Galveston Seawall

Energy & Environment

Ike Dike project still hunting for federal money after House declines funding request

Posted on · The House Appropriations Committee did not grant a $100 million funding request made by U.S. Rep. Randy Weber of Galveston, but Congress could still allocate money this year to the long-planned storm surge suppression system. How soon the project secures federal funding will determine how quickly work can begin.

Galveston Beach

Energy & Environment

Ike Dike work closer to starting after $550 million appropriation from Texas Legislature

Posted on · A longstanding plan for a storm surge suppression system between Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula, commonly called the 'Ike Dike,' is awaiting federal funding. Once that happens, work on the $34 billion project can get underway.

Hurricane Laura Flooding

Climate Change

Gulf Coast sea level rising at ‘unprecedented’ rate, recent studies find

Posted on · Average sea levels along the United States' Gulf and Southeast coasts have been by about half an inch per year since 2010, about three times more than the global average, according to recent studies published in Nature Communications and Journal of Climate.

Houston Matters

Ike Dike legislation moves forward, and Huma Abedin steps out of the shadows (May 6, 2022)

Posted on · On Friday's show: Legislation to protect Texas from storm surge moves forward in the U.S. Senate, Huma Abedin discusses her new memoir ahead of an event in Houston, and we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.

Houston Matters

Monday’s Houston Matters: Weekend Protests, And COVID-19’s Burden On Public Health Care (June 1, 2020)

Posted on · On Monday's show: Recapping protests over the weekend following the death of Houston native George Floyd, how COVID-19 is affecting the county's public health system, and Houston's risk for storm surge.

Full Show

Speeding Up the ‘Ike Dike’ Study, and the First African Americans at NASA: Tuesday’s Show (January 17, 2017)

Posted on · You're probably familiar with the idea of the so-called "Ike Dike," a proposed barrier to protect the Texas coast from storm surge in events like 2008's Hurricane Ike. The Army Corps of Engineers is currently studying the idea and should have its findings ready by June of 2018. But a recently passed federal law aims […]

the storm surge that breached the Peninsula bridge

Hurricane

Houston-Area Residents Protest Hurricane Plan

Posted on · A public meeting to gather input from Houston-area residents on various hurricane protection plans turned into a mini protest Tuesday with several attendees challenging a levee proposal that would leave some communities around Galveston Bay unprotected.

Houston Matters

Study: Levees Cheaper Than Sea Wall To Protect Galveston From Hurricanes

Posted on · The Gulf Coast Community Protection and Recovery District just finished Phase 2 of their storm surge suppression study. Public meetings are scheduled for later this month (March 2016). We learn about the storm surge suppression study from Robert Eckels, former Harris County Judge and president of the GCCPRD. He details what the GCCPRD does and […]

Full Show

Storm Suppression and Intellectual Property: Wednesday’s Show (March 16, 2016)

Posted on · A comprehensive study is underway to examine how to best protect Greater Houston from the next big storm. On this edition of Houston Matters, we learn about the storm surge suppression study from Robert Eckels, former Harris County Judge and president of the Gulf Coast Community Protection and Recovery District. Then, Edel Howlin talks with […]

Houston Matters

Protecting the Texas Coast from Storms: It’s a Year-Round Job

Posted on · Hurricane season may be over, but preparing for the next big tropical storm is a year-long process. Among the groups engaged in that effort is the Gulf Coast Community Protection and Recovery District. The GCCPRD develops plans to help Galveston, Harris, and other area counties to alleviate damage from storms like 2008’s Hurricane Ike. The […]