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News Coverage
Public concern about flooding ebbs in area, Kinder survey shows
Emily Foxhall | The Houston Chronicle | May 13, 2019
Study: 'Third reservoir' won’t stop flooding in northwest Harris County
Nick Powell | The Houston Chronicle | May 10, 2019
After Harvey, we must change more than how we react to flood risk to thrive amid coming climate change challenges [Editorial]
The Editorial Board | The Houston Chronicle | April 26, 2019
Reports: Development rules still fall short after Hurricane Harvey
Emily Foxhall | The Houston Chronicle | April 16, 2019
Rethinking Water Detention and Development Regulations in Greater Houston
Alvaro Ortiz | Houston Public Media | April 16, 2019
Report: Close To Half A Million Harris County Residents Live In Units At Risk Of Flooding
Katie Watkins | Houston Public Media | March 25, 2019
Study: More than 475,000 Harris County residents live in units at risk of flooding
Sarah Smith | The Houston Chronicle | March 21, 2019
Troubled Waters: A Year After Harvey, Has Houston Learned Anything?
Mimi Swartz | Texas Monthly | September 2018
A year after Hurricane Harvey brought Houston to its knees, the city is still wrestling with how to prepare for the next disaster. There’s no shortage of good ideas, but in Houston, that’s never been the problem.
"Paradigm Shift" on flooding emerging after Harvey
Mike Snyder | The Houston Chronicle | August 25, 2018
A year after Hurricane Harvey brought Houston to its knees, the city is still wrestling with how to prepare for the next disaster. There’s no shortage of good ideas, but in Houston, that’s never been the problem.
Stay or Go: Homeowners face a difficult decison after Harvey
Abner Fletcher | NPR's Houston Matters | July 25, 2018
In the wake of Harvey, Houston homeowners face a pivotal decision—stay or go. What do Houstonians need to know in order to make that decision?
Is a massive tunnel system the answer to Houston's flood woes?
Natalia Alamdari | The Texas Tribune | July 6, 2018
Other Texas cities have built underground channels to divert stormwater. Experts say it might not be the right way to go for Houston, but that it's still worth exploring.
Opinion: Include communities when planning post-Harvey flood mitigation projects
Kyle Shelton and Earthea Nance | The Houston Chronicle | July 5, 2018
A year after Hurricane Harvey brought Houston to its knees, the city is still wrestling with how to prepare for the next disaster. There’s no shortage of good ideas, but in Houston, that’s never been the problem.
Houston to consider underground tunnels to help prevent flooding
Allison Lee | NPR's Here & Now | June 13, 2018
Southeastern Texas is one of a handful of regions bracing for this year's hurricane season. Harris and Galveston counties had severe flooding after Hurricane Harvey dropped more than 60 inches of rain last August. The National Hurricane Center calls Harvey the second costliest hurricane in American history.
Officials are searching for ways to avoid future damage including one advocated by the Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium which takes a look at a system under consideration: underground tunnels.
Researchers release flood mitigation strategies report for Houston area
Zac Ezzone | Community Impact | May 14, 2018
The Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium released a report in March stating that many Harris County watersheds do not have sufficient flood mitigation projects planned in relation to the amount of damage they sustained during Hurricane Harvey.
Opinion: What will it take for Houston to become more 'resilient'?
Christof Spieler | The Houston Chronicle | May 7, 2018
If the Houston region wants to minimize the human impacts of future events like Hurricane Harvey, we need to think about flooding differently. Houston City Council recently approved the creation of a municipal utility district to support building 900 homes in Spring Branch on the former Pine Crest Golf Course. These homes will be in a floodplain, in a neighborhood that has flooded repeatedly. This subdivision is designed to minimize flood risk for the new homes. But what can be done to help the hundreds of existing flood-prone homes around it?
Houston area continues to eye third reservoir to control flooding
Mike Snyder | The Houston Chronicle | May 5, 2018
Eight months after Harvey, area leaders generally agree that a third reservoir is needed to supplement the protection provided by the Barker and Addicks reservoirs - two projects in the 1940 plan that did come to fruition. Unresolved issues involving the location, design and primary goal of a third reservoir, however, reflect broader questions about regional values and priorities.
Floods don’t care about urban boundaries. Neither should our mitigation plans.
Emily Powell | The Texas Tribune | May 1, 2018
There will never be an easy fix for Houston’s flooding issues. Hurricane Harvey came on the heels of “500-year” floods in 2015 and 2016 — and the 2018 hurricane season is predicted to be more active than average. It is clear the region’s flood risks are increasing. It is time to think big and creatively about how to prepare for the changes that are already underway.
Houston prairie restoration projects take on new significance after Harvey
Mike Snyder | The Houston Chronicle | April 30, 2018
The tender green shoots nestled in plastic pots don’t appear to have super-powers. They look a bit like weeds. But for students and volunteers at Rice University, they are valuable tools for helping Houston protect against future flooding.
Second thoughts on Third Reservoir
Editorial | The Houston Chronicle | April 22, 2018
After Hurricane Harvey demonstrated the limitations of the Barker and Addicks reservoirs, anybody who knew local history pointed out that the original plans called for developing a third dam to protect downtown Houston from flooding. Were we wrong about the third reservoir?
How can Houston live with the certainty of flooding?
Editorial | The Houston Chronicle | April 14, 2018
A great American city, struck by natural disaster, forever changes the way it thinks about building and planning. That’s not the story of Houston after Hurricane Harvey — yet. It should be.
