each year. A big question on the minds of many in Congress and the Administration is how to deliver aid more efficiently and effectively.

The bi-partisan FEMA Reform Bill, H.R. 4669, passed out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on 9/3/25, but the full House has not yet considered the bill.

The sprawling 200+ page bill has several primary goals: cut red tape, speed up disaster assistance, and put more authority in state and local hands. But how would it do that?

The bill has two main divisions:

Division A re-constitutes FEMA as an autonomous federal entity, gives it direct line to the President, strengthens internal oversight, and ensures statutory clarity across related laws so that FEMA is directly accountable rather than filtered through DHS.
Division B is where many of the operational and programmatic changes occur, especially for Public Assistance (PA).

I asked ChatGPT to summarize the changes between current and proposed law, section by section. at the end of this post, I’ve also included a section of cross-cutting provisions and strategic shifts.

DIVISION A — Establishment of FEMA as Cabinet-Level, Independent Agency

Sec. 11: Establishment of independent agency

FEMA is currently a component agency under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The bill would remove FEMA from DHS and reconstitute it as an independent agency at the Cabinet level, reporting directly to the President.

Sec. 12: Administrator, Deputy Administrator, other officials

At the moment, the FEMA Administrator and leadership are under DHS’s organizational structure; appointment and removal authority is tied to DHS rules. If the bill passes, this section would codify the leadership roles, establish qualification requirements (especially for the Deputy Administrator), and assign them to the executive schedule (i.e. Cabinet rank) positions.

Sec. 13: Authority and responsibilities

FEMA’s authorities now derive from existing statutes (e.g. Stafford Act, etc.), but coordination is mediated via DHS. The bill would explicitly consolidate FEMA’s authorities, clarify mission statements, and ensure FEMA holds responsibility for preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation tasks directly.

Sec. 14: Office of the Inspector General

FEMA currently shares or depends on DHS-level IG functions for oversight. HR 4669 would establish a standalone Inspector General for FEMA, restoring oversight independence.

Sec. 15–16: Transfer of functions; Personnel and other transfers

Many FEMA functions, personnel, assets, and contracts are now embedded within DHS. These sections would govern the transfer of relevant functions, personnel, contracts, records, and unexpended balances from DHS to the newly independent FEMA.

Sec. 19: Working Capital Fund

DHS has working capital or revolving funds that support cross-cutting functions; At the present, FEMA doesn’t directly control a dedicated revolving fund. This section would create a FEMA Working Capital Fund: a revolving fund for operations, facilities, equipment, and services, with fee mechanisms (charging other agencies, etc.) to cover costs.

Sec. 20: Improving disaster assistance for veterans

No explicit role or codified office within current FEMA statutes solely focuses on veterans in disaster recovery. The new bill adds a Veterans Advocate role within FEMA (under Stafford Act) to ensure veterans’ needs are addressed in declarations, assistance, and coordination.

Title II (Sec. 21): National emergency management & related amendments

Many statutes across emergency management, public health, etc., now refer to “Secretary of Homeland Security” or coordination via DHS. The bill amends multiple statutes (Stafford Act, Public Health Service Act, Homeland Security Act) to substitute or reassign relevant authorities, functions, or references to FEMA’s Administrator.

DIVISION B — FEMA / Disaster Program Reforms

Sec. 101: Rebuilding public infrastructure

Currently, FEMA provides Public Assistance in a reimbursement model: states/localities or subrecipients perform eligible repairs, then submit claims for reimbursement, subject to environmental reviews, procurement, etc. The bill would introduce a more grant-based, project-driven funding model (sometimes via Section 409 expedited grants) to accelerate rebuilding, reduce dependence on consultants, and shift more decision-making to states/local governments.

Sec. 102: Task force to address backlog of open declared disasters

Many disaster declarations linger for years (especially older ones), with projects not closed out. This section would create a Recovery Task Force to close out long-open disasters (e.g. those lingering since Katrina, etc.) and improve accountability.

Sec. 103: Disaster declaration damage thresholds

The Stafford Act sets thresholds (e.g. per-capita, total damage levels) that localities must meet to request a major disaster declaration. This bill revises thresholds, potentially lowering barriers in some cases, giving more flexibility to declare support in disasters.

