NWS Publishes 2025 Hurricane Guide Tailored for SE Texas

The National Weather Service in Houston has published a 2025 Hurricane Guide tailored for the southeast Texas area. The guide includes information about how to prepare for all hazards associated with hurricanes, including strong winds, storm surge, flooding, and tornadoes.

The 38-page guide is filled with helpful tips, explanatory visuals, checklists, evacuation routes, easy-to-read text and helpful links. Whether you grew up in the area or recently arrived, this guide contains updated information for you.

Bolivar after Ike
Destruction on Bolivar Peninsula After Hurricane Ike
Contents

The guide begins with lists of hurricane names for this and the next four years and a readiness checklist. Next, it discusses changes to familiar National Hurricane Center graphics, including a new 2025 look for forecast cone graphics.

For boaters and beachgoers, the brochure contains a discussion of hurricane surf and rip currents, and why even distant hurricanes can be deadly.

One of the most eye-opening sections discussed how storm surge from Category 1, 3 and 5 hurricanes would affect communities from the Bolivar Peninsula to Matagorda Bay. I was shocked to see that surge from a Cat 5 storm could reach inside Loop 610 through the bayous and up to the Lake Houston Dam.

Next came a series of preparation tips for people who live and work in different types of structures. They include but are not limited to recommendations for:

  • Protecting vital records
  • Pet safety
  • Insurance (before and after the storm)
  • Emergency contacts
  • Supply kits
  • Time-sensitive checklists:
    • Actions to take when a storm is in the Gulf
    • Final actions to take if leaving
    • Final actions to take if staying
  • Where to find forecast/emergency information
  • Tourist safety

The guide concludes with sections on:

  • How people with special needs or disabilities can register for assistance
  • Evacuation routes
  • Evacuation zones by zip code
  • Returning home
  • Cleanup
  • Emergency management contacts for counties and cities throughout the region

Start Now

This is a great all-in-one guide. You can download the English version here. Or the Spanish version here.

Remember, hurricane season starts in less than a month and storms may strike even before then.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/2/25 with thanks to NWS/Houston.

2803 Days since Hurricane Harvey

May 2025 San Jacinto West Fork Dredging Update

5/1/2025 – My last dredging update was in April. So it’s time for another.

Judging by aerial photos, Callan Marine seems to be making steady progress in its San Jacinto West Fork dredging program for the City of Houston. The dredge has moved farther downstream. And the placement area in Huffman next to the Luce Bayou Inter-Basin Transfer Canal is filling up.

The Story in Pictures

dredge-plan for west fork
In April, the dredge was located west of #4. Yesterday it ws working between #4 and #5.
Looking S toward Lake Houston from above West Fork. Note dredge in distance near tip of Kings Point (left).
Closer shot shows dredge pipe that pumps spoils to placement area far upstream.
Men worked on the giant dredge bit as I photographed the scene.
From there, spoils travel 3.8 miles to the placement area up Luce Bayou near the Inter-Basin Transfer Canal.
West Fork Dredging Spoils Placement Area near Luce IBT Canal (left). Pipe near tree line on left brings water/sediment from lake.
Reverse angle shows compartments in maze that slows down incoming water. As water slows, sediment drops out of suspension. Eventually, this will form a base strong and high enough to build homes on.
Already, parts of the placement area are solid enough to support heavy equipment. The area shown above on the left has reached the height of the dike walls.

Note how the workers are building out and into the placement area in two directions. They adjust the length and position of the pipes to concentrate the flow where they want to build up the earth. From there, the bulldozers and excavators help compact the material into a solid foundation for beneficial use.

This image shows the height of the sediment relative to the walls of the pond. Several vertical feet remain in most of the placement area.
After most of the sediment has dropped out of suspension, water returns to the lake via the temporary canal (center).

Status of Cunningham’s Dredging Bill in Austin

Since Hurricane Harvey, we’ve spent hundreds of millions of dollars on dredging to play catch up from decades of neglect.

Moving sediment deposited in Lake Houston by erosion is a massive, but necessary project. The lake supplies water for more than 2 million people and has already lost a large percentage of its storage capacity.

That’s why House Bill 1532 by Rep. Charles Cunningham is so important. The bill would create a permanent dredging and maintenance district for the lake.

Dredging also reduces flood risk by restoring conveyance and eliminating sediment blockages.

