Harris County Flood Control Director resigns from her position

HOUSTON - Dr. Tina Petersen, the Harris County Flood Control District Director, has resigned from office as of Thursday.

With Petersen out of office, the Office of County Administration will work with Flood Control District leadership to support operations and ensure continued progress on high-priority infrastructure and flood mitigation projects.

Scrutiny faced by Dr. Petersen

The backstory:

There was a push by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo to remove Dr. Petersen due to severe project backlogs. According to an internal HCFCD status report dated May 1, the vast majority of 28 critical infrastructure projects remain tied up in preliminary design phases rather than active construction.

Under current federal guidelines, 11 critical Disaster Recovery projects must clear a hard close-out and audit window by February 28, 2027, putting $322 million in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds on the line. An additional 17 mitigation projects, valued at over $546 million, face an expiration deadline in March 2028.

Local flood watchdog Bob Rehak, who tracks county watershed engineering metrics via Reduce Flooding, says that local billing and construction expenditures have experienced a consistent downward trajectory since Petersen assumed leadership in 2022. Rehak reported that projections indicated only five of the 11 near-term disaster projects are on track to beat the federal close-out window, leaving hundreds of millions in federal aid vulnerable to recovery by the state.

Risk of losing federal funding

What we know:

This resignation comes after Harris County received a warning from Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham that the county was at risk of losing nearly $1 billion in federal flood mitigation funding.

Buckingham issued a strongly worded letter to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo urging an end to procrastination, across-the-board cooperation, and rapid execution of projects that have yet to break ground.

In an interview following the announcement, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo disclosed that after numerous conversations, it had become clear that Petersen’s continued presence would serve as an impediment to regional collaboration and project acceleration. However, Hidalgo expressed frustration that a fractured court blocked her attempt to name an immediate successor.

"We already had somebody in mind. About a month ago. I was determined — I said, "let's appoint this person now," Hidalgo said. "I don't know how my colleagues would vote, but based on conversations in the executive session, I thought I had a good chance that this person would get three votes. But the decision was made. Let's wait another month. One of the members is not here in person. I think that was a mistake. I'm in a hurry."

Hidalgo emphasized that her primary focus is speed, noting that the clock is ticking on her own tenure, and she intends to see critical flood infrastructure protections secured before her exit from county government.

The Office of County Administration announced it will oversee operations alongside current district leadership to ensure a smooth transition and maintain momentum on high-priority flood mitigation corridors. The formal debate regarding interim and permanent leadership succession has been officially placed on the agenda for the June 25 court meeting.

Commissioner Statements

What they're saying:

Lesley Briones, Precinct 4: 

"Over the past five years, Dr. Tina Petersen has led the Harris County Flood Control District with distinction. As the first woman to lead the district in its 89-year history, she broke barriers. I am grateful for the deep expertise, professionalism, and spirit of collaboration that have defined her tenure. Thanks to her leadership, we have more flood control projects moving forward than at any time in Harris County history and have made unprecedented investments in maintenance. We are moving with urgency to deliver key projects in collaboration with our partners at the state and federal levels. Nothing is more important than keeping our families safe from flooding. My focus will always be timely delivery of flood control projects to protect our homes, strengthen our communities, and keep Harris County residents safe. Dr. Petersen will partner with us to ensure a smooth transition and prevent any delays on critical projects. I thank her for her service to Harris County. My focus remains the same: relentlessly delivering progress and protection for the people of Harris County."

Adrian Garcia, Precinct 2:

"I want to thank Dr. Petersen for her service to Harris County. She unraveled a poorly designed bond and set us on a path toward delivering major progress protecting the county from flooding. She can walk away with her head held high knowing that in her four years as Director of the Flood Control District, despite many torrential downpours, we’ve seen very few structures take on water in any of those rain events. Because of the work she got done and how she helped to create a much stronger Maintenance Program, many communities are benefiting."

Tom Ramsey, Precinct 3:

"Commissioners Court is focused on moving these critical flood mitigation projects forward by executing the plan that was unanimously approved today. County Administrator Carter understands the urgency on filling this role with a qualified leader. This will be addressed at the next Business Court meeting scheduled for June 25, 2026.
I appreciate Director Petersen and her service and wish her all the best in her future endeavors."

Harris CountyTop StoriesNews