Tag Archives: Hurricane Harvey

Commissioners Court rejects Ogg’s request for more prosecutors

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I fully expected that Commissioners Court going from 4-1 Republican to 3-2 Democratic after the last election would signal big changes in how business was done in Harris County, but I didn’t expect this to be the first milestone on … Continue reading →

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The state of the state 2019

Posted on February 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Sometimes it’s what you don’t say that gets noticed. Gov. Greg Abbott, in his biennial State of the State address Tuesday, stayed on message about schools and taxes, continuing state leaders’ so far unified focus on bread-and-butter policy reforms in … Continue reading →

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Port Arthur

Posted on January 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The Harvey-damaged industrial town is trying to draw new residents while holding onto the ones it has now. Port Arthur may be surrounded by prosperous oil refineries, but the city itself faces challenges. The refineries employ fewer workers than they … Continue reading →

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Will we address the unincorporated problem?

Posted on January 21, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron proposes an agenda item for the Lege. Unincorporated Harris County The challenges of unincorporated Harris County are nothing new. For decades neighborhoods have sprouted up in the vast prairie west of Houston without any formal municipal governmental structure. … Continue reading →

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It’s always possible to make a border wall proposal stupider

Posted on January 14, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s Exhibit A. An emergency Trump administration plan to tap storm protection funds to pay for a border wall was slammed Friday by Houston lawmakers who said it could endanger the city’s recovery from Hurricane Harvey and jeopardize the region’s … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, National news | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

Our pretty decent revenue estimate

Posted on January 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve seen much worse. At a time when legislators are vowing to spend more money on public schools and slow the growth of Texans’ property tax bills, the state should have enough money at its disposal to do just that. … Continue reading →

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Orlando Sanchez’s bizarre press conference

Posted on December 30, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

What a weird thing. It was an absolutely wild afternoon for Harris County Treasurer Orlando Sanchez. He planned to have a news conference across the street from the HISD administration building, but things didn’t go as planned. Protestors showed up … Continue reading →

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Is there a better way to predict flooding?

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This startup thinks so. An artificial intelligence startup now says it can provide that warning. The company, One Concern, has announced that it can predict whether your block will flood — and if so, by how much — five days … Continue reading →

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Of course we could have done more on flood mitigation before now

Posted on December 14, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From the Chron: Harris County faces challenge, opportunity managing $2.5B flood bond program. I want to focus on this bit. Jim Blackburn, co-director of the Severe Storm Prediction, Education, and Evacuation from Disasters Center at Rice University, estimates the bond … Continue reading →

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More floodplain buyouts

Posted on November 29, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Gonna keep seeing more of these. Fifteen months after Hurricane Harvey flooded more than 200,000 area homes and apartments, Harris County has begun purchasing homes in the floodplain using funds voters overwhelmingly approved in this summer’s $2.5 billion flood infrastructure … Continue reading →

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What to do with the county courthouse?

Posted on November 19, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like a problem. More than 15 months after flooding from Hurricane Harvey shuttered Houston’s 20-story criminal courthouse, county leaders say they will begin in January on the first phase of a multi-part $86 million restoration project, which won’t be … Continue reading →

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City seeks more Harvey recovery funds

Posted on October 24, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Seek all you can. The City of Houston is preparing to ask Congress for $2 billion more to help residents whose homes were damaged by Hurricane Harvey — a request likely to coincide with lawmakers’ consideration of aid to … Continue reading →

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Who’s ready for a new flood plain map?

Posted on October 1, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s coming, but don’t hold your breath waiting for it. More than a year after Hurricane Harvey showed the Houston area’s floodplain maps were outdated and inaccurate, Harris County is prepared to begin the years-long process of drawing new maps. … Continue reading →

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Harvey and the Congressional races

Posted on September 22, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This was from a couple of days ago. A year ago this week, Dayna Steele was standing in 29 inches of water inside her Seabrook home. Her family had already made it through Hurricane Ike in 2008, when the water … Continue reading →

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What’s a little toxic waste among friends?