On April 29, 2025, the House approved HB1532 overwhelmingly. 114 representatives voted for it. 19 voted against. Two voted Present. And one abstained.

Yesterday, the bill moved to the Senate on its slalom through the legislature. You may want to urge Sen. Brandon Creighton to support it.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/1/25

2802 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Join the Median Madness on Northpark Drive Saturday.

4/30/25 – District E Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger has organized another Median Madness event for this coming Saturday, May 3, 2025 from 8:30 AM to noon. This time, however, volunteers will tackle Northpark Drive medians instead of Kingwood Drive’s.

Volunteers from previous Median Madness events have enjoyed the sense of community and seeing immediate results from their efforts.

Median Madness flyer

Event Details

All ages are welcome, but adults should accompany anyone under 16. Please remember to bring water and gloves and to wear closed-toed shoes.

Park at the Kroger and Northpark and West Lake Houston Parkway. That’s 3410 Northpark Drive, Kingwood, TX 77345.

Sponsors include Trees for Kingwood, Houston Parks and Recreation, Kroger, the Houston Tool Bank, and Chick-fil-A.

If you have tools, bring them. But if you don’t, the Tool Bank will supply them.

“We’ll be trimming underbrush along the south side of Northpark Dr., from W. Lake Houston Parkway to Village Manor Dr. This will help enhance the beauty of the neighborhood and the safety of our medians. It’s a great opportunity to give back, enjoy the outdoors, and connect with the community,” said Flickinger.

How to Register

As before, please register online. It will help the event planners. Once you sign up, you will be sent a waiver via email like the one below.

waiverDownload

Bring the family, friends and neighbors! And make a difference for the community this weekend.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/30/25

2801 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Meritage Pumps Muck from Pond Being Excavated Straight Into Storm Sewer

4/29/25 – Meritage contractors were caught on camera this afternoon pumping muck from a pond they were excavating straight into a City storm sewer. Such a practice, while not uncommon, can clog storm sewers and raise flood risk for neighbors.

The sequence of six pictures below and a video tell the story. They show the location, men setting up the a pump and hose, then pumping the muck into the storm sewer, and bypassing normal filtration devices. The action took place on Pinehurst Trail Drive in Atascocita. The pond is on the east side of the road in Phase II of the new development.

Notice two excavators excavating dirt from the pond in the top center. Also notice the low level of water in the swale between the pond and the camera position.
A few seconds later, several workers in the lower left started extending a hose OVER the silt fence toward the swale.
The hose is still slack as one man kneels to work on the pump.
Meanwhile, just feet away on the other side of the pond excavators stir up the muck.
Minutes later, the hose is conveying the silt-laden water over the storm fence and around the corner toward the City storm sewer.
The hose also bypasses the straw wattle rolls, another filtration device used to keep the storm sewers clear. Notice water shooting out of the hose.

All of these pictures were taken minutes apart.

A reader who passed the site about an hour later snagged this video that shows the swale filled to the brim as pumping continued.

This is not the first time this month that Meritage was caught pumping stilty stormwater into the City storm sewer. On 4/7/25, they drained a veritable lake that had formed on their Atascocita site after 2.5 inches of rain.

To File a Complaint

Practices like those above are usually discouraged by the Harris County Engineer and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

If you’re concerned about runoff that floods your property or potentially clogs your storm drains, please file a complaint.

Harris County Engineer 

Phone: 713-274-3600 Monday Through Friday 8 AM to 5 PM

File a complaint online at: https://epermits.harriscountytx.gov/External_Complaints.aspx

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) 

For instructions to file a complaint, visit: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/compliance/complaints.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/29/25

2800 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.

Pace of Northpark Expansion Accelerating

4/28/2025 – The pace of Northpark expansion has visibly accelerated since March despite several intense rains. Today, crews were working from one end of the project to the other. See the ten pictures below.

Looking West toward Russell-Palmer Road. Note rebar being placed for two more inbound lanes on the left.
Still looking west. Just west of Russell-Palmer Road, note the addition of a right turn lane by the carwash.
Farther west, contractors have finished paving about a quarter-mile stretch of two more inbound lanes on left.
Even farther west, contractors have finished the sub-grade work most of the way to Loop 494 on the outbound/north side.
At the UnionPacific Railroad Tracks, contractors are getting ready to bore under the tracks next week.
They will use the steel pipe stockpiled in front of the trees on the right when boring under the tracks.
East of Loop 494, paving on the outbound (north side of the road is almost complete, as is clearing for the inbound side of the road (left).
Only one small stretch by Culver’s remains to be paved on the north side.
The Exxon Station (lower right) at 59/Northpark will soon lose part of its driveway and canopy.
Looking east from over US59. Contractors have virtually completed the sidewalk on the north/outbound side of Northpark.

