HOUSTON (AP) - The county home to Houston is in line to receive a $320,000 federal grant to evaluate a flood protection strategy that involves building deep underground tunnels to move stormwater to the city's ship channel.

The Houston Chronicle reports that the Harris County Flood Control District would use the grant money from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to study whether the tunnels would be a cost-effective option without overburdening the area's bayous.

The district has already started working on flood-control projects funded through $2.5 billion in bonds approved last summer. Underground tunnels haven't yet been included in any projects for flood mitigation after Hurricane Harvey.

The Houston region's flatness, soft soils and high water table present challenges to constructing stormwater tunnels.

The district says the tunnels could cost between $40 million and $163 million per mile.

Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com

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