Red flags were raised

Regarding “Storms pound Brazoria County, where Brazos threatens to crest” (A3, Sunday), it is amazing that our flood control officials and city and county leaders are so fixed on deepening and widening our bayous that they are unable and unwilling to face the real problem.

Mike Talbott, executive director of the Harris County Flood Control District, is quoted as saying, “There’s always a last row of lots that shouldn’t have been built. I wish someone would have told us that 100 years ago.”

Perhaps 100 years ago this did not occur, although people were aware and did learn to live with floods in floodplains. At least 40 years ago I remember environmentalists saying that there needed to be a different way to develop, stay out of the 100-year floodplain, and protect and respect our bayous. Environmentalists were ignored. Harris County has been approving flood plans for developments for years, and we still have the same problem.

Maybe digging deeper and wider is not the answer.

Brandt Mannchen, Houston