Project Manager Ralph DeLeon had this to add. “The Kroger’s driveway opened last week.  That location is now complete/permanent with regard to the project. We are close to completing the radius between south bound 494 to west bound Northpark Drive. So drivers will begin to use the new permanent lanes at that location.”

For More Information

See the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority project web pages or these posts on ReduceFlooding:

UPRR:
Evacuation Route:
Plan Details:
Phase II:

Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/28/25

2799 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Blocked Ditch Under Kingwood Drive Near High School

4/27/25 – A drainage ditch that runs under Kingwood Drive about a tenth of a mile west of Kingwood High School is blocked. Where the ditch runs through the median, it has become so overgrown, you cannot even see it.

Historical images in Google Earth suggest that the City has not cleared the ditch since 2002. Full height trees have grown up in it, contributing to the blockage.

During Harvey, Kingwood High School flooded to the second floor. Four-thousand students had to be bussed to other schools for a year during decontamination and reconstruction.

4000 Students at Kingwood High School
Kingwood High School during Harvey. Kingwood Drive (upper left), one of the area’s main evacuation routes, was also cut off.

Ditch is So Overgrown, You Can’t See It

Harris County Flood Control labels the ditch as G-103-36-01. It crosses under Kingwood Drive about one-tenth of a mile west of Valley Manor and the high school.

Location of ditch and blockage relative to Kingwood High School. Shown with floodplains in Harris County Flood Education Mapping Tool.

See the pictures below. Can you even see where the ditch is? Hint: it’s in the center of the frame.

Looking slightly south. Lake Kingwood is toward the top of the frame.
Opposite direction. The ditch runs between the two storm drains on either side of Kingwood Drive.
From a lower elevation, you can see under the forest canopy. Still no clear path for drainage.

The City has cleared all the other ditches in the map above, but not this one. It’s so overgrown, they likely can’t find it and confuse it with one of the other ditches they’ve already cleared.

Because this blockage has the potential to cut off a major evacuation route, we can’t afford to wait any longer.

I have reported it previously several times already. To be clear, Harris County Flood Control District is responsible for keeping the channel clear. But the City is responsible for cleaning out the channel under its roads, i.e., Kingwood Drive.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/27/25

2798 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Where Texas Gets Its Money and Why It Matters

4/26/25 – Where does Texas get its money and why does it matter?

According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau analyzed by the Pew Foundation, the State of Texas received almost as much revenue from the Federal Government as it did from taxes in 2022.

That means that cutbacks in federal spending could affect disaster preparedness, flood mitigation, and recovery efforts in the Lone Star State at a time when more and more hurricanes are rapidly intensifying.

Texas Gets 38% of Its Money From Federal Government

In 2022, the last full year for which the Census Bureau has published data, Texas received 38% of its revenue from the federal government.

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 Annual Survey of State Government Finances

Texas receives more than the national average in terms of the percentage of its funds received from the federal government.

From Pew based on data above.

Over time, the percentage has trended up.

Data downloaded from Pew, Where States Get their Money

The percentage peaked in Texas during the Pandemic, but otherwise has hovered in the 30-40% range for the last quarter century.

How States Use Federal Money

According to Pew, the funding states receive from the U.S. government helps pay for public services, such as health care; education and training; public safety and justice; housing and community development; child care; transportation; and infrastructure.

In Texas, billions also help mitigate flooding in the form of buyouts; grants for studies; and design and construction of flood-reduction projects.

Budget Cuts Could Impact Disaster Spending

Recent budget cuts driven by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration have significantly impacted both the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), affecting disaster preparedness.

The cuts come in the form of program terminations, staff reductions, and shifts in responsibilities. The administration has signaled intentions to drastically reduce or even eliminate FEMA’s role in disaster response, shifting responsibilities to states. 

