These critical infrastructure awards will divert floodwaters away from homes, increase the resiliency of communities to respond to natural disasters, and restore peace of mind when the next storm hits.
The Texas General Land Office has announced more than $18.5 million in disaster relief funding that will aid communities across the Rio Grande Valley affected by the floods of 2019.
GLO Commissioner Dawn Buckingham announced the funding during a visit with officials from across the region on Tuesday.
“Consecutive disasters have devastated communities in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and Southeast Texas, but the Texas General Land Office is here to help,” Buckingham said via a statement after appearing at the Lower Rio Grande Development Council offices in Weslaco.
The funding will go toward various infrastructure improvement projects, such as street repairs, or water and drainage system improvements.
“These critical infrastructure awards will divert floodwaters away from homes, increase the resiliency of communities to respond to natural disasters, and restore peace of mind when the next storm hits,” Buckingham said.
Twelve cities, as well as Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy counties, were awarded up to $1 million in disaster relief.
La Villa, Raymondville and Willacy County were among the largest award recipients with $2 million each that will fund six projects.
Santa Rosa also received funding for two projects totaling $1.99 million.
In sum, the GLO awarded funding to the following projects:
>> Cameron County Adams Garden drainage, $1 million;
>> Combes sewer system and lift station improvements, $1 million;
>> La Feria drainage, $1 million;
>> Laguna Vista Palm Boulevard drainage improvements, $975,174;
>> Port Isabel Pennsylvania Avenue drainage, $1 million;
>> Primera sewer system improvements, $1 million;
>> Rio Hondo Catherine Drainage Project, $1 million;
>> Santa Rosa Ovalle Lateral, $995,484.05;
>> Santa Rosa South West Ditch, $995,195.60;
>> Palmview Lateral expansion, $1 million;
>> Delta Drainage Project — La Villa East Lateral Northern Weir, $1 million;
>> La Villa flooding drainage, $1 million;
>> Drainage improvements surrounding Mercedes Emergency Dome, $1 million;
>> Mission Astroland Drainage project, $999,162.14;
>> Palmview Ramirez Drainage Project, $606,985.55;
>> Raymondville North Drainage System improvements, $1 million;
>> Raymondville South Drainage System, $1 million;
>> Willacy County San Perlita drainage, $1 million;
>> Willacy County Sebastian drainage, $1 million;
The disaster relief monies come as a result of a Congressional appropriation for aid in the wake of summer storms that ravaged South Texas in 2019, as well as Tropical Storm Imelda, which dropped up to 43 inches of rain and caused an estimated $5 billion in damage across Southeast Texas and Louisiana in September 2019.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development distributes the funds to disaster affected states via its Community Grant Disaster Recovery program.
The GLO is, in turn, responsible for allocating the federal money to eligible infrastructure projects aimed at helping communities recover in the wake of natural disasters, or build resiliency for future storms.
“All activities had to contribute to the long-term recovery and restoration of infrastructure,” the GLO said regarding the applications it received requesting the funding.
During this round of assistance, the GLO awarded a total of more than $43 million in disaster relief from the Valley, through the Coastal Bend and as far as the Houston/Galveston area.