Posted on September 13, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

No big deal, right? The criteria Texas uses to determine how much — and whether — to clean up abandoned industrial facilities, waste dumps and other polluted sites are so lax that they may allow residential homes to be built … Continue reading →

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The Atlantic on CD07

Posted on September 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this: On a Saturday morning in Houston, the high was 94 degrees with a chance of rain. It was hardly friendly weather for canvassing—the door-knocking, yard sign–delivering, get-out-the-vote efforts that define a politician’s … Continue reading →

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Emmett speaks post-bond

Posted on September 2, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

With the flood bond referendum safely passed, we now turn to what comes next. Land and housing preservation is key to the Houston region becoming more resilient, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said Tuesday, on the heels of last weekend’s … Continue reading →

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STEAR-ing help to those who need it

Posted on August 28, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Did you even know there was a state registry to help people with mobility challenges in the event of a natural disaster? Texas has a system in place to identify people with disabilities who will need extra help during a … Continue reading →

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Flood bond referendum passes easily

Posted on August 26, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It was in the 85-15 range as of the 8:30 update from the County Clerk. Only a handful of precincts had reported as of that time, and I’m not going to stay up late waiting for more comprehensive numbers – … Continue reading →

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One year out from Harvey

Posted on August 25, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve come a long way, but we still have a long way to go. One year after Hurricane Harvey slammed the Texas coast, 8 percent of the people impacted by the disaster have not been able to return to their … Continue reading →

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Flood bond election day is today

Posted on August 25, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a Trib story about the bond. Flood experts say the bond is a good start — and indicative of an unprecedented shift in the collective mindset of local leaders and residents — but that it won’t come close to … Continue reading →

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A better match from FEMA

Posted on August 22, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. Federal officials have agreed to count volunteer work hours and donated materials toward the local match required for disaster recovery grants to repair streets, buildings, utilities, parks and other public facilities — a national policy change, initiated in … Continue reading →

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HISD avoids sanctions for this year

Posted on August 16, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Big sigh of relief. Houston ISD will avoid major state sanctions for at least one year after four of its longest-struggling schools met state academic standards this year, according to preliminary results released Wednesday. The announcement ensures the Texas Education … Continue reading →

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More details on the flood bond referendum

Posted on August 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Early voting starts today. The Harris County Flood Control District on Monday released its complete list of projects that would be funded by the county’s $2.5 billion flood infrastructure bond proposal, two days before early voting on the measure begins. … Continue reading →

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Poll shows flood bond referendum in good shape

Posted on August 7, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Standard caveats apply. A majority of Harris County voters say they will support a $2.5 billion flood infrastructure bond at the polls later this month, according to University of Houston research released Monday. Sixty-two percent of residents who said they … Continue reading →

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Arkema indictments

Posted on August 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This will cause a stir. A Harris County grand jury on Friday indicted the French chemical company Arkema and two executives for the “reckless” release of toxic chemicals during Hurricane Harvey last August, a move that alarmed industry leaders and … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Lots of Harvey waivers out there

Posted on August 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

And good for the school districts that got them. The vast majority of Houston-area school districts will be eligible for academic accountability waivers this year due to Hurricane Harvey, meaning they will be labeled “not rated” unless they score an … Continue reading →

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HISD is optimistic about not being taken over (yet)

Posted on July 21, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I hope it’s warranted. Several of Houston ISD’s longest-struggling elementary and middle schools posted significant gains on state standardized tests in 2018, including all three campuses that must meet Texas academic standards this year to avoid triggering major sanctions, according … Continue reading →

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Houston Flood Museum

Posted on July 12, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Sounds like a good idea. [Lacy] Johnson, a published author and Rice assistant professor, started writing to process the post-disaster “dissonance” she observed. The resulting essays published on Facebook quickly garnered hundreds of reactions and shares. It wasn’t long before the Houston Endowment approached her about … Continue reading →

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CD07 candidates endorse the August flood bond referendum

Posted on July 11, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

What I would expect. U.S. Rep. John Culberson and his challenger, Lizzie Fletcher, found rare common ground on Wednesday as both endorsed Harris County’s proposed $2.5 billion flood infrastructure bond proposal. Culberson said he can match every local dollar Harris … Continue reading →

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More on flood tunnels

Posted on July 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

They’re a thing, I swear. While it’s far from clear whether it will ever happen, the concept almost immediately generated widespread response when it was announced earlier this spring. Local officials told the Houston Chronicle it’s outside-the-box thinking with benefits that could outweigh … Continue reading →

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Where best to attack Culberson?

Posted on July 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Flooding is an obvious issue, but it’s hardly the only one. After Hurricane Harvey flooded much of Houston – including the hotly contested Seventh Congressional District – Republican incumbent John Culberson used his position on the House Appropriations Committee to … Continue reading →

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Feds approve $5 billion in Harvey aid

Posted on July 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Almost a year after Hurricane Harvey dumped historic rains on Texas, the state will receive more than $5 billion for a range of flood control projects, repairs and studies, the Trump administration announced Thursday. […] [About $1 billion] will … Continue reading →

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Council approves initial Harvey housing aid

Posted on June 29, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. Houston City Council has approved a plan to direct how the first long-term federal housing aid headed this way after Hurricane Harvey will be spent, targeting $600 million to repair or build single-family homes and $375 million … Continue reading →

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