The reductions not only diminish the federal government’s capacity to respond to emergencies, but also place additional burdens on state and local governments to fill the gaps left by these federal withdrawals.​

Axios published a story on 4/25/25 about the effects of staff and budget cuts on FEMA headlined “FEMA staff fear they aren’t ready for 2025 hurricane season.”

More Hurricanes Rapidly Intensifying

Sea surface temperatures in the Gulf are already raising concerns.

Yesterday’s Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies from NOAA

Recent studies indicate a notable increase in the frequency and magnitude of rapid intensification events:​

  • Increased Frequency Near Coastlines: The frequency of rapidly intensifying storms within 240 miles of coastlines has significantly increased over the past 40 years. ​National Geographic
  • Higher Intensification Rates: Between 1971 and 2020, mean maximum intensification rates for Atlantic tropical cyclones increased by up to 28.7% compared to earlier decades. ​Nature
  • Global Trends: The occurrence of rapid intensification events has tripled in global coastal regions from 1980 to 2020, highlighting a worldwide trend. ​

These changes are largely attributed to warmer ocean temperatures, which provide more energy for storms, and a more humid atmosphere. ​Wikipedia+1The Atlantic+1

Recent Examples of Rapid Intensification

Several recent hurricanes exemplify this alarming trend:​

  • Hurricane Otis (2023): Transformed from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane with 165 mph winds in less than 24 hours before striking Acapulco, Mexico. ​
  • Hurricane Milton (2024): Rapidly intensified from a Category 1 to a Category 5 hurricane within 12 hours over the Gulf of Mexico, fueled by exceptionally warm sea surface temperatures. ​The Atlantic
  • Hurricane Beryl (2024): Became the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record in the Atlantic, intensifying rapidly due to unusually warm ocean waters. ​

Implications for Coastal Communities

The increasing frequency of rapid intensification events poses significant risks, including:

  • Reduced Preparation Time: Communities have less time to prepare and evacuate, increasing the potential for loss of life and property.​
  • Forecasting Challenges: Rapid changes in storm intensity complicate forecasting efforts, making it harder to provide accurate warnings.​
  • Increased Damage Potential: Stronger storms can lead to more severe flooding, higher storm surges, and greater overall destruction.​

Given these trends, it’s crucial for coastal regions, including Texas, to enhance their disaster preparedness plans and capabilities.

Tax-Free Emergency Supplies Through 28th

And that reminds me, emergency supplies such as batteries, flashlights and generators, are tax free this weekend. So stock up now. Here’s a list of tax free items from April 26-28.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/26/25

2797 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Lengthy Catalog of Concerns about Proposed Ryko Development

4/25/25 – A company called Ryko has proposed building a 5,500 acre development in southern Montgomery County, immediately west of US59. More than half of their land lies in the floodway and floodplains of Spring Creek and the West Fork.

The Ryko property is 20 times larger than the Woodridge Village property, which flooded hundreds of Kingwood homes twice in 2019. Did we learn anything from that experience?

Ryko land
Looking NW from over the US59/San Jacinto bridge at the general area where Ryko owns more than 5,500 acres it wants to develop.

A knowledgeable, concerned resident sent a list of concerns which I am reprinting below. However, the writer has asked to remain anonymous. I’ve also included links to posts and official documents at the end of the letter, so readers can find relevant information in one place.

– Start of Letter –

I am writing as a concerned citizen to express strong opposition to the proposed Ryko (Townsen) Development in southern Montgomery County and to raise questions about the lack of transparency and integrity surrounding its approval process, drainage study, floodplain impacts, and associated public funding mechanisms.

This project raises significant public interest concerns that demand further scrutiny before any development proceeds.

⚠️ Floodplain Fill and Inadequate Drainage Analysis
  • The development proposes significant floodplain fill in and near the 100-year and 500-year flood zones of Spring Creek and the West Fork San Jacinto River.
  • The developer’s own drainage study acknowledges increased water surface elevations during the 2- and 10-year storm events—then dismisses them for “future mitigation.”
  • The proposed Townsen Blvd bridge is modeled using outdated HEC-RAS v3.0.1 steady flow methods, failing to account for dynamic storm conditions or backwater effects common to this area.
  • Critically, the drainage report does not evaluate a Harvey-scale event, despite the project’s location at the confluence of two major watersheds severely impacted during Hurricane Harvey.

