The City of Houston has received an estimated $14.1 million for drainage improvements and new stormwater lines in the Heights.
"The one day that we decide we're gonna do an outdoor presser to announce flood mitigation, it finally starts to rain," Council Member Abbie Kamin said at a press conference on Thursday.
The project will help move stormwater away from Turkey Gully into White Oak Bayou. Kamin said the Shady Acres Neighborhood will see a reduced risk of flooded homes with the project.
Carol Haddock is the director of Houston Public Works. She said Houston thrives because of its access to water.
"All over Houston, everywhere you go, we have communities that are surrounded by these waterways which actually is why we came to Houston," she said. "Sometimes they become our neighborhood annoyances and worse, they become our disruptors and impactors."
Haddock said this project's design will start next year, and construction would likely begin in 2025. Houston Public Works estimates the project could be completed in 2027 at the earliest.
Harris County Flood Control District's director, Tina Peterson, said the project will involve constructing a stormwater detention basin. The detention basin would store floodwater temporarily until channels can safely carry it away.
"While no single project can eliminate flooding, what we do know is that projects like this greatly reduce the risk," she said.
Allison Newport is a Shady Acres resident and said a nearby street has recently gotten new culverts for stormwater.
"Wow," she said. "What a difference six inches, or twelve inches, can make on your everyday life. My mother-in-law went from using a dam and sandbags to keep water from entering her structures to, almost overnight, not having to do that anymore."
Residents can check for public meetings and updates about various drainage projects, including the one in Turkey Gully, online.
