Texas to get $4B to help prevent future flooding, but Houston won't be managing the money

HOUSTON — More than $4 billion in new federal flood prevention funding will be managed by the Texas General Land Office, not the city of Houston or Harris County, according Gov. Greg Abbott.

“Houston and Harris County have proven that they are unable to ensure victims are receiving resources in a timely manner,” Abbott spokesman John Wittman said Friday.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant for Mitigation comprises more than $4 billion in funding for “large-scale, regional projects that increase the state’s resilience to disasters statewide, protect lives and mitigate against future hurricanes and other natural disasters,” according to a statement issued by Abbott’s office.

Calling it the single-largest mitigation program in the state’s history, Abbott said the funds will be focused on reducing “long-term risk of loss of life, injury, damage to and loss of property, and suffering and hardship, by lessening the impact of future disasters.”

Flood Money Distribution

• $4,074,456,000 for Hurricane Harvey
• $169,748,000 for 2016 Floods
• $52,985,000 for 2015 Floods

KHOU has reached out to the city of Houston and Harris County for responses. We will update this story when they reply.

ALSO POPULAR ON KHOU.COM