🛑 No Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR) has been approved by FEMA or signed by the Harris County Floodplain Administrator. Without this, any fill in the floodplain would violate federal NFIP regulations (44 CFR § 60.3).

🌊 Unequal Mitigation Practices Across County Lines
  • The drainage study mitigates 1:1 for fill in the 500-year floodplain in Harris County, but in Montgomery County, it only mitigates for fill placed in the 100-year floodplain.
  • While this may technically comply with Montgomery County’s regulations, it is not best practice, especially in a watershed with regional downstream consequences.

💧 Analogy: Filling the floodplain without mitigation is like filling half a bathtub with sandbags and expecting the water to stay still—it doesn’t. It simply gets pushed elsewhere, potentially flooding neighboring properties.

🗺️ Use of Outdated Models – MAAPnext Ignored
  • The report uses base models from the San Jacinto Regional Master Drainage Plan but fails to incorporate MAAPnext, the updated floodplain modeling system developed by FEMA and HCFCD.
  • MAAPnext is being adopted as the regulatory standard in Harris County and includes better data for rainfall, topography, and land use.
  • This development should be reevaluated using MAAPnext before any approvals are granted by FEMA, Montgomery County, or Harris County.
🚦 Traffic Analysis Skipped in Violation of County Review Order
  • Montgomery County regulations clearly require a Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) to be reviewed before a Drainage Impact Analysis (DIA) is approved.
  • There is no indication that a TIA has been submitted or approved. Approving the drainage study without first completing the TIA violates the county’s own development review process.
📝 Montgomery County’s Own Records Show Deep Reservations
  • In the March 22, 2023 meeting minutes, Montgomery County engineers stated clearly that development in this flood-prone area “should be avoided.”
  • They also noted they may not support the required CLOMR/LOMR filings.
  • This clearly shows that the project is far from approved—despite misleading public statements to the contrary.
🌱 Wetlands Presence and Permitting Gaps
  • The drainage report states that wetlands are present throughout the site, but a formal wetland delineation and jurisdictional determination has not been completed.
  • If any of these wetlands are deemed jurisdictional under the Clean Water Act, then a Section 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is required.
  • Proceeding without this determination and permit could constitute a federal violation.
💰 Tax Abatements, Bond Spending, and Conflicts of Interest
  • In 2017, Montgomery County granted a tax abatement to the Ryko development before these drainage and environmental concerns were studied.
  • In fall 2024, the County extended that abatement and removed the requirement to build the Spring Creek bridge, still awarding nearly $28 million in tax benefits to the developer.
  • At the same time, the County included $42 million in the November 2024 road bond to fund the northern segment of Townsen Blvd—primarily benefitting this development.
  • Although this section of Townsen was later removed from the bond project list, residents do not trust that it won’t proceed anyway, and many now plan to vote against the bond.
🧾 PAC Influence and Consultant Conflicts
  • A political action committee called Montgomery in Motion was formed to promote the bond.
  • From what I understand, major engineering firms that stand to receive design contracts from the bond appear to be contributors.
  • It is suspected that support for the bond may be informally tied to future consultant work.
  • I have not yet found campaign finance disclosures, but a prominent engineering firm has been actively speaking to trade groups promoting the bond, and unsolicited text messages are being sent to voters.
  • With nearly $100 million of bond proceeds projected to go to consultants, this raises serious conflict of interest concerns.
✅ What Should Happen Now
  • No construction or floodplain fill should proceed without an approved FEMA CLOMR.
  • The drainage models must be rerun using MAAPnext for accuracy and relevance.
  • Montgomery County should require 1:1 mitigation for all floodplain fill, including in the 500-year zone.
  • Traffic and wetland reviews must be completed before any drainage approval is valid.
  • Campaign finance disclosures for Montgomery in Motion should be made public before the bond election.
  • County and agency leaders must publicly acknowledge that this project is not approved.

The people of Montgomery County deserve flood-resilient development, honest governance, and responsible fiscal stewardship. As it stands, this project and its supporting bond failed on all three counts.

– End of Letter –

For More Information

For posts about the Ryko development, see:

22.11.19 A Townsen Bridge Across Spring Creek

25.04.17 MoCo Commissioner Taking Townsen Blvd. Extension Off 2025 Road Bond

25.04.18 Bald Eagles Live Where Developer Wants to Build 7,000 Homes

25.04.19 Building 7,000 Homes Here Would Accelerate Subsidence

25.04.20 Far More Proposals in State Flood Plan Than Funds For Them

25.04.23 Harris County Did NOT Approve Ryko Development

For official documents, see:

Pre-Project Meeting Minutes of lead Ryko engineering company with Harris County Engineering and Flood Control District from 2/27/23.