Sec. 104: Federal permitting improvement

Currently, FEMA projects must comply with environmental, historic preservation, and other federal requirements. Permitting often delays reconstruction. This section implements reforms to accelerate permitting, streamline or delegate certain reviews, reduce duplication, and shorten timelines.

Sec. 105: Unified Federal review

Multiple federal agencies may now review disaster recovery projects (e.g. environmental agencies, EPA, historic preservation) independently. The bill creates a unified federal review process to consolidate and coordinate interagency reviews.

Sec. 106: Block grants for small disasters

Current law limits certain programs or assistance to “major disasters” with higher thresholds; smaller disasters may not qualify for full PA aid. This section allows block grant funding for smaller scale disasters so that eligible subrecipients can access funds more readily even if they don’t reach higher thresholds.

Sec. 107: Common sense debris removal

Debris removal is now eligible under PA, but rules around scope, timelines, and cost share can be restrictive. The bill clarifies and modernizes rules around what constitutes eligible debris removal, cost-share, and what is considered “emergency work.”

Sec. 108: Disaster management costs modernization

Currently, administrative and management costs are often constrained to a single disaster or limited scope; costs must be directly tied and justified. The bill allows management/administrative costs to be allocated across multiple disasters and provides more flexibility in how these costs are treated.

Sec. 109: Streamlining info collection & preliminary damage assessments

States and local jurisdictions must now submit extensive documentation; preliminary damage assessments (PDAs) may be time-consuming. The bill consolidates data and reporting, reduces duplication, shortens time for PDAs, and mandates more streamlined information collection.

Sec. 110: Reasonable incident periods

The period during which damages are now eligible (incident period) is defined but may be ambiguous in evolving disasters (e.g. prolonged events). The bill clarifies or extends flexibility for incident periods depending on the nature and duration of events.

Sec. 111: Fire management assistance policy

Under current law (Fire Management Assistance Grant program), specific rules govern eligibility, cost share, and declarations for wildfires. The bill updates or revises eligibility, thresholds, and cost-share rules for fire management assistance.

Sec. 112: Indian tribal government eligibility

Tribes may be eligible under PA, but sometimes face bureaucratic or jurisdictional obstacles. The bill strengthens tribal eligibility, reduces barriers, ensures they have equal access to assistance programs.

Sec. 113: Strengthening closeouts for critical services

Some projects providing critical services (e.g. utilities, water, sewer) now take long to close out, sometimes delaying final payments. This section provides priority treatment or procedural clarity to close out critical services projects faster.

Sec. 114: Sheltering of emergency response personnel

FEMA may now provide sheltering assistance in limited contexts; rules vary. This section explicitly allows sheltering of emergency response personnel in disasters (as part of eligible assistance).

Sec. 115: Emergency protective measures for flooding damage

FEMA’s “emergency protective measures” cover multiple types of hazard responses; flooding-specific nuances exist. The bill would clarify or expand eligible emergency protective measures (e.g. repairs, mitigation) for flooding events.

Sec. 116: Fairness and accountability in appeals

FEMA now provides appeal rights, but processes sometimes are criticized for opaque denials, inconsistent notices, and lack of transparency. This section strengthens appeal rights and fairness: requires clearer, understandable notices; mandates timelines; ensures due process in appeals; and prohibits political discrimination in aid decisions.

Crosscutting Provisions

In addition, the bill provides provisions that:

Encourage transparency with public dashboards, central tracking, and assistance across agencies.
Provide mitigation incentives with cost-share bonuses, pre-approved mitigation projects, and better inter-agency funding coordination.
Base procurement on local practices when compliant with federal statutes.
Simplify survivor and individual assistance by streamlining applications, reducing duplication, and ensuring private charitable aid doesn’t unfairly disqualify survivors.

