Flood Control

Flooded street and two downed trees with downtown Houston buildings in background

Houston’s ‘Ike Dike’ Won’t Adequately Protect the City

The largest project ever undertaken by the Army Corps of Engineers may not be enough to protect Houston-area communities from flooding during the most severe hurricanes, according to the Corps’ own analysis.

April 27, 2023 - Grist

Aerial view of San Gabriel River where it meets the ocean in Long Beach, California

L.A. County Calls for Flood Control Improvements

Recently revealed estimates put far more people in the region at risk for catastrophic flooding than previously thought.

December 8, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

The trees, benches, and other landscape elements of a park are submerged in brown flood waters.

Fort Worth Spending More on Flood Control; Still Well Short of What’s Needed

Fort Worth could spend $136 million on stormwater infrastructure and flood control over the next five years. In all, the city needs more like $1 billion of investment.

August 23, 2022 - Fort Worth Star-Telegram

bioswale

How To Equitably Distribute Green Infrastructure

As more urban surfaces are developed and covered with impermeable materials, the importance of green infrastructure like bioswales and permeable pavement is growing.

April 19, 2022 - Portland State University

Flooding at the Whitehall Street station, New York

New York City Plans To Boost Resilience Against Floods

How the city is taking action on green infrastructure and stormwater projects to protect neighborhoods from the rising risk of catastrophic flooding.

April 17, 2022 - Bloomberg CityLab

Rendering of Arverne East development

Net Zero Development Coming to New York City

The project, which relies largely on geothermal energy to minimize its carbon footprint, will bring affordable housing and boost storm resilience to an area devastated by Hurricane Sandy.

March 11, 2022 - Bloomberg CityLab

Magellanterassen at HafenCity, Hamburg, Germany

Living With Flooding in a German Port Town

A riverside neighborhood in Hamburg embraces flooding as part of its resilience planning, using old techniques to protect modern communities.

December 24, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

A diversion canal from the Yazoo River is shown from above. The river's banks are lined with industrial land uses near the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Army Corps Pulls the Plug on $450 Million Mississippi Floodwater Project

A coalition of environmental scored a victory this month, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers canceled an expensive, and controversial, flood control project.

December 23, 2021 - Associated Press via KTAR News

Aerial view of Houston Ship Channel with container ships

Why Texas's $29 Billion Coastal Protection Plan Is Needed

The Houston Chronicle editorial board argues for the construction of the so-called 'Ike Dike,' but warns that more investment is needed to protect the South Texas coast from future storms.

September 24, 2021 - Houston Chronicle

nyc. subway.

Subways Are Becoming Flood Zones

While cities race to protect their subway infrastructure from more intense flooding, some experts argue that more investment is needed in more resilient street-level infrastructure.

August 1, 2021 - New York Times

Texas Flood

Flood Buyouts Exacerbate Inequality in Harris County, Texas

New research shows that less affluent households disperse farther to find affordable homes, leading to a loss of community and social capital.

July 19, 2021 - Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research

Houston Texas

Harris County Will Use Toll Road Revenue to Pay for Flood Control

A new Flood Resilience Trust will create a permanent source of funding for flood control purposes, but the county still faces a shortfall for planned projects.

July 6, 2021 - Houston Chronicle

Don River Toronto

Toronto River Project Will Provide Greenspace and Flood Control

The massive Port Lands infrastructure project will transform an industrial area by carving out a new island.

January 14, 2020 - The Star

Highway Expansion Project Damages Flood Control Systems in Cincinnati

The Ohio Department of Transportation has prioritize the expansion of Interstate 71 in the neighborhood of Madisonville, in Cincinnati, over flood protection for property owners in the city, according to a recent city memo.

January 3, 2020 - Cincinnati Business Courier

Flood

Corps of Engineers Faces Criticism for Flood Management

Recent heavy rains and flooding have put the the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the defensive about its flood control policies and procedures.

June 10, 2019 - The New York Times

Levee flooding New Orleans

Report: $14 Billion New Orleans Flood System, Completed Less Than a Year Ago, Already Obsolete

The Army Corps of Engineers is already assessing the needs of repair work on a project it completed in May 2018 at the cost of $14 billion.

April 22, 2019 - E&E News

Los Angeles Downtown River

Los Angeles Wants its River Back From the Feds

Regional officials don't think the federal government is doing enough to warrant continued ownership of the Los Angeles River flood control channels that cut a 40-mile path through the city and county.

February 26, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Cedar Rapids Floods

The New Politics of Local Funding for Flood Control Infrastructure

The city of Cedar Rapids has traditionally struggled to generate funding for flood control projects from local sources. As flooding increases and federal support decreases, the political calculus for flood control infrastructure has changed.

September 10, 2018 - The Gazette

Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh Ties Stormwater Management to Transportation

Residents are weighing a much-needed flood-control system alongside a more controversial shuttle service.

May 29, 2018 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

West Houston Floodplain

800 New Homes Approved for Houston's Floodplain

The city of Houston approved a new development that doesn't meet new elevations standards approved by the city of Houston earlier this month.

April 26, 2018 - Houston Chronicle

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