DARREN HESS

Montgomery County Director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Darren Hess is accused of cheating in a mandatory training course, barely present on some days and having someone else take his final exam, according to an affidavit.

On Sept. 19, less than one month after the second anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, Montgomery County was hit by another major stormTropical Depression Imelda. Hess said the county currently has one $8.8 million FEMA home buyout program for Hurricane Harvey and two lesser programs for 2016 floods. We want them to be able to move out and acquire another piece of property; hopefully, in Montgomery County, Hess said. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a flood plain is any area prone to flooding. A 100-year flood plain has a 1% chance of flooding in a year, and a 500-year flood plain has a 0.2% chance of flooding.

While most floodwaters had receded by the following day, some neighborhoods, particularly in east Montgomery County, sustained significant flood damage. 242 at Kropik Road, FM 3083, and Moorhead Road, all in Conroe, according to the Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency. The city of Montgomery recorded 0.77 inches of rain Sept. 18 and 1.92 inches on Sept. 19, City Administrator Richard Tramm said. TWDB provided $460,000, the city of Conroe contributed $140,000 and Montgomery County contributed $90,000, while the SJRAs portion was $230,000. To learn more about home buyouts in Montgomery County, see Page 17.

Nearly four weeks after Tropical Storm Imelda, the Montgomery County Commissioners Court is still handling the recovery as citizens demand more action. All of the commissioners expressed a willingness to send asphalt to help with the recovery. The commissioners said they would wait and see if the county would receive any funds to help with the recovery effort. Several citizens from the Kingwood area spoke, urging the commissioners to help the recovery effort and create higher standards for developments to prevent flooding. The next regular meeting of the Commissioners Court is on Oct. 22.