New Harlingen drainage project aims to prevent flooding with deeper, wider canal
Related Story
A new drainage project is underway in Harlingen near Loop 499 and Sunshine Strip.
The goal is to prevent flooding by making a canal deeper and wider.
"I'm hopeful, and I'm praying that it works. I'm very grateful that they're doing something and that they're listening to us," Harlingen resident Norma Gonzales said.
Gonzales is among the hundreds of people affected by the March floods.
"We got so much water, it just poured. We just saw the canal break, the water just started flowing, and we knew it was just coming. It's coming, we're going to get flooded again," Gonzales said.
The city, along with Cameron County Drainage District #5 are taking steps to prevent future floods.
A project called The North Drain Expansion is designed to increase capacity and bring flood relief. Crews will make a canal between Business Highway 77 and Loop 499 wider and deeper.
District 2 Commissioner Daniel Nemecio Lopez says this is just the first phase.
"We are tackling that head-on by upgrading our systems and being very aggressive on how we move forward," Lopez said.
Federal funds covered the equipment and property taxes paid for the drainage crew, but a second crew was needed.
"This time we had to pull the money right out of our savings account essentially, right? Out of our general fund, and so we took it on, but it's needed, right? I think we can all agree that the weather's changing, right?" Lopez said.
The city expects to finish Phase 1 by the end of the year, with the estimated cost being around $248,000.
Once the first phase is done, the city will be working with District #5 to create a 20-acre detention pond.
Watch the video above for the full story.
News
