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HARLINGEN — The city’s new drainage crew along with millions in grant-funded upgrades are helping to curb flooding amid late summer rains.
Last year, city commissioners approved $170,000 to fund the five-member drainage crews’ salaries, assigning the unit to the full-time job of upgrading the city’s drainage system.
“It’s a team effort, starting with the commissioners wh0 gave us the funding we needed to get started,” City Manager Gabriel Gonzalez said Wednesday. “The drainage crew has exceeded our expectations by leaps and bounds, kicking it into overdrive. We’re not done. We’re just getting started.”
Last Sunday, amid the year’s heaviest rainfall, Harlingen’s drainage system was put to the test when about eight inches of rain pounded the city more than a week after Tropical Storm Francine dumped rain.
“On Sunday, Harlingen experienced a significant rain event, receiving nearly six inches of rain in just two hours,” Mayor Norma Sepulveda said in a statement. “It’s important to note that when you get that much rain in such a short period of time, water is naturally going to collect on the streets. Don’t be alarmed — that’s expected. What’s critical is that the water recedes quickly and that it doesn’t go over the curb.”
Within two hours, the streets were clearing.
“After you walked out, an hour-and-a-half or two hours after the rain stopped, it was already drained,” Assistant City Manager Oscar Garcia said. “All these improvements are working. We’re being very aggressive, very proactive. That was the direction we were given. We’re doing a lot. It’s a big challenge.”
Since late last year, based on a 2019 study, the drainage crew has been working to develop a 14-acre detention pond near North Wichita Avenue and Lozano Street, by Dr. Abraham Cano Freshman Academy.
So far, the Lozano Detention Facility, aimed at holding back floodwaters heading to the Fair Park area, stretches across seven acres.
On Sunday, the detention pond was holding more than three feet of water across its span.
“That’s three feet of water in the detention pond and not in the street,” Garcia said. “Image how much that’s going to alleviate flooding in Fair Park.”
Millions of dollars, much coming in grant money, are helping to upgrade the city’s drainage system.
“Last year, we completed two major drainage projects using grant funds,” Sepulveda said. “The $1.9 million improvements to Ninth and 13th Streets replaced one mile of stormwater lines, upgraded 27 junction boxes, installed 46 inlets and mitigated flooding for 327 properties. This kind of progress is critical to preparing our city for the extreme weather we continue to face.”
As part the overall job, crews have been expanding and clearing out drainage ditches across much of the city, Garcia said.
“We have maintained a very robust storm sewer plan,” he said. “Every week, we’re cleaning storm sewer outlets in areas known to be flood-prone. These are small projects but very effective. It allows for more retention. We have significantly improved capacity. There’s still a lot to be done.”
Now, officials are planning further upgrades.
As part of the city’s plan, a $1.4 million grant-funded project is aimed at upgrading drainage along the Fifth and Seventh Street areas, widening storm sewer lines, Sepulveda said.
“This will reduce the flooding mainly in these two streets, from Polk Avenue to Commerce Street,” she said. “Stormwater runoff collected by this system drains to Commerce and then to the Arroyo Colorado.”
At Adam’s Crossing, where floodwaters have rushed into residents’ homes for years, officials are installing a 36-inch drainage line, planning to drive runoff into a ditch, Sepulveda said.
“Harlingen is making progress, and while heavy rain remains a challenge, our proactive approach and ongoing projects, like the Lozano Detention Facility, are already making a difference,” she said. “(Residents’) safety and well-being are our top priorities, and we will continue working to ensure Harlingen is better equipped to handle future storms. We’ve been more aggressive with drainage efforts than ever before — and the benefits are showing.”
