The controversy over the flooding of the Addicks Reservoir outside Houston seems to have no resolution in site. What follows is a cautionary tale about building homes where waters flood.
Dylan Baddour reports from the city of Houston:
Six months after the Addicks Reservoir hit its highest point on record during the Tax Day flood, swelling up out of its theoretical bank and into the Bear Creek subdivision on its northwestern edge, residents there bemoaned the lingering effects. Beside financial ruin, some said, they still were living out of boxes and replacing appliances. And they were living in terror of the next big rain.
In September, Lauren Caruba devoted feature-length coverage to the looming threat represented by the dam holding back the water in the Addicks Reservoir. According to Baddour, "tension mounted," as U.S. Rep. Ted Poe (R-Tex) recently convened an expert panel to discuss the threat of flooding in the area.
"The audience wanted to know why the Addicks reservoir had infiltrated their living rooms, and what could be done to prevent it from happening again," according to Baddour. They were met with explanations about the how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' management mandates require they protect Houston above all other priorities.
In addition to the priority given to Houston by the Army Corps' stormwater management priorities, residents in the Bear Creek subdivision report being unable to acquire FEMA grants to raise their homes.
A FEMA spokesman said that limited grant money was managed by state and local authorities. "They set priorities for which areas they want to target," he said. This time, it seems they targeted Houston.
One possible source of relief could be coming from the federal government, where the Senate has approved $500 million in relief for 2016 floods in Texas, Louisiana, West Virginia, and Maryland. If the House passes that legislation and the president signs, some of that money could go to home repairs in the Houston area.
FULL STORY: Exasperation overflows as hundreds gather for Bear Creek flooding panel
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
Eviction Looms for Low-Income Tenants as Rent Debt Rises
Nonprofit housing operators across the country face almost $10 billion in rent debt.
Brightline West Breaks Ground
The high-speed rail line will link Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area.
Colorado Bans No-Fault Evictions
In most cases, landlords must provide a just cause for evicting tenants.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.