Commissioner Lesley Briones, in partnership with Commissioner Tom Ramsey, Waller County Commissioner Justin Beckendorff, and the Brookshire-Katy Drainage District, launched the regional flood resiliency coalition — a landmark cross-county alliance to address complex flooding in the fastest-growing areas in Texas.

Watersheds and drainage systems don't respect county boundaries. Water moves freely across county lines, meaning actions taken upstream in one community can directly worsen flood conditions miles away in another. The region saw that reality firsthand, with 43 lives lost and more than 160,000 Harris and Waller County homes damaged during Harvey and the 2016 Tax Day floods.

"Flooding doesn't stop at a county line, and after Harvey, neither can we. For too long, we've protected our communities in silos, county by county, storm by storm, while the water moved freely across every boundary we drew. That has to change. Today we're choosing partnership over politics, uniting our resources, data, and resolve, so families in Harris and Waller counties finally get the coordinated protection they've waited too long for. This is what the power of partnerships looks like when we decide our neighbors' safety is just as important as our own," said Commissioner Lesley Briones, Harris County Precinct 4.

Leaders signed a formal memorandum of understanding to unite resources, standardize drainage guidelines, and advance coordinated infrastructure projects:

• Conducting a Cypress Creek Study to analyze how the water flows between the counties
• Collaborating on drainage and detention improvements for Cane Island to mitigate flooding impacts
• Exploring expanded flood warning systems with additional gauges and a regional warning system
• Promoting regional drainage standards to implement strategic best practices and solutions in high-growth areas

"You don't get to lecture on partnership if you're not willing to practice it. Not every county along our border shares the same drainage standards, not because we're smarter, but because Harris County has made more mistakes than anybody and learned from everyone, from Carla to Ike to Harvey. A drop of rain on the edge of my precinct crosses into Precinct 4 and Waller County before it reaches Lake Houston. Getting this partnership right matters to every family downstream," said Commissioner Tom Ramsey, Harris County Precinct 3.

With Waller County experiencing 15 percent population growth over just five years and Northwest Harris County among the fastest-growing corridors in the state, the coalition’s work is imperative to mitigate flooding within their shared watershed and drainage infrastructure.

"The best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago. The next best time is today, and today we're planting the tree of flood mitigation. Water doesn't care about boundaries, and it doesn't care who you are, it affects every one of us. Most of the rain that falls in Waller County moves through Harris County before it ever reaches Katy. It's not a question of if we flood again, it's when, and what we do today decides whether our neighbors have to live through it," said Commissioner Justin Beckendorff, Waller County Precinct 4. 

"As it becomes more critical to think of flood water in regional terms, the Brookshire-Katy Drainage District is very excited to join our neighboring entities, agencies, and leaders in solidifying this spirit of cooperation. This regional drainage coalition is a milestone in public coordination, and the citizens of Waller, Harris and Fort Bend counties will be the beneficiaries of much improved drainage planning and infrastructure development," said State Representative Stan Kitzman, General Manager of the Brookshire-Katy Drainage District.

"Katy understands better than most that water doesn't recognize political boundaries. Floodwaters don't stop at county lines or city limits, and neither can our response. No single city, county, or district can solve this alone. Today proves that when local governments choose to work together, we accomplish more than any of us could on our own," said Mayor Dusty Thiele, City of Katy.

Commissioner Briones is committed to safeguarding families, enhancing public safety and strengthening long-term flood resilience throughout Harris County and neighboring communities.