Category Archives: Hurricane Katrina

JJ Watt announces his plan for Harvey relief funds

Posted on October 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This had been much anticipated. Hurricane Harvey victims, nonprofits and Texans fans alike have been on the edge of their seats to hear what J.J. Watt planned to do with the $37 million he raised for storm relief. As of … Continue reading →

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City buys out some flooded homes

Posted on October 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Expect to see more of this. Houston City Council on Wednesday approved funding nearly 60 home buyouts across three flood-prone neighborhoods, the first such step from City Hall in recent memory. The city typically leaves buyouts to the Harris County … Continue reading →

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Curbside recycling will resume November 13

Posted on October 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Hooray! Houstonians stockpiling cardboard and aluminum cans, rejoice: the city will resume curbside recycling service next month. Recycling service has been suspended since Aug. 30, when city waste crews dropped all efforts other than weekly trash pickup to focus on … Continue reading →

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How about those price gouging complaints?

Posted on October 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

You can’t rush these things. Within weeks of Hurricane Harvey making landfall, Texans lodged more than 3,000 complaints against hundreds of gas stations, hotels and grocery stores, accusing them of selling such essentials as gasoline or water at exorbitant prices. … Continue reading →

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No big drop in enrollment in area school districts

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mostly good news. During the height of Hurricane Harvey, school district officials worried enrollments would plummet as thousands of families fled Houston for Dallas, Austin and other drier regions. While many families lost their homes, it seems most relocated within … Continue reading →

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Curbside recycling is coming back

Posted on October 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Because most of the Harvey debris has been picked up. Win all around. Houstonians who have been dragging their overflowing recycling bins to the curb every other week only to roll them back again untouched finally should have their cartons … Continue reading →

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The lost Harvey tax break

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I have mixed feelings about this. Owners of nearly 300,000 homes damaged by Hurricane Harvey in Texas won’t see any break in their property taxes because of political wrangling this year in the state Legislature over completely unrelated issues – … Continue reading →

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More on the courthouse shuffle

Posted on October 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib takes a look at how things are going at the flooded-out Harris County Criminal Justice Center. Since Harvey hit Harris County in late August, one of the busiest criminal court systems in the country has suspended all jury … Continue reading →

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Don’t hold your breath waiting for federal Harvey recovery money

Posted on October 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Settle in for the long haul. It could be months, if not years, before southeast Texans and scores of counties and cities receive federal funds to pay for the long-term rebuilding and recovery of homes and communities battered by Hurricane … Continue reading →

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What the Harvey needs are from the state

Posted on October 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not just about recovery. The long term needs, including mitigation against future events like Harvey, is where the real money will need to be spent. More than one month after Harvey’s deluge hit, local officials, including Mayor Sylvester Turner … Continue reading →

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Harvey and the oysters

Posted on October 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

If it’s not one thing, it’s another. Oyster lovers will shell out more for the marine delicacy this fall, as freshwater runoff from Hurricane Harvey’s historic floods killed virtually all of the bivalves in the prolific seabeds of Galveston Bay. … Continue reading →

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MUDs and Harvey

Posted on October 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

City governments have their pros and cons, and their challenges getting things done. But at least their existence means residents of said cities have places to go when they need various services. Not everyone has that, and in times of … Continue reading →

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HFD and disaster preparedness

Posted on October 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot here to think about, and to do something about. The Houston Fire Department’s limitations quickly became clear as Harvey’s floodwaters rose. Just one high-water rescue vehicle. Decades-old evacuation boats. Sparse training for swift-water rescues. And limited staffing … Continue reading →

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We’re going to need another jury building

Posted on October 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck with that. Harris County is unlikely to repair Hurricane Harvey flood damage to the six-year-old, $13 million jury Assembly Building that sits beneath a park in downtown Houston’s courthouse square near Buffalo Bayou, County Judge Ed Emmett said … Continue reading →

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Houston gets state recovery funds, property tax rate hike shelved

Posted on September 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Was that so hard? I ask you. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Friday said he would withdraw a proposed property tax rate hike after Gov. Greg Abbott handed him a check for $50 million to help fund the city’s recovery from … Continue reading →

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What should the people living near the dams have known?

Posted on September 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

More than they were told, is what they’re saying. A federal lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers claims government officials knew for years that water impounded behind Addicks and Barker dams would flood thousands of suburban homes during … Continue reading →

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Harris County files lawsuit against Arkema

Posted on September 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

More trouble for that nasty and troublesome chemical plant. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday authorized the county attorney to file a lawsuit against Arkema over its struggles to manage stores of hazardous chemicals during Hurricane Harvey. The county’s Pollution … Continue reading →

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Abbott says he wants a list from Turner

Posted on September 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

A list of funding priorities, he says. Because he’s passive like that. Answering Houston’s latest complaints over funding for Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts, Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday told Mayor Sylvester Turner the state can step up with more money … Continue reading →

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Can our dams handle the load?

