In the greater Houston area, particularly in Harris and Galveston counties just to name a few, we are confronted with a critical issue: our waterways lack the capacity and infrastructure necessary to effectively manage stormwater. Over the past 50 years, we have experienced three intense storms classified as 500-year events or worse, resulting in catastrophic flooding, loss of life, injuries, and severe financial devastation for individuals and businesses.

While improving development standards is essential and can certainly mitigate some runoff, this approach serves only as a braking mechanism. The real crux of the problem lies in significantly increasing the capacity and efficiency of our waterways to convey stormwater out of the region. Without this fundamental enhancement, we will continue to face devastating flooding events.

It is imperative that we prioritize strategies to maximize the volume and flow of water into our systems, ensuring they can handle the extreme weather we are increasingly likely to encounter. If we fail to take decisive action, we risk redefining the floodplain, placing more lives and properties in harm's way with each major storm.

In a region so susceptible to historic and catastrophic flooding every 15 to 20 years, we must act now—not just to address the symptoms but to resolve the underlying issues that threaten our community's safety and resilience. The time for comprehensive solutions is now.

-- Rusty Burkett, GCCDD Board President