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Why We Need FEMA

Reduce Flooding — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 03:14:36 +0000

11/8/25 – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has not just battled nature’s extremes this year. It has also battled political superstorms that have left both employees and citizens exposed and uncertain. Disasters So Far in 2025 Despite a quieter than normal hurricane season so far this year, the U.S. has suffered: Political Crosswinds Create […]

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Floodplain Maps for 5,316 Acres West of Kingwood Contradict Developer’s Claim

Reduce Flooding — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 18:01:04 +0000

11/4/2025 – FEMA floodplain maps contradict a claim made by Scarborough Development/San Jacinto Preserve in a presentation made to the City of Houston and Harris County officials on 10/29/25. The developer recently bought 5,316 acres, mostly in the floodplains and floodways of Spring and Cypress Creeks, and the San Jacinto West Fork. The land lies […]

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FEMA Issues Flood Watch for Entire Houston Region

Reduce Flooding — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 21:59:36 +0000

10/24/25 @ 5PM– FEMA and the National Weather Service Houston/Galveston office have issued a flood watch for the Houston region that will last until October 26 at 5:00AM CDT. See details below. WHAT Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible. WHERE A portion of southeast Texas, including the following areas, Austin, Bolivar Peninsula, Brazoria Islands, […]

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FEMA Issues Flood Watch for Entire Houston Region

Reduce Flooding — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 21:59:36 +0000

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FEMA Issues Flood Watch for Entire Houston Region

Reduce Flooding — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 21:59:36 +0000

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Flood Insurance Rate Maps Slip for Fourth Straight Year

Reduce Flooding — Sun, 07 Sep 2025 02:05:34 +0000

9/6/2025 – On August 26, 2025, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) transmitted an update to Commissioners Court on the release of new flood insurance rate maps. The update showed the release date slipping yet again. This makes at least the seventh postponement in four years. The amount of time it’s taking FEMA to vet […]

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U.S. Disaster Assistance History Shows Constant Change

Reduce Flooding — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 01:07:04 +0000

6/13/25 – We had a decentralized system of disaster assistance for almost 200 years before FEMA. But more than 60% of the U.S. population has never known life without FEMA. So my post about President Trump’s intention to dismantle the agency caused considerable fear and anxiety. This post may help reassure those people. While change […]

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On Eve of Hurricane Season, NOAA, NWS, NHC, FEMA Struggle with Cuts

Reduce Flooding — Sun, 01 Jun 2025 04:17:49 +0000

5/31/25 – The 2025 Hurricane Season starts tomorrow, 6/1/25. But ironically, despite predictions of an above-average season, the federal agencies that help forecast hurricanes, issue warnings, and provide disaster relief are struggling with significant funding, staff and program cuts. Poignant Letter in New York Times Michael Lowry, who served as a senior scientist at the […]

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What Happens When Flood Maps Don’t Illustrate True Risk

Reduce Flooding — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 00:29:48 +0000

3/25/25 – Eight years after Hurricane Harvey and a massive region-wide effort to update flood maps, FEMA still features maps on its website based on decades-old data that don’t come close to showing true flood risk. The old maps cause confusion among buyers who may not understand their limitations. And that helps developers pursue and […]

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Still Have Storm Debris?

Reduce Flooding — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 19:38:13 +0000

8/22/24 – If you still have storm debris from Hurricane Beryl, what you do by when depends on where you live and what you need picked up. Procedures and deadlines differ for: This post describes what people in those areas need to do to ensure their debris gets removed. Read thoroughly and act swiftly. Some […]

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HCFCD Contractors Begin Clearing Trees Blocking Streams, Channels

Reduce Flooding — Sat, 17 Aug 2024 20:50:28 +0000

8/17/24 – The clearing of trees blocking streams and channels in the Lake Houston Area has begun. The clearing began after a coordinated inventorying and reporting effort. According to Chris Bloch, a member of the Bear Branch Trail Association Board, FEMA contractors working for Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD), were seen this morning clearing […]

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FEMA Disaster Assistance Available

Reduce Flooding — Mon, 20 May 2024 16:51:02 +0000

5/20/24 – A disaster declaration by Governor Abbott that covers May flood and windstorm damage has been partially approved by President Biden. That means FEMA disaster Assistance is now available for people who suffered damage in the Lake Houston Area plus Harris, Montgomery, Liberty and four more counties. This post explains eligibility, benefits, and how […]

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Flooded 3 Times in 7 Years in 500-Year Floodplain, But No Buyout

Reduce Flooding — Sun, 19 May 2024 00:28:08 +0000

Daniel and Kathleen Moore live with their 8-month old baby near the East Fork San Jacinto in Montgomery County. The young couple desperately wants a buyout after their house on Idle Glen in New Caney flooded three times in seven years. But no buyout is in sight. When they bought the home, they were told […]

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City Mobilizing for More West Fork Dredging

Reduce Flooding — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 00:21:11 +0000

Mobilization for the next phase of San Jacinto West Fork dredging is underway. The City of Houston and its contractor DRC (a subsidiary of Callan Marine) are already staging equipment in two places on the West Fork. The program, funded by FEMA, will remove an estimated 800,000 cubic yards of silt and sediment between the […]

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Flood-Mapping Changes Recommended to FEMA

Reduce Flooding — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 20:02:52 +0000

On October 30, 2023, the Technical Mapping Advisory Council (TMAC) recommended that FEMA implement six flood mapping changes. The objectives: SFHA and FPA Definition Recommendations FEMA currently defines a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) as land “subject to a 1 percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year.” The SFHA may contain several […]

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TWDB to Consider $50 Million Grant for Lake Houston Gates

Reduce Flooding — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 09:58:52 +0000

Save the date. On December 7, 2023, the Texas Water Development Board will consider a $50 million grant to the City of Houston for structural improvements to the Lake Houston Dam. The improvements will extend the life of the dam and enable rapid lowering of lake levels in advance of a flood. The project, led […]

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FEMA’s Swift Current Program Attempts to Speed Up Disaster Recovery Assistance

Reduce Flooding — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 19:05:04 +0000

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance Division is attempting to speed up disaster relief with its Swift Current program. The goal is to shorten the disaster/repair cycle for repetitively flooded or substantially damaged properties. According to a FEMA press release, “Swift Current strives to better align the delivery of flood mitigation funding with the disaster survivor experience. […]

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Northpark South Starts Clearing Wetlands, Floodplain

Reduce Flooding — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 18:04:19 +0000

Colorado-based Century Land Holdings of Texas, LLC has started clearing land for Northpark South in Porter along the West Fork of the San Jacinto River at the west end of Northpark Drive. Documents from the Houston Planning Commission, USGS, and FEMA; eyewitness accounts from nearby residents and flood professionals; and aerial photos indicate: The same […]

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FEMA Publishes Nature-Based Solution Guides, Advice

Reduce Flooding — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 23:30:27 +0000

FEMA has published two nature-based flood-mitigation solutions guides with an emphasis on how communities can develop projects with multiple benefits. Both are titled “Building Community Resilience with Nature-Based Solutions.” But one focuses on “Strategies for Success.” The other focuses on “A Guide for Local Communities.” Together, they build a case for integrating green and gray […]

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FEMA Adopts New Formula for Disaster Funding

Reduce Flooding — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 17:30:38 +0000

Below I’m reprinting verbatim a press release from FEMA dated 98/6/23. It’s about a new formula for disaster funding. And it creates “Disaster Resilience Zones” that will receive increased federal support. Caution: government euphemisms ahead, including: The press release does not mention “damage” or “threats to life” at all. See my editorial comment at the […]

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