Strategic Shifts

HR 4669, if adopted, would create several seismic shifts in disaster funding:

From reimbursement to proactive grants: Under current practice, states and localities often front costs and then wait for federal reimbursement, sometimes with delays and cash-flow stress. The bill shifts toward more upfront, project-based grants to reduce delays. Baker Donelson+1
Stronger incentives for preparedness and mitigation: The bill links cost-share levels to state/local mitigative steps, encouraging risk reduction before disaster strikes. Baker Donelson+1
Streamlining federal red tape: Many provisions aim to reduce delays from environmental reviews, permitting, interagency duplication, and reporting burdens. Transpo & Infra Committee+2Baker Donelson+2
Greater clarity, fairness, and oversight: The bill emphasizes transparency (dashboards, public reporting), appeal protections, IG/GAO reviews, and improvements to notices and due process for assistance decisions. Transpo & Infra Committee+2Congress.gov+2
Empowering sub-national actors: The reforms shift more decision-making authority to states, tribes, and local entities—assuming they meet certain qualifications—thereby reducing dependency on centralized federal control.

For More Information

Consult the exact text of the bill.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/4/2025 with assistance from ChatGPT

2958 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Kingwood Town Hall Ends with Wonderful Surprise

10/3/25 – Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger’s Kingwood Town Hall Meeting on 9/30/25 had a lot of great news. Speakers talked about 20+ infrastructure projects in various stages of development. Together, they should help reduce flood risk for people throughout the Lake Houston Area.

In addition, we learned about airport improvements, crime reductions, a family-violence awareness campaign, fire station enhancements, property tax relief, bail reform, help for the homeless, and attempts to balance the city budget.

My Big Surprise

At the end of the presentations, Flickinger called me up to the front of the auditorium to receive a framed proclamation.

Mayor John Whitmire had declared Sept. 30, 2025 to be Bob Rehak Day in Houston.

I had no idea this was about to happen and I hesitate to even mention it, lest it appear like bragging. However, I am grateful that my efforts to reduce flooding seem to be noticed by the community. And even more grateful that I have helped keep flood mitigation high on the public agenda.

Bob Rehak receiving proclamation — *Council Member Fred Flickinger (r) presenting Mayor’s Proclamation to Bob Rehak* *(l).*

I’ve seen how flooding can devastate families, their homes and their savings. How it can disrupt entire communities for years. And worst of all, how it can take lives.

When I started this blog in 2018, I had two objectives: to raise awareness of the causes of flooding and to advocate for flood mitigation.

Little did I realize at the time how difficult flood mitigation is. Eight years after Harvey, we’re still trying to document needs, develop solutions, prioritize projects, raise funds, and coordinate multiple agencies at all levels of government.

Along the way, I’ve written almost two million words for 2,906 posts and taken 63,122 photos for 1.8 million readers.

The word count alone is especially staggering. To put it in perspective, that’s the equivalent of about 25 average length novels – three a year!

So yes, the recognition was nice. But even nicer was what it was for. The proclamation reads…

Bob Rehak

WHEREAS, Bob Rehak of Kingwood has distinguished himself as a tireless advocate for flood awareness, mitigation and community resilience, documenting local conditions and solutions with clarity and consistency for the benefit of residents, businesses and policy makers alike; and

WHEREAS, through his widely read blog, Reduce Flooding, which features reporting, photography, data visualization, and plain language explanations of complex water and infrastructure issues, Bob Rehak has equipped Houstonians with the tools to make informed decisions about preparedness, recovery, and long term planning; and

WHEREAS, Bob Rehak has collaborated constructively with neighbors, neighborhood associations, nonprofit groups, engineers, and local, regional and state agencies to advance dredging, drainage, watershed management, and other risk reduction efforts that directly impact the Lake Houston area; and

WHEREAS, his persistent, on-the-ground documentation before, during, and after major rain and flood events has elevated community voices, improved transparency, encouraged problem-solving, and supported evidence-based action to protect property; and

WHEREAS, beyond his technical focus, Bob Rehak exemplifies the spirit of public service by showing up, listening, and communicating respectfully, thereby fostering trust between residents and government and helping unite diverse stakeholders around practical, measurable results; and

WHEREAS, the City of Houston commends Bob Rehak for his outstanding contributions to the safety, resilience and well-being of the Lake Houston area and the greater Houston community, and extends gratitude for exemplary service and steadfast advocacy….

Therefore, I, John Whitmire, Mayor of the City of Houston, hereby proclaim September 30th, 2025 as Bob Rehak day in Houston, Texas.