Townsen Bridge Development Meeting Minutes between the lead Ryko engineering Company and Montgomery County Engineering (Extracted from Drainage Analysis below as separate file. Was Appendix A.) MoCo Engineering office states that development should be avoided due to high risk of flooding during extreme events. 3/22/23

Letter from Montgomery County Engineering objecting to Ryko’s preliminary drainage study on 6/18/24. “Given both the history of this development and a sincere concern for the safety of the public, I can in no way approve this primary drainage study nor should anyone as the risk is too high.”

A letter from Montgomery County Engineering on 7/23/24, rescinding the previous letter (without explanation) that objected to the drainage study.

Preliminary drainage impact analysis submitted by Ryko’s engineers on 10/3/24.

Draft of a 10/25/24 letter from Chris Bennett of Harris County Flood Control to Daryl Hahn, Harris County Engineering’s Director of Permits. Letter states, “HCFCD review is limited to the proposed Spring Creek Bridge only.” It also clearly stated that additional permits, plans and studies were needed.

Montgomery County subdivision regulations: See section on Traffic Impact Analysis Requirements.

It remains to be seen whether we learned anything from the Woodridge Village experience.

Anonymous letter posted by Bob Rehak on 4/25/25

2796 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.

County’s Climate-Justice Plan Gets Weird Nephew Izzy All Excited

4/24/25 – My weird nephew Izzy called again this morning. He was all atwitter about Harris County’s new Climate-Justice Plan adopted by Commissioner’s Court on 4/10/25. And he could barely contain his excitement.

The Phone Call from Nephew Izzy

“They did it, Uncle Bob. They really, finally done did it?”

“Did what, Izzy?”

“We finally gonna get some climate justice, Uncle Bob.”

“I didn’t know climate broke the law, Izzy.”

“Oh, Uncle Bob! Justice is just a word they tag onto things they want.”

“What do they want, Izzy?”

“For starters, Uncle Bob, a carbon tax.”

“But Izzy, you can barely afford to put gas in that 1974 Lincoln of yours as it is.”

“I hadn’t thought of that, Uncle Bob. Maybe they’ll buy me a new ride. It’s getting hard to find parts for the Lincoln nowadays. Junkyards hardly carry dem anymore.”

“What else does the climate-justice plan do, Izzy?”

“They gonna make it so you can check out gardening tools at libraries.”

“That would mean you have to work, Izzy.”

“But think of all the things I could grow, Uncle Bob.”

“Cheetos don’t grow in gardens, Izzy.”

“They don’t?”

“They don’t.”

Brightening… “Well, they gonna make solar panels easier to get, Uncle Bob!”

“Where will you put them, Izzy? You live in an apartment.”

“Well, I could stick one in my window…”

“And do what with it?”

“Hook it up to my deep frier.”

“You got me there, Izzy. I’m all for sustainable fried chicken.”

Hair Gone Wild

“You know the beauty of climate justice, Uncle Bob?”

“No.”

“You can plug just about anything into it.”

“I can see that, Izzy.”

“Yeah, Lina Hidalgo might finally get some hair justice.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know how her hair always be shootin’ out all over the place from Houston’s humidity?”

Hidalgo Hair Justice
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo voted for the new Climate Justice Plan.

“Hmmmm, yesssss?”

“I look that way, too, sometimes when I wake up. I sure could use some hair justice myself.”

“Personally, Izzy. I’d settle for some good, old-fashioned criminal justice. You know…keep the thieves, murderers and rapists in jail…that kind of stuff.”

“Geez, Uncle Bob. You’re so old fashioned. That went out with the Nineties.”

“Look, Izzy. Is climate justice going to make you safer from hurricanes?”

“I heard they might spend some of the extra tax money to fix flooding, Uncle Bob.”

“Where? Behind Rodney Ellis’ house?”

“Who’s Rodney Ellis, Uncle Bob?”

“He’s the guy trying to take your tax dollars, Izzy.”

“I can’t afford no more deductions from my pay check, Uncle Bob. I barely got change left over for them cheesy fries at Burger King.”

