Houston Newsmakers for June 23: Hurricane season special

HOUSTON – Judge Hidalgo, Mayor Turner working together to be ready

With the start of the 2019 hurricane season, the leaders of Harris County and the city of Houston say they are as ready as they can be.

“The departments are meeting almost every week and sometimes several times a week between the city and the county,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. “Just like we’re sitting side by side, we’re working side by side together.”

Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo are special guests in this special “Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall.”

Judge Hidalgo said work is still continuing to repair damage to channels caused by Hurricane Harvey almost two years ago.

“It’s true that 5% of them are pretty much complete. The other 95% are close to being done,” she said. “So by this time next year, they’ll all be done. They’re in various stages of completion, so it’s not like if it’s not done, it hasn’t been started.”

Plenty of options and plenty of money

With the passage of the $2.5 billion Hurricane Harvey bond last year, the Harris County Flood Control District executive director says the challenge is spending the money on an advanced timetable. “We’re looking at doing what we’ve historically done in a year, around $60 million,” said HCFCD Executive Director Russ Poppe. “And doing that, if not more, per month in order to get everything we’ve got in the bond fund done in just 10 years.”

Poppe and the project director for the Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District said all options are on the table, including a third reservoir to ease flooding concerns.

“It’s a measure that we’re looking at along with many other alternatives,” said Byron Williams, project manager for the Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District. “If it proves to be an efficient alternative, then we will incorporate. If not it’s something that we won’t, but it’s definitely being looked at in great detail.”

More information about hurricane season.

• Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo
• http://bit.ly/2IZREFb
• 713-274-7000
• Twitter: @JudgeHidalgo

• Mayor Sylvester Turner,
• http://bit.ly/2LaXvdC
• 713-837-0311
• Twitter: @houmayor

• Russ Poppe, Executive Director, Harris County Flood Control District
• http://bit.ly/2xbQn8C
• 713-684-4000
• Twitter: @hcfcd

• Byron Williams, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District
• http://bit.ly/320eDZw
• http://bit.ly/2ZKxaam
• 409-621-6990
• Twitter: @USACEGALVESTON

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HOUSTON – Judge Hidalgo, Mayor Turner working together to be ready

Plenty of options and plenty of money