Signed and Sealed

Many Thanks

I was especially pleased with recognition of efforts to document impacts, elevate community voices, improve transparency and support evidence-based action that unites diverse stakeholders around practical, measurable results.

Too often these days, public discourse divides people. We’ve seen far too many sad and sorrowful examples lately of what those divisions can produce. In reality, we have far more that unites us than divides us. We just need to focus on those things. Which is what I intend to continue doing as long as my age and health allow.

Grateful thanks to my readers, Mayor Whitmire; Council Member Flickinger; all the talented public officials, engineers and environmental experts who have helped educate me about flooding; and especially my wife of 50 years – and proofreader for even longer – Dr. Susan Davy.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/3/25

2957 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Kingwood Town Hall, Part II: Updates on 13 More Flood Mitigation Projects

10/2/25 – Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger’s Town Hall Meeting on 9/30/25 contained updates on more than 20 infrastructure projects. Yesterday, I discussed three projects related to the Lake Houston Dam: the Gates, Repair, and Replacement Projects.

Today, let me focus on 13 more. They include the Lake Houston Dredging and Maintenance District; the Kingwood Diversion Ditch; Houston Public Works drainage and bridge projects; and San Jacinto River Authority efforts.

Diversion Ditch and Lake Houston Dredging/Maintenance District

State Representative Charles Cunningham focused on a variety of topics including tax cuts, crime, bail reform, and the Harris County toll-road surplus. He also talked about $100 million that he helped secure in state and federal funding for the new flood gates on Lake Houston and $5 million for the Kingwood Diversion Ditch Project which is now in final design.

Then he focused on HB 1532, his bill to create a Lake Houston Dredging and Maintenance District. The bill will create a perpetual dredging program financed primarily by sale of the spoils. That will help control sediment buildups that reduce the conveyance of the river, thus contributing to flooding. It will also help restore the storage capacity of the lake itself, improving water supply for a growing population.

Cunningham told me before the meeting that his next priority is to get the Dredging District organized and operational now that the legislative session is over.

He put the dredging district in perspective by saying, “That starts to put us in control of our own destiny regarding flooding. You know, our motto here in Kingwood is The Livable Forest. And we want to make sure that we continue to make it livable. And that dredging bill is going to do that for us.”

Houston Public Works Drainage and Bridge Projects

Later, Ryan Prillman from Houston Public Works discussed a number of drainage and bridge projects that will improve the flow of water (and traffic) in Kingwood.

He began with the Kingwood Drive and Walnut Lane Bridges over the Kingwood Diversion Channel. Estimated cost is $6 million, although the construction start date has not yet been set. The bridges are currently in design.

Public Works also plans to replace or rehab the two pedestrian bridges over Bens Branch at Kingwood Drive starting in Spring 2026.

They expect to finish restoring drainage ditches in the Chestnut Ridge area within several months.

Ditto for Drainage Improvements in Sand Creek.

Public Works has also started $18 million worth of repairs to Kingwood’s Central Wastewater Treatment Plant, which was badly flooded during Hurricane Harvey. The repairs could take two years to complete.

San Jacinto River Authority Efforts

Matt Barrett, Flood Management Manager for the SJRA then reviewed six efforts that have the potential to mitigate flooding.

Their Master Drainage Plan includes 16 projects in 3000 square miles across seven counties upstream of Lake Houston.

Barrett began his presentation with a reminder that in that entire area, only the San Jacinto West Fork currently has a water control dam on it: Lake Conroe.

*The Lake Conroe Dam on the San Jacinto West Fork controls only 15% of all areas flowing into Lake Houston.*

Master Drainage Plan

Barrett then reminded people that the SJRA is not a taxing authority. It has no dedicated funding to fix flooding. It can only facilitate projects by partnering with other entities such as Humble, Houston, and Harris County Flood Control.

One of the first large scale flood-mitigation projects that SJRA worked on was the San Jacinto Mster Drainage Plan in partnership with HCFCD, City of Houston, and Montgomery County. The effort identified 16 large scale projects still in contention for funding. See below.

Birch and Walnut Creek Dams

They included two areas (Birch and Walnut Creeks in green circle above) that are far upstream on Spring Creek. They would be dry bottom detention basins.

