AUSTIN — Governor David Acton said today that protecting Texas communities from repeat flooding will be a central infrastructure priority when the Legislature returns.

“A lot of cities and counties already know which streets go under and which houses take water every few years,” Acton said. “They have plans sitting there. What they need is a state that will help pay for the work, not tell them to wait.”

The Governor pointed to a hard year on the ground. In April and May 2024, rounds of heavy rain produced major river flooding across East Texas and north of Houston. The San Jacinto River saw some of its highest crests in decades. Neighborhoods in Montgomery and Harris counties took on water. Lake Livingston made rare, high-volume releases. In July 2024, Hurricane Beryl drove inland over the Gulf Coast, flooding streets, forcing water rescues, and knocking out power to millions.

“We watched this in 2024. East Texas rivers, Harris County neighborhoods, then Beryl on the coast,” Acton said. “People lost time, money, and in some cases the use of their homes. That is the problem I want us working on.”

Acton said his office will spend the weeks ahead listening to cities, counties, and drainage districts that have projects waiting, and that he expects flood control to move with other core infrastructure business next session. He did not announce a specific proposal.

“I am not interested in a statewide lecture,” he said. “If a local government is putting up its own money and has a drainage, detention, or buyout project ready to go, the State ought to be in a position to help. That is what I will ask the Legislature to take up.”