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Despite how it may look, The Bayou City is ready for a flood. Houston has over 350 parks designed to flood and retain water during a "rain event," significantly decreasing flooding risk for surrounding homes and business.
Just look at $480M Project Brays. It was actually born as a flood-control project, widening the bayou so flood waters can flow more quickly into the bay. Along with excavated detention basins, the project can hold up to 3.5 billion gallons of stormwater.
The recent renovations along Buffalo Bayou serve the same purpose. A fun new dog park doubles as a retention pond in a moment's notice. The Harris County Flood Control District has put nearly $57M into projects in the Buffalo Bayou Watershed.
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Keith-Wiess Park is almost 500 acres in North Houston full of natural looking ponds along hike and bike trails designed to hold water and drain into the bayou. The recreation zones themselves are also designated to hold water if necessary during a storm.
Even with these efforts, Houstonians are no stranger to issues caused by flooding. Combating flooding in a city built on top of a swamp is a full-time job. The issue took center stage in last year's mayoral election. There's still more than 8,000 miles of roadway that need to be replaced in Houston. Candidates criticized the Brays Bayou project, which has been delayed six years due to federal funding delays and land acquisition challenges.
While there is much room for improvement throughout the city, we shouldn't take current efforts for granted. When a storm hits, the news loves to show photos of all the flooding. Just remember, many of those areas are designed to flood. Still, it might help to own a kayak. (Like this guy, snapped just this morning.)
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