“Case closed, Izzy.”

Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/24/25

2795 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Harris County Did NOT Approve Ryko Development

4/23/25 – At a Town Hall meeting on 4/14/25, Montgomery County Precinct 3 Commissioner Ritch Wheeler implied that Harris County had “approved” a proposed 5,500 acre Ryko floodplain development in MoCo. It did not.

Wheeler, who is newly elected, likely misunderstood the nuances of reports and the outcome of meetings his predecessor held.

Documents Clear Up Misunderstanding

Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) and Harris County Engineering did meet with the developer. They reviewed the developer’s preliminary drainage impact analysis when James Noack was the MoCo Precinct 3 Commissioner.

But Harris County did not approve anything in Montgomery County. That includes the development. They didn’t even review a complete drainage impact analysis.

Harris County only issued a “Letter of No Objection” to a portion of a preliminary study that concerned a bridge across Spring Creek.

Moreover, the letter and other associated documents made it clear that “not objecting” was conditional.

Engineers clearly labelled the Drainage Impact Analysis as “Preliminary.” HCFCD requested many supporting documents before it could make a final determination. Those requests included a geotechnical report (soil survey), site plans and a U.S. Army Corps permit (to name just three).

Such pre-development meetings help engineers, developers and regulators scope out the concerns of each other at an early stage before they invest thousands of hours in a project.

What Wheeler Said

Wheeler implied that Harris County had approved Ryko’s drainage impact analysis. And he implied that the approval covered the whole development which lies entirely in Montgomery County.

The purpose of Wheeler’s Town Hall Meeting was to talk about Montgomery County’s 2025 road bond and the Townsen Blvd. project within it, that ran through Ryko’s proposed development.

At one point, Wheeler said, “I don’t want to get too far in the weeds on the water portion of it (meaning flooding). … But I will tell you, they (Ryko) did submit a drainage impact analysis to the county. They also submitted it to Harris County. Harris County has already approved it.“

That didn’t sound right. So, I checked.

What Harris County Said

The highly technical, preliminary drainage analysis covered both the development and a bridge into Harris County. That may have added to Wheeler’s confusion.

Harris County says that it does NOT approve development plans in other counties.

Harris County DID issue a “Letter of No Objection” to the Harris County portion of the proposed bridge over Spring Creek.

Harris County Engineering and HCFCD provided four documents in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. They show definitively what Harris Country regulators saw when and how they responded. They include:

  • A 2/27/23 conference report of a “pre-project” meeting between Ryko, its engineers, and the regulators. HCFCD communicated its concerns about the Harris County portion of the bridge project, potential downstream impacts, and hydrology models to be used in the final drainage impact analysis.
  • A preliminary drainage impact analysis submitted by Ryko’s engineers on 10/3/24 found no adverse downstream impacts.
  • The draft of a 10/25/24 letter from Chris Bennett of Harris County Flood Control to Daryl Hahn, Harris County Engineering’s Director of Permits. The letter clearly states, “HCFCD review is limited to the proposed Spring Creek Bridge only.” It also clearly stated that additional permits, plans and studies were needed.
  • A 4/17/25 email from Emily Woodell, HCFCD Chief External Affairs Officer. She stated, “Our organization does not conduct development reviews for compliance with the requirements of other agencies or jurisdictions. In this case, … it appears the only element reviewed by the Flood Control District was an analysis related to the proposed bridge crossing.” Woodell further stated that “to date” Ryko had never submitted any plans for the development itself to HCFCD for review.
Ryko property outlined in red. Floodways and floodplains in shades of blue. From preliminary drainage impact study.

HCFCD’s letter also made it clear that they had not checked all of the 272 pages in the drainage impact analysis. At that point, they were simply taking the word of licensed professional engineers hired by the developer.

No Response Yet from Montgomery County Engineering

I also submitted a FOIA request to Montgomery County Engineering for their copies of the developer’s construction plans and a more recent drainage impact analysis. To date, they have not responded.

Hilarious Mistake in Drainage Impact Analysis

The preliminary drainage impact study submitted by Woolpert Engineering on behalf of Ryko contains a hilarious mistake in the second sentence of the Executive Summary. The engineers say the development lies east of 59; it’s west.

To me, that calls for third-party engineers to dive deeper into the drainage impact study. No telling what else they might find.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/23/25

2794 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.