Posted on September 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Pretty important question, wouldn’t you say? The state climatologist is warning that Texas dams will become less able to withstand extreme weather events like Hurricane Harvey, which are expected to occur more frequently as the earth’s atmosphere and oceans warm … Continue reading →

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Harris County considers its budget post-Harvey

Posted on September 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

They have some choices, and some constraints. Harris County government departments could see their budgets reduced by up to 5 percent as property taxes take an expected dip due to Hurricane Harvey’s widespread destruction. The estimate is preliminary, County Budget … Continue reading →

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Abbott has no interest in helping Houston

Posted on September 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

So much for that. If the state taps into the Rainy Day Fund to help with recovery following Hurricane Harvey, it won’t be until the next legislative session, Gov. Greg Abbott said during a news conference Tuesday. Abbott’s announcement comes … Continue reading →

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Has Harvey changed anything politically?

Posted on September 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

You’d think it would, but it remains to be seen as far as I’m concerned. A month to the day after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas, the reality of the storm was beginning to sink in on the minds … Continue reading →

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Mostyn talks storm lawsuits

Posted on September 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Tribune interviews Steve Mostyn, leading litigator in matters relating to storm damage, about what to expect after Harvey. TT: How will HB 1774 impact people after Harvey? MOSTYN: When you lower the penalties … if you lower them … Continue reading →

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What will we do with the hardest hit schools?

Posted on September 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Houston area was inundated by floods during Harvey. As bad as that was and is, we weren’t affected by the wind. The coastal region is dealing with that, and it’s a very tough road they have ahead of them. … Continue reading →

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Let’s review those flood control regulations

Posted on September 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like a good idea, wouldn’t you say? The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to review Harris County’s flood control regulations to gauge whether they sufficiently neutralize the flood risk posed by the region’s booming development, a question … Continue reading →

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Mayor Turner lowers tax rate hike amount

Posted on September 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sure we’re all glad to see this. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday said the temporary property tax rate hike he has proposed would be cut in half after federal officials approved his request to increase reimbursement for the city’s … Continue reading →

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Paul Bettencourt advocates doing nothing to rebuild after Harvey

Posted on September 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

He has nothing constructive to offer, that’s for sure. One of the top Republicans leaders in the Texas Legislature is slamming the city of Houston and other local governments for trying to raise taxes on homeowners in the name of … Continue reading →

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Some schools will have longer days

Posted on September 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like a reasonable approach, all things considered. School days will grow longer for students at 11 Houston Independent School District campuses after the Board of Education voted Thursday night to extend school days to stay in compliance with state … Continue reading →

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The courthouse shuffle

Posted on September 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Justice rearranged. Flood waters damaged several buildings in the courthouse complex , which is spread across a dozen city blocks in north downtown. The county’s shiny new underground jury assembly building flooded, but the biggest casualty was probably the destruction … Continue reading →

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More on recapture and the Rainy Day Fund

Posted on September 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There are some conditions that have to be met to get our recapture money back. Houston Independent School District won’t have to hand millions of dollars to the state to spend at other schools if HISD needs that money to … Continue reading →

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Abbott waives fees for birth certificates for individuals from hurricane-affected counties

Posted on September 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From Diane Trautman on Facebook, also sent to me in email: Governor Greg Abbott has approved a request allowing the state to waive fees for mail-in or walk-in birth certificate issuance requests, and local registrars to waive fees for walk-in birth … Continue reading →

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HISD may get a recapture reprieve thanks to Harvey

Posted on September 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Talk about a mixed blessing. The Houston Independent School District may be able to avoid paying part – or perhaps all – of its over $100 million state-mandated recapture payment. The potential reprieve comes after a school board lawyer found … Continue reading →

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Emmett calls for changes to county’s flood strategy

Posted on September 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good to see. Calling Tropical Storm Harvey’s devastation a “game-changer,” Harris County Judge Ed Emmett on Monday called for a sweeping reexamination of the region’s flood control strategy, a process that could include billions of dollars to upgrade aging dams, … Continue reading →

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Your auto insurance rates are about to go up

Posted on September 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Another gift to us from Harvey. Auto insurance companies have restricted options for Houston-area drivers looking to purchase new policies and replace cars flooded by Hurricane Harvey, and comprehensive rates are expected to rise after the loss of an estimated … Continue reading →

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