The economic growth isn’t likely to be slowed much by the flood waters last month that closed highways, interrupted fuel supplies, damaged homes and led to at least three deaths. The city’s in the path of regular destructive weather events, including hurricanes; another major storm was was heading toward the Houston area from the Gulf of Mexico Monday.

Good-News Decline

Cinq, meanwhile, is packed. While a 40 percent price rebound since March has made the Oil Barrel Special less of a bargain -- it was $59 Monday -- it’s cheaper than ordering courses of escargot or lobster bisque, filet mignon or snapper with crab meat and chocolate mousse or bread pudding with ice cream. Still, Zimmerman said most patrons pass it up. (At the low point back in the ’80s, the special went for $10.)

The oil bust continues to sting in many parts of Texas, where shale-patch communities have seen property taxes and philanthropy dwindle as falling prices have cut by 30 percent to 50 percent the royalty checks that landowners receive from producers. Drilling has ground to a halt in some areas.

West Texas Intermediate for July delivery added 52 cents to $60.04 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 12:23 p.m. Singapore time.

But declining energy values aren’t always bad news. Lower natural gas prices, a feedstock in chemical production, are spurring a building boom on the Houston Ship Channel -- which contributes to Houston’s current economic health and makes its future look good. At least 41 construction projects at plants along the Texas Gulf Coast are under way, said Patrick Jankowski, chief economist at the Greater Houston Partnership.

“It’s a case of the tail wagging the dog,” Jankowski said. “Once all these plants are built, they’re going to be demanding feedstock, and it’s going to support additional drilling in the U.S.”

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