HOUSTON – Nearly two months after Hurricane Harvey created devastating floods in the Houston region, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said officials need to change their thinking about what it means to live in a flood-prone area.
Emmett said leaders should use the sense of urgency following Harvey to “think boldly” and take ownership of flood control. He said watersheds should be protected and used as assets in mitigating disaster.
“This would change our attitude,” Emmett said.
Here’s 15 things Emmett said he believes will help prevent disasters like the floods of Hurricane Harvey from happening again.
1. Create a regional flood control agency
Emmett said this agency would work similar to the Transportation Policy Council, which takes a regional approach to transportation projects. He said this new flood agency should take the same approach to water management.
WATCH: Harris County Judge Ed Emmett on future flooding
2. Update FEMA flood plain maps
Emmett said the flood plain maps used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency should be immediately updated to reflect what happened during Harvey. He said there should be restrictions on construction within the agency’s designated 500-year flood plain.
3. Build a third reservoir
Emmett said a new reservoir should be built, aimed at protecting western and northwestern sections of Harris County. This would be in addition to the Barker and Addicks reservoirs that played a major role during Harvey.
4. Fund current flood control projects
Current flood control projects planned in Harris County should be fully and immediately funded, Emmett said.
5. Identify old watersheds
Emmett said natural watersheds have been developed to the point where officials have lost track of them. He said that one of the concerns during Harvey was that if there was an uncontrolled release from the reservoirs, no one really knew where that water would go.
6. Develop a flood warning, evacuation system
The Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management should create a state-of-the-art flood warning system and localized evacuation plans, Emmett said. He said a county “Navy” should also be created, and become part of the county’s response plan.
7. Increase capacity of Houston, Conroe lakes
Emmett said that so much silt has been deposited into Lake Houston and Lake Conroe that the capacity has been reduced. While that is fine if the lakes are used as a water supply, Emmett said, it causes problems when they are used as part of a flood control plan. He said the silt should be removed so that the lakes can better hold floodwaters.
8. Harris County OEM should also serve surrounding counties
Emmett said that smaller counties in the region do not have the same resources as Harris County, the largest county in the area. He said the county’s Office of Emergency Management should be used to help smaller counties respond to a crisis.
9. Utility districts should help with flood control
During Harvey, Emmett said, the leaders of municipal utility districts were not sure of what their role was in the response effort. He said those roles should be clarified.
10. Protect dangerous underpasses
Recalling the death of a Houston police officer in Harvey’s floodwaters, Emmett said that all underpasses that frequently flood should be equipped with automatic barriers or be part of a plan to manual block them, so that people do not drive into the deep water. He also said that carmakers should equip their vehicles with a way to detect the depth of water in front of a vehicle.
11. Comprehensive plans for all watersheds
Emmett said that plans to deal with flooding in all major watersheds should be developed, including a plan to divert water around downtown Houston. He said plans to use tunnels or channels to divert the water have been talked about since the 1940s.
12. Buyout, elevation programs
Federal and state leaders should buyout or elevate homes that are in the 100-year flood plain or any home that is frequently flooded.
13. Plan for development in unincorporated areas
Emmett said leaders should create plans for development in unincorporated areas of the county. He said the plan should also include a way to notify home buyers and renters that the property they are considering is prone to flooding.
14. Restore Addicks, Barker reservoirs immediately
The Army Corps of Engineers should immediately work to restore the Addicks and Barker reservoirs to tip-top shape, Emmett said. He said this should include removing vegetation that has grown in the reservoirs, if necessary, to ensure they can hold as much water as possible.
15. Send some sales tax revenue to county
Emmett said that some of the sales tax revenue generated in the county should be used by the county to help fund flood control projects. He said that relying on only property taxes for that money is not working.
