I enjoy reading Pro Publica. Their policy analysis in the linked article is interesting and reasonably accurate. The like the original article above, it describes flooding in terms of mitigation efforts. The dams above Houston manage stormwater but cannot prevent flooding.
It's easy to look at Port Arthur, TX and think "Yep, of course that's going to flood." It's hard to look at Houston and think the same thing. The difference is a matter of frequency and relative extent not possibility.
Bad policy makes the effects of floods more costly.But good policy does not prevent floods.
The bad idea is building in a place that was specifically designed to flood.
https://projects.propublica.org/graphics/harvey-reservoirs