Beginning the Recovery Effort

The flooding that has occurred this week has been truly devastating to Harris County and the City of Houston. Preliminary reports put the total number of flooded homes in the 7^th district at 1,011 and this number is likely to rise as damage assessments are completed.

I have been touring communities and visiting with residents who have suffered damage to their homes. I am seeing firsthand the destruction our neighbors have suffered and I am working with our top-notch federal, state and local officials, who have a superb system in place to handle disasters like this 250 year flood event. Today, I toured the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs, visited the headquarters of the Army Corps of Engineers and met with Harris County Homeland Security and Emergency Management personnel.

I am working to ensure that federal funds are available as quickly as possible for disaster relief in Harris County and to accelerate the construction of projects that will prevent future flooding.

The amount of water that fell in Harris County was enough to run Niagara Falls for 88 hours. The Addicks and Barker Reservoirs are at the highest water level in their history. According to all of the experts I visited with today, if these two reservoirs had not been built and Harris County flood control improvements had not been made, this rainfall event would have flooded all homes west of downtown Houston, and downtown Houston would have been flooded two to three stories high. The experts estimated that a minimum of $3 billion worth of damage would have occurred. The damage and loss of life is devastating, but we are very fortunate that the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs were built and we have such a professional team of state and local leaders in place to help protect our lives and property.

As the flood waters recede, damage assessments are still coming in and soon Governor Greg Abbott will formally request a disaster declaration from the Obama Administration. This disaster declaration allows victims and local governments to request disaster relief funds from FEMA. I’m working closely with FEMA, the state of Texas, Harris County Flood Control District, the city of Houston, and the Army Corps to ensure that the disaster declaration is approved as quickly as possible so that Houstonians are able to begin rebuilding in a timely manner. The disaster declaration requires $35 million in damages for the state. Harris County alone currently has at least $25 million in damages.

The loss of life and property damage is catastrophic and heartbreaking. Our first responders are true heroes and I’d like to thank the Harris County Flood Control District, the Army Corps of Engineers, the City of Houston, and all first responders for their hard work and heroic actions when Houstonians needed them the most. As always, I’m working hard every day to make sure our local authorities have all the support they need for flood control and disaster relief so that Texans can start to rebuild.

It is an honor and a privilege to represent you and Texas in the United States House.