Harris County roadways are one step closer to seeing a new countywide road flood warning system to detect roadway flooding in real time and alert drivers.
Explained
A motion to advance negotiations with local engineering firm J.M. Torres and Associates LLC passed unanimously at the Jan. 29 Harris County Commissioners Court meeting. The Houston-based firm engineers real-time flood intelligence alert systems and data collectors, according to the business’s website.
“The project will install seven emergency flood warning measures across the four precincts,” Harris County Precinct 2 media specialist Alonzo Guadarrama said in an email. “These systems will be able to detect roadway flooding in real time and alert drivers, improving safety and helping reduce the risk of flood-related accidents.”
At least 812,294 properties in Harris County, or nearly 58% of all properties, have a risk of flooding over the next 30 years, according to data compiled from nonprofit First Street.
The timeline
While the project is still in the early stages, according to Guadarrama, county officials anticipate, at minimum, six months before implementation begins.
The cost
Funding for the project will come at no cost to the county, Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia said. Harris County was first awarded $2 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2022 as part of the agency’s Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation grants program.
The SMART grant, according to the 2022 project announcement, shows Harris County officials using a study to implement sensors to alert residents in flood-prone areas across the county. The program, first signed by former President Joe Biden in 2021, funded up to $500 million in grants over five years for projects focused on advancing what the agency called smart community technologies and systems that improve transportation safety and efficiency, according to a news release.
Zooming out
Other Texas cities routinely use outdoor flood warning systems, including New Braunfels, as previously reported by Community Impact.
New Braunfels City Council approved the purchase of eight sirens in 2010. The sirens were installed in early 2011 and sit atop 40-foot galvanized poles along the Comal River, Guadalupe River and Dry Comal Creek. They are placed to alert individuals in flood-prone areas or areas that may be affected by rising river levels.
In the instance of potential flooding, the sirens are manually enacted by fire, police and emergency management personnel based on river flow data and information from the National Weather Service.
Amira Van Leeuwen contributed to this report.
