Flood projects will hold enough water to fill NRG stadium 3 times

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Progress is being made on a major flood mitigation project in Harris County.

Tuesday morning, county leaders discussed progress being made on a north Houston stormwater detention basin that helps control the flooding of White Oak Bayou. The basin is days away from being completed.

As we get closer to hurricane season, county officials are emphasizing preparedness, especially when it comes to flooding.

The Fairbanks north Houston excavation project is adding 75 million gallons of capacity to the basin, about 114 Olympic sized swimming pools.

Hidalgo said Tuesday that the basin is part of a series of projects on White Oak Bayou from Jersey Village to Inwood Forest.

She said when all of the projects are completed, they will be able to hold 1.9 billion gallons of storm water, enough to fill NRG Stadium three times.

Harris County is making big strides in flood prevention projects from turf installation to the 75 million gallon expansion of one north Houston basin.

Hidalgo emphasized that the projects are all about making a difference in the communities and channels the basin affects.

The county is currently working on $131 million worth of flood control projects, and will have started over $500 million worth of construction by the end of 2020.

Hidalgo says the county is thinking about the big picture, "Where does all of this take us? Is it successful? What more do we need to get to a flood resilient future?"

The county is also researching alternative, more creative flooding solutions such as tunnels and floating wetlands.

The Harris County Flood Control District tweeted photos of some of the projects they've been working on as hurricane season approaches.

The projects include repair work at Buffalo Bayou and the installation of turf grass in various locations to protect from erosion.

Work on these projects has not stopped during the pandemic, as construction employees are seen as essential workers.

A map on the flood district website shows capital projects being worked on around the area to help lessen flood risk and damage.

The projects are all thanks to bond funding, federal grants and local partnerships.

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