San Jacinto River Authority 'needs to do a much better job,' Harris Co. Commissioner Tom Ramsey says

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Tom Ramsey, Harris County commissioner for Precinct 3, had some heated remarks in Tuesday's commissioner court.

Ramsey pointed the finger at Montgomery County leaders, blaming them for the intensity of the flooding we witnessed last week and over the weekend.

Ramsey's precinct is on the southern border of Montgomery County, and the San Jacinto River cuts through it. This location was hit heavily by the flooding.

Now, Ramsey claims the intensity of the flooding in Harris County directly results from poor flood mitigation in Montgomery County. He also pointed his finger at the San Jacinto River Authority, saying the release of access water from lakes was poorly done.

"When you're out in the middle of the night pulling people out of their houses and knowing some of that could have been mitigated if we did a better job, the San Jacinto River Authority needs to do a much better job releasing water early. They could have released it five (or) six days ago. They knew the flood was coming, and that buys us time," Ramsey said.

Ramsey said he is willing to work with Montgomery County, saying what happens there directly impacts folks downstream. ABC13 reached out to the Montgomery County Commissioners Court and county judge but has not heard back.

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