New flood mitigation report offers insight for Houston post-Hurrican Harvey
Jim McKay | Emergency Management | April 13, 2018
Study weighs in on ‘third reservoir,’ development and housing buyouts.
Chart: How inadequate flood funding has left many Houston watersheds in need
Mike Morris | The Houston Chronicle | April 6, 2018
The Houston region and its leaders must rethink what flood mitigation means and how to accomplish it, a report released this week by the Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium argued.
Report: Houston region must take fresh approach on flooding
Mike Morris | The Houston Chronicle | April 6, 2018
A coalition of local researchers focusing on flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey have released a detailed report calling for the region to rethink what flood mitigation means and how to tackle these efforts.
Here's what greater Houston must do to mitigate future flooding, according to new study
Jen Para | The Houston Business Journal | April 5, 2018
Grant Patterson highlights lessons learned from other regions, such as areas of North Carolina and New Jersey, and how Houston might apply these when planning the next round of buyouts.
Report: Solving Houston flooding woes will require wholesale strategy overhaul
Kiah Collier | The Texas Tribune | April 5, 2018
Limiting development and telling buyers about a home's true flood risk are among the recommendations by the Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium.
Mitigating Flooding Requires Multiple Strategies
William Fulton | Urban Edge | April 5, 2018
Engineering, green infrastructure and land protections must all be part of the flooding solution.
Flood Mitigation Tactics
Abner Fletcher | NPR's Houston Matters | April 5, 2018
Houston Matters examines a new report on ways to prevent flooding.
Houston flooding can't be eliminated, but impact can be reduced
Team of reporters | KHOU CBS Television | April 5, 2018
Recommendations for how to address Houston's flood problem were released Thursday morning. They say getting rid of flooding just isn't possible, but there are ways to reduce the impact it has on your life.
Flood mitigation: Report says Houston should be working faster
Lea Wilson | KPRC NBC Television | April 5, 2018
A report released Thursday by the Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium calls for a faster shift in how the Houston area plans for and recovers from flooding and its consequences.
Report: Third Houston Reservoir Would Not Address Current Flooding Danger
Florian Martin | NPR's Houston Matters | April 5, 2018
The consortium's report analyzes different ideas to reduce future flooding in Greater Houston.
Can Houston become better at buying out flood homes?
Grant Patterson | The Houston Chronicle | February 8, 2018
Grant Patterson highlights lessons learned from other regions, such as areas of North Carolina and New Jersey, and how Houston might apply these when planning the next round of buyouts.
How to improve the purchase process of homes affected by the passage of Hurricane Harvey?
David Herrera | Univision | February 6, 2018
The Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium welcomed five experts from across the country to share best practices and successful strategies implemented for buyout in their region. David Herrera spoke with Gavin Smith of the University of North Carolina, one of the expert panelists, and John Jacob of Texas A &M on the session and the report produced by Rice University’s Kinder Institute of Urban Research. Smith shared the purpose of the report was to capture best practices in order for local and state officials to make more informed decisions regarding buyouts in the region. He also highlighted the importance of authorities walking homeowners through every step of the process as it can be long and confusing at times. Jacob spoke to the need for buyouts in high-risk areas where there has been heavy development, recognizing that flooding will occur in the area and there is an opportunity to reduce the negative impact of it.
Workshop Discusses Making Buyouts An Increased Aspect of Flood Mitigation
Abner Fletcher | NPR's Houston Matters | February 6, 2018
Christof Spieler of the Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium, Kyle Shelton of Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, and Dave Canaan of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina's stormwater services department cover what will be discussed at the buyout workshop.
Area-specific Flood Alerts Give Residents Time to Save Lives, Property
Phil Bedient and Christof Spieler | The Houston Chronicle | February 3, 2018
Christof Spieler of the Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium and Phil Bedient of Rice University’s SSPEED Center share the value of a region-wide flood warning system and flood alert system.
How Disaster Charity Can Pivot to Sustainable Philanthropy
Paul Sullivan | The New York Times | December 23, 2017
Paul Sullivan writes in his "Wealth Matters" column about how philanthropic organizations can look beyond reactive charity following a disaster in order to create and sustain solutions for the redevelopment and rebuilding of communities (long after the news headlines).
Researchers discuss a new flood warning system for greater Houston
Abner Fletcher | NPR's Houston Matters | December 18, 2017
Christof Spieler of the Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium and Antonia Sebastian of Rice University’s SSPEED Center discuss the possibility of using real-time data to make flood-prevention decisions faster.
To fight flooding in Houston, we have to think big
Christof Spieler | The Houston Chronicle | November 17, 2017
The Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium responds to Judge Ed Emmett's 15-point plan.
Houston Comes Together To Figure Out Flooding
Nancy Kinder, Katherine Lorenz, Ann Stern | The Houston Chronicle | October 27, 2017
The newly formed Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium aims to guide our regional response after Harvey
PhilanTopic: A weekly roundup of noteworthy items about the social sector
Foundation Center | Philanthropy Digest | October 29, 2017
Notes about the newly formed Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium.
A call to rebuild Houston by design: Mitigation alone is not enough
Jose Solis | Offcite | October 30, 2017
The newly formed Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium aims to guide our regional response after Harvey
News by Date: April 2019
New reports by the Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium encourage a new look at drainage, detention and development regulations that impact flooding in the city and county
Reports suggest current regional detention regulations may be allowing some new development to increase downstream flooding; adapting region’s approach to address Houston’s changing realities The Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium has released dual research reports that examine... More
