Bayou City Initiative

In Kashmere Gardens, local officials heralded the progress of a $100 million Hunting Bayou channel improvement project that will remove more than 4,000 homes from the flood plain.
District B Council Member Tarsha Jackson said the project, which includes a detention basin and improvements to 17 bridges, is a welcome first step to protecting northeast Houston residents from flooding.

“Every time there’s rain in the forecast, I brace for calls from constituents who see their streets flooding, their lawns flooding and water coming into their houses,” Jackson said.

County leaders say the project, to be completed early next year, is an example of prioritizing poorer areas that historically had been neglected for flood protection.

The “worst-first” model Commissioners Court adopted to determine the order in which bond projects are completed considers a host of socioeconomic factors, including poverty and education level, rather than solely a neighborhood’s flood history.

“These are neighborhoods that in the past always not only felt left behind, but were left behind,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in Kashmere Gardens last month. “Now, projects like the one we’re visiting today are pretty much at the top of the list.”

Progress of flood bond is slow but steady - Houston Chronicle, 12/6/2021 Workers expand and deepen Hunting Bayou at Hutcheson Park in Kashmere Gardens last month, part of the $2.5 billion flood bond.

The dispute with GLO has enormous consequences: Harris County is counting on federal aid to help complete projects in its $2.5 billion flood bond program and Houston desperately wants to improve urban drainage so neighborhoods no longer flood before stormwater can flow into bayous.

Houston, epicenter of Harvey damage, still would get $0 under Texas' latest disaster aid plan Harris County and the city of Houston this week blasted the Texas General Land Office’s...

⚠️ ⚠️ FLASH FLOOD WARNING ⚠️ ⚠️ issued for Harris County until 7:30 AM.
⚠️ Stay where you are until the storm has passed
⚠️ Floodwaters are EXTREMELY hard to see at night
⚠️ NEVER walk, swim or drive through floodwaters
More: https://bit.ly/3A5ohKV

The proposal illustrates the balance that Houston leaders must strike between what one is willing to pay for and what one is willing to risk.

The final Ike D**e plan won't protect against every storm - especially with climate change The Houston region still relies on the 17-foot high Galveston seawall that was first...

A congressional panel is set to review the Texas General Land Office's denial of federal flood mitigation funding to Houston and Harris County.

Congress wants George P. Bush to testify over decision to deny Harris County $1 billion in flood aid A congressional panel is set to review the Texas General Land Office's denial of federal...

Hurricanes, a winter storm, and spring floods have left low-income Gulf Coast residents exhausted and cash strapped before this year’s season, with no significant aid in sight.

“People Are Wiped Out”: Costs Pile Up as Hurricane Season Begins

Today is day 1 of hurricane season. Our commitment to you remains the same - to keep you updated on everything you need to know in order to prepare, survive, and advocate.

Please be sure to have your hurricane prep kit and take a minute to explain to your friends and family what to do in the time of an evacuation.

"Houston and Harris County officials said the Texas General Land Office informed them Thursday they would receive nothing from the more than $1.3 billion in applications they had submitted for federal flood mitigation funding the state is disbursing."

Houston and Harris County asked for $1.3B in flood aid. The GLO's offer: $0. Houston and Harris County officials said the Texas General Land Office informed them...

Be prepared for the upcoming hurricane season.

LIST: It's tax-free weekend on emergency supplies in Texas, including some power generators The sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, April 24, and ends at midnight on Monday, April 26.

Our friends at Scenic Houston put together this great conversation, Don't Mess With Buffalo Bayou. Check out the link below to watch the discussion.

Scenic Mornings | Don't Mess With Buffalo Bayou Scenic Houston Presents Scenic MorningsJoin us Tuesday, March 23rd 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. for an engaging conversation about Buffalo Bayou — arguably one of the ...

Our county has an obligation to honor the equity prioritization framework we established to ensure all communities are equally protected from future flooding events. - Commissioner Rodney Ellis

Prioritize flood control for most vulnerable - Houston Chronicle, 3/16/2021 All of our residents deserve a safe, strong and resilient Harris County for themselves and their children, regardless of their wealth or their ZIP code. Mother Nature does not discriminate — but unfortunately, our investments to strengthen and protect our county from flooding have.