Finger pointing continues weeks after Harvey flooded roughly 100,000 homes across the Houston area – including some 5,100 located within the Addicks and Barker reservoirs.
Because of pending litigation, politicians and others are keeping tight-lipped about what they knew about potential flooding, and when. However, the Army Corps of Engineers says it has partnered with the Harris County Flood Control District to apply for federal dollars to study the situation.
“Increasing the storage capacity within the existing reservoirs, potentially looking at a third reservoir to add capicity, it could include improving upstream and downstream flow conveyance, enhancing outlook structures of the Addicks and Barker,” says Dr. Edmond Russo, deputy district engineer for programs and project management at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District.
“We'd look at how the hydrology is changing with the current status and future of development in the region, we would also be relooking at extreme precipitation storm statistics.”
That information would then be shared with local officials moving forward.
“Updating county and municipal floodplain management practices for development, also the city's urban drainage network to determine where there may be potential for improvements,” says Russo.