SJRA is currently looking for partners to help fund design and construction of the basins.

Sand Traps

Next, Barrett talked about the SJRA’s pilot sand trap study on the West Fork. Goal: to reduce the volume of sediment flowing into the Lake Houston Area.

SJRA’s goal is to work with a sand miner to clean out the trap(s) once they fill up. The study identified several possible sites near the Hallett mine. At the moment, SJRA’s efforts are focused on working with Hallett, using one of their pits no longer in production.

The West Fork has captured the pit in question and is now flowing through it. According to Barrett, SJRA is working to determine if and how the pit and other nearby sites could be used to mitigate sedimentation downstream.

Regional Sedimentation Study

The sediment trap effort is related to a bigger Regional Sedimentation Study. The goals? To determine:

Where does the sediment come from?
What causes it to to run off and go downstream?
Where does it end up?

Said Barrett, “Ultimately, we want to develop a regional sediment management plan that will recommend projects, strategies, best management practices that can help mitigate the flow of sediment downstream and ultimately mitigate flood issues that are caused by sedimentation.”

Lake Conroe/Lake Houston Joint Operations Study

Barrett said, “The goal of this project is to determine the most efficient and safe operation of the two reservoirs in series, both for water supply and flood management purposes. This is especially critical with the upcoming installation of the new gates at the Lake Houston Dam.”

SJRA will support the project, which will include development of an inflow forecasting tool, a gate operations policy, pre-release evaluations, and stakeholder communications.

Upstream Gages

Finally, Barrett discussed a network of gages throughout the region that provide flood warnings. It works with Harris County Flood Control to plan optimum locations. Barrett said, “We’re always looking to add more gauges to that network to have a more comprehensive coverage of the basin.”

*You can monitor the gages during rain or flood events* at either of the websites listed above.

For More Information

Check back tomorrow for Part III, the last in a series of posts about the Town Hall.

You can download the entire 13-megabyte Town Hall presentation here.

Or watch the meeting here: https://houstontx.new.swagit.com/videos/356980.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/2/25

2956 Days since Hurricane Harvey

20+ Infrastructure Projects Including Floodgates Discussed at Kingwood Town Hall

Updated on 10/2/25 with a new slide provided by the City on the timetable for the floodgate project.

10/1/25 – City of Houston representatives and their partners discussed the status of more than twenty infrastructure projects including more floodgates for the Lake Houston Dam at Council Member Fred Flickinger’s Kingwood town hall meeting on 9/30/25. Most of the projects had to do with flooding and drainage, but several had to do with the airport system.

*Hundreds packed the Kingwood Community Center as Flickinger kicked off the meeting.*

Overall, despite another delay in the project to add more floodgates to Lake Houston’s dam, it was one of the most positive, encouraging meetings in recent memory. Discussion topics included:

Three Lake Houston dam projects (Gates, Repairs, Replacement)
Two Kingwood Diversion Channel bridge replacements at Kingwood Drive and Walnut Lane
Neighborhood matching grants
Formation of the Lake Houston Dredging and Maintenance District
A new pedestrian bridge over Bens Branch at Kingwood Drive
Roadside ditch improvements along Chestnut Ridge in Forest Cove
Sand Creek Village drainage improvements
Multiple Kingwood Central Wastewater Plant improvements
SJRA’s Master Drainage Plan
Spring Creek Flood Control Dams on Birch and Walnut Creeks
A Pilot Sand Trap Project on the West Fork San Jacinto
A Regional Sedimentation Study
Lake Conroe/Lake Houston Joint Reservoir Operations Study
Regional Flood Planning
Flood Early Warning Systems
Six Houston Airport Improvements
Northpark Drive Expansion Project
Solid Waste Management Improvements
Houston Police Department also updated the community on crime.

In addition to Flickinger. other City Council Members in attendance included:

Twila Carter
Sallie Alcorn
Willie Davis
Julian Ramirez

*City of Houston District E Council Member Fred Flickinger*

Leaders from other organizations included:

State Rep. Charles Cunningham
SJRA Flood-Mitigation Manager Matt Barrett
Jim Szczesniak, Houston Airport Aviation Director
Larius Hassen, Houston Solid Waste Management Director
Casey Christman, TIRZ 10 Board Member
Craig Bellamy, HPD Captain

Additional Gates for Lake Houston Dam

In this post, to keep the length manageable, I’ll discuss three projects affecting the Lake Houston Dam.

I will then summarize other flood-related projects in several subsequent posts.

The City is designing an eleven tainter-gate solution that would increase discharge capacity from approximately 10,000 to 78,000 cubic feet per second.

Houston hopes to get design approval of the floodgates by May 2026 and start construction later that year. Construction could last 3+ years. That could take the project out to 2030 or even 2031 – if all goes well.

Benefits

the increased discharge capability would let Lake Houston shed water as fast has Lake Conroe has ever sent water downstream. This would facilitate joint reservoir operations and pre-releases to create increased storage capacity in both lakes before major storms strike.

That would, in turn, lower the maximum discharge rate from Lake Conroe and hopefully reduce flooding downstream.

The increased discharge rate would also help conserve water. While that sounds counter-intuitive, the higher rate means the City can wait until it is certain that approaching storms will strike the Lake Houston watershed before starting to release. And that reduces the likelihood of wasting water.

Change in Approach

Coastal Water Authority Board Member Dan Huberty spent much of his time at the microphone discussing floodgates’ delays. Huberty reminded the crowd of the original plan to put crest gates on the concrete spillway portion of the dam. But the City couldn’t find “a contractor in the world” willing to take on the risk because of the aging nature of the concrete in what was a 65-year-old dam at that time.

So, everyone involved (FEMA, the Army Corps, Public Works, Coastal Water Authority, City) decided to pivot. The focus shifted to adding tainter gates to the earthen, eastern portion of the dam.

According to Greg Olinger, CWA’s Chief Engineer, “In August of this year, we completed the preliminary engineering and 15% design. That involved quite a bit of field work, environmental assessments, geotechnical analysis, and structural testing of the embankment. We have developed an 11 tainter gate type of concept. Each is about 20 x 22 feet. And together they’ll pass up to 78,000 cubic feet per second (CFS) compared to the 10,000 CFS we can pass now.”

Next Steps

Olinger added, “Now, we’re going to move forward with what we call the detailed design, carrying it forward to the 30%, 60%, and 90% final-design stages that can then be packaged and submitted for permitting.”

He then described the extensive permitting process with the Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA and Texas Division of Emergency Management.

“All have to review the plans and provide the requisite permitting – an 18 month process,” Olinger said. “And then, we move forward into construction. The 30% design is due by the end of the year, the 60% by May of next year, and the completed design by the end of 2026.”

Several people from the crowd shouted questions about the impact that delays could have on costs. But Huberty refused to blow sunshine at them.

*Coastal Water Authority Board Member Dan Huberty*

“We’re telling you what the reality is,” he said. “This is how long it takes to be able to do a project of this size and scope. That’s just the way that it works.”

Dam Repairs and Replacement

The City and Coastal Water Authority have two additional related projects moving forward simultaneously. One addresses repairs to the dam. The other studies its eventual replacement.

Huberty said, “We also have a project for filling of voids and doing concrete repairs on what is now a 71-year-old concrete dam spillway.

“And then the third project is looking in a proactive way to the future as this dam reaches the end of its service life. What are the concepts and options available for either doing a robust rehabilitation of the dam or doing a complete replacement? And this is a project that’s further out.”

Lake Houston Dam Spillway — *Lake Houston Dam and Spillway were built in the early 1950s.*

All three projects are related according to one engineer I interviewed. Repairs and more floodgates could help prolong the life of the existing dam while a new one is planned and built.

For More Information

More news to follow on other projects.

In the meantime, you can download the entire 13-megabyte Town Hall presentation here.

Or watch the meeting here: https://houstontx.new.swagit.com/videos/356980.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/1/25

2955 Days since Hurricane Harvey

HCFCD Completes Phase 2 of Giant Lauder Basin on Greens Bayou

9/29/25 – Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) recently completed Phase 2 of the Lauder Stormwater Detention Basin on Greens Bayou. The basin is located south of Intercontinental Airport between the bayou, Aldine Bender Road, Aldine Westfield Road and Lauder Road. It brings the total stormwater detention in the area to 1200 acre feet and Phase 3 is still to come.

