Rio Grande City worries border barrier could worsen flooding

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RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas – Although President Donald Trump’s plan for his “big beautiful wall” has been radically scaled back in his new budget, many in Rio Grande City still worry if one is built, it could worsen flooding in the South Texas border community.

Albert Perez, the city manager of Rio Grande City, asked, “How is that water going to flow if there’s going to be something obstructing it, that water, from getting into the river?”

“Obviously, we’re all for security, but our main issue, especially as a planner, is drainage,” said city planner Gilbert Millan.

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As it stands, at least for now, until Congress weighs in, instead of asking for an estimated $21.6 billion for a border wall, the president’s latest budget request is for $1.6 billion, enough for only small parts of the proposed wall.

Even so, city leaders said they’re concerned, because much of Rio Grande City is already in a flood zone.
They said a border wall would serve as a catch-all for debris, impeding floodwaters even more.

Luis Manuel Cruz, a longtime resident who is in favor of a wall, said, “When the debris comes, nobody can channel it. It just stays there and it affects everybody here.”

Perez said he also wonders who would be responsible for clearing the debris and would city crews be given access.

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If it’s a solid wall, the city manager said, “Someone’s going to have to pay the price in dealing with the water not being able to go anywhere but hitting a wall and flowing back.”

“This is about the safety of the citizens of Rio Grande City,” Millan said.

They said it could also affect their neighbors across the river.

For much of the year, Rio Grande City is as dry as the rest of South Texas, but hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico are a potential yearly threat, and torrential rains are not that uncommon.

Both Millan and Perez said several years ago, a big storm hit at the same time that Mexico was releasing water from its reservoirs into the Rio Grande. They said, as a result, Rio Grande City was flooded.

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“Not a day goes by that we’re approached or asked by people who express their opinions. How are we going to take care of this?” Millan said.

They said, so far, Rio Grande City has not been contacted by the federal government about its plans for a border barrier.

Link to the International Boundary and Water Commission: https://www.ibwc.gov/home.html


About the Author:

Jessie Degollado has been with KSAT since 1984. She is a general assignments reporter who covers a wide variety of stories. Raised in Laredo and as an anchor/reporter at KRGV in the Rio Grande Valley, Jessie is especially familiar with border and immigration issues. In 2007, Jessie also was inducted into the San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame.