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Harvey-Related Projects | Greens Bayou Watershed Resiliency Planning Study

The SSPEED Center Awarded $233k from the Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium for Greens Bayou Watershed Resiliency Planning Study

Harvey was the largest rainfall and most damaging flood event in US history. By all measures its widespread impact was a devastating blow to Harris and surrounding counties. It dropped between 36 and 44 inches within the Houston area over five days, exceeding all rainfall records, with up to 20 inches in a single day. Most bayous during Harvey were upwards of ten feet over bank and flooded an estimated 205,000 homes in Harris County alone, and especially in Greens Bayou.

 

For those living in Greens, major flooding has occurred too frequently, and compared to other watersheds there has not been substantial investment in flood mitigation projects. Compounding the challenges, the watershed is home to a large population near or below the poverty line, with many multi-family properties deep in the floodplain. The Greens Bayou Watershed Resiliency Planning Study aims to be a model for comprehensive flood management by incorporating state of the art methodologies for flood hazard modeling, investigating green infrastructure mitigation options, evaluating flood impacts on infrastructure (in the form of roadways and railroads), and by prioritizing equity, community engagement, and collaboration.

 

This analysis will focus on addressing neighborhood-scale flood issues in four different neighborhoods in the Greens Bayou Watershed. Various flood mitigation options will be led by SSPEED Center Director Philip Bedient and completed in collaboration with Susan Rogers and Community Design Resource Center (CDRC) at the School of Architecture-University of Houston and Dr. Sam Brody, Texas A&M University at Galveston.

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