News
BY ANGELA BONILLA, NICHAELA SHAHEEN & LIZZY SPANGLER
Houston ranks as fastest sinking city, new study nds The Columbia Climate School has found that Houston is the fastest sinking city out of 28 cities examined in its recent study released May 8. In a nutshell Subsidence solutions In many places, ooding can be mitigated with the following, according to the study results:
Texas Renaissance Festival founder dies George Coulam, who founded the Texas Renaissance Festival and served as rst mayor of Todd Mission, died May 21, accord- ing to a May 21 news release from the city of Todd Mission. Some context Coulam founded the Texas Renaissance Festival in 1974, and incorporated the city of Todd Mission in 1982, according to the news release. He also served as Todd Mission’s rst and only mayor until May 8. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of George Coulam, founder of the Texas Renaissance Festival. For more than 50 years, he built a community that has become a cher- ished tradition for generations of performers, sta , and guests,” Texas Renaissance Festival o cials said in a May 21 Facebook post.
Cities susceptible to tilting hazards can also focus on the following, the study states: • Land raising • Enhanced drainage systems • Green infrastructure such as arti icial wetlands to absorb floodwaters • Retro itting existing structures • Integrating land motions into building codes • Limiting new building in the areas of most threat
Columbia Climate School is part of Columbia University’s school of transdisciplinary climate research, a program that began in 2020. The study found that some cities are sinking at di erent rates in di erent locations or sinking in some places and rising in others, according to the report. The authors found that in 25 of the 28 cities studied, two-thirds or more of the area is sinking. The study states that about 34 million people live in the a ected areas studied. The breakdown Houston is the fastest sinking city with “more than 40% of its area subsiding more than 5 milli- meters ... per year, and 12% sinking at twice that rate,” according to the study.
SOURCE: COLUMBIA CLIMATE SCHOOL COMMUNITY IMPACT
According to the report, Fort Worth and Dallas are also seeing signi cant sinking rates. The report also states that localized fast-sinking zones in other places include areas around New York’s LaGuardia Airport and parts of Las Vegas.
Jerry Matheson Park reopens following renovations
Economic Development Corp. and a $750,000 grant from Texas Parks & Wildlife. Looking ahead The next phase, Phase 3, will include renova- tions to existing restrooms and upgrades to the utilities that services the restroom and pool, Public Works Director Drew Hu man said. Phase 3 is not funded or programmed at this time.
Community members celebrated the reopening of Jerry Matheson Park on May 16. The details The park renovations are part of a multiphase renovation plan by the city of Tomball, partly funded through American Rescue Plan Act funds, per prior reporting. Other funding sources included community entities such as the Tomball
The park now holds a playground, splash pad, walking trails, pickleball courts and expanded parking.
NICHAELA SHAHEEN COMMUNITY IMPACT
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