Funding from Multiple Partners

Built with 2018 Flood-Bond funds (see Bond ID C-34), help from the Texas Water Development Board, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, and the Texas General Land Office, the detention basin complex will grow even larger when Phase 3 is completed.

*Flood Control District Map not yet updated. Phase 2 is now complete.*

Speaking at the dedication ceremony for Phase 2 on 9/17/25, HCFCD Executive Director Tina Petersen said, “The scale of this project is enormous. We have three different phases. Phase one was started in 2020, and it took two years to complete. This project started in 2022, and we completed it just this year in 2025.”

Flood Protection Plus Recreational Amenity

Petersen added, “One of the great things, too, is that we are able to partner with our precinct (Harris County Precinct 2), and they have been able to put trails along the first phase, and they are in the process of planning trails for this next phase. And so, not only will it provide flood mitigation, but it’s going to provide an amenity for this community.”

How much is 1200 acre feet? Imagine a football field stacked with water to the height of 1200 feet. That’s 200 feet taller than the tallest building in Houston and Texas – the JP Morgan Chase Tower which tops out at 1002 feet.

Resident in Alleged “500-Year Floodplain” Flooded 3 Times

At the dedication, Connie Esparza, President of the Castlewood Civic Club said, “What a great day to witness and be a part of this historic event. I moved to the Aldine area in 1979 when I built my house, never expecting to flood since the south side of Castlewood was in the 500-year floodplain.”

She continued, “But unfortunately, I, along with my entire subdivision, some of whom are present here, flooded in 2001 with Tropical Storm Allison, then again with Harvey in 2017, followed by Imelda two years later. We are certainly excited with the completion of this Phase 2 stormwater detention basin that will further reduce the risk of flooding.”

Esparza is also a member of the Harris County Community Flood Resilience Task Force.

To See TWDB Video

To see the dedication ceremony and basin, see this Texas Water Development Board Video.

*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWDTX7bknHY*

Posted by Bob Rehak on 09/29/2025

2953 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Outlines of Full Northpark Expansion Now Visible

9/28/25 – The final outlines of the Northpark expansion project are now fully visible – much like a skyscraper after being framed out (except Northpark is horizontal). Even though all the concrete is not yet poured, yesterday, I saw for the first time what ten lanes will look like.

For most of its length, Northpark will have six lanes (3 inbound and 3 outbound). But the area around the railroad tracks and Loop 494 will expand to 10 lanes. In addition to the six lanes that go over a bridge, contractors are building two surface lanes on both sides of the bridge for traffic turning left and right.

In other news, boring under the UnionPacific Railroad tracks has resumed. On a Saturday afternoon, crews were placing two 60″ steel pipes under the tracks to convey stormwater from west to east. See pictures below.

Photos Taken on Saturday, 9/27/25

I took all the photos below on a Saturday afternoon, shortly after lunchtime.

*Looking east toward tracks and Loop 494 from Whataburger*

*Opposite direction from same location. Looking toward US59.*

*Looking east over Loop 494. Boring operation (lower left) has held up completion of surface lanes on north side (left) of shot.*

The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority’s 3-week lookahead construction schedule indicates that boring will continue 24/7 at least through 10/11.

*Looking W toward US59 over boring operation.*

In the picture above note that only three large sections of stockpiled pipe remain. Originally, there were ten.

*A look inside bore pit where pipe is being forced from east to west under tracks.*

*However, neither pipe has yet reached the receiving pit on the east side of the tracks.*

*Looking west from over Russell Palmer Road. Contractors are preparing the sub grade for more concrete.*

*Still looking west from near Italiano’s.*

Impact of Construction on Small Businesses

Note in the shot above how westbound traffic cannot turn left into the strip center that contains several restaurants. The parking lot is practically empty on a day and at a time when it should be teeming.

The University of Minnesota’s Center for Transportation Studies found that “Small businesses often suffer significant revenue declines (10-20 % or more) during and after disruptive construction.”

So, please continue to support Northpark businesses during this trying time.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/28/2025

2952 Days since Hurricane Harvey