AUSTIN – The Texas Water Development Board Thursday approved $3.5 million in flood protection from the Disaster Contingency Fund, which will be used to finance flood early warning systems, flood response strategies and protection planning.
“The severity of flood damage and resulting loss of life across Texas in recent years has demonstrated that communities need more financial resources to help them prepare for and respond to floods,” said TWDB Board Chairman Bech Bruun. “All 17 projects funded today include an early warning component and represent an important first step in implementing critical flood protection efforts.”
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TWDB said last spring it published a request for applications for $2 million in flood protection grants, and because of the critical need and high demand, it allocated an additional $1.5 million toward these grants.
The projects were prioritized according to their ability to protect the health, public safety and prosperity of Texans.
“Combined with the required local matching funds, the grants awarded today will result in the potential for approximately $9.5 million of funding to be put to work for communities large and small,” said TWDB board member Peter Lake. “These projects are one element of a wide range of flood initiatives that the TWDB has been working on in the last year.”
The 17 projects receiving flood protection grants are:
• Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District: $265,150 for an early warning system.
• Cameron County Drainage District No. 5: $112,500 for an early warning system, flood response and flood protection planning.
• Cameron County Drainage District No. 1: $187,500 for an early warning system.
• Central Texas Council of Governments: $231,019 for an early warning system, flood response and flood protection planning.
• City of Austin: $96,633.14 for an early warning system.
• City of Beaumont: $287,000 for an early warning system and flood protection planning.
• City of Buda: $292,890 for an early warning system.
• City of Fort Worth: $247,378 for an early warning system and flood response.
• City of Leon Valley: $11,309.86 for an early warning system.
• City of Sealy: $14,430 for an early warning system.
• Guadalupe Blanco River Authority - Caldwell County: $70,688 for an early warning system.
• Guadalupe Blanco River Authority: Hays County – $37,406 for an early warning system.
• Harris County Flood Control District: $250,000 for an early warning system, flood response and flood protection planning.
• Hays County: $500,000 for an early warning system and flood response.
• North Central Texas Council of Governments: $159,096 for an early warning system.
• San Jacinto River Authority: $460,000 for an early warning system, flood response and flood protection planning.
• Uvalde County: $277,000 for an early warning system.