[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 16387]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                PLANS TO PREVENT FLOODING IN THE FUTURE

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Hurricane Harvey ravaged the coast of 
Texas, hammering it with 50 inches of rain, massive flooding, and 
massive damage.
  After the rain stopped, the decision to release water from Addicks 
and Barker Reservoirs and Lake Conroe have left many questions in the 
Houston area. The release of this water caused even more flooding 
downstream.
  Why did the Corps of Engineers open Barker and Addicks Reservoirs for 
15 days? Why weren't the communities of Humble and Kingwood given 
proper notice of the historic release of floodwater from Lake Conroe by 
the San Jacinto River Authority? And there are more questions.
  I have introduced the Texas Flood Accountability Act. This 
legislation requires the Army Corps of Engineers to evaluate the cause 
of the floods and what can be done for long-term plans to prevent 
flooding in the future. They must produce this plan within 90 days 
after enactment.
  We must move from paying for disasters to preventing them. We need a 
plan, Mr. Speaker.
  And that is just the way it is.

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