HOUSTON (AP) — After the floodwaters earlier this month just about swallowed two of the six homes that 60-year-old Tom Madigan owns on the San Jacinto River, he didn’t think twice about whether to fix them. He hired people to help, and they got to work stripping the walls, pulling up flooring and throwing out water-logged furniture. What Madigan didn’t know: The Harris County Flood Control District wants to buy his properties as part of an effort to get people out of dangerously flood-prone areas. Back-to-back storms drenched southeast Texas in late April and early May, causing flash flooding and pushing rivers out of their banks and into low-lying neighborhoods. Officials across the region urged people in vulnerable areas to evacuate. Like Madigan’s, some places that were inundated along the San Jacinto in Harris County have flooded repeatedly. And for nearly 30 years, the flood control district has been trying to clear out homes around the river by paying property owners to move, then returning the lots to nature. |
Xinhua Headlines: Xi, Biden Hold Historic Summit, Charting Course for Improving Bilateral TiesChina expected to continue contributing over 30% to global growth in 2024: economistVarious events introduced for students at museums in Xi'anXi Calls on China, U.S. to Find Right Way to Get AlongPerformance of show Colorful Guizhou Style resumes in SW ChinaStudy reveals giant store of global soil carbonVarious events introduced for students at museums in Xi'anInterview: Xi's Proposal for Another 'Golden 30 Years' Crucial to AsiaXiplomacy: Xi's APEC Visit Signifies Hope for ChinaChina's grain output sets new historical record