Extreme weather events cause transportation delays and endanger lives in the Houston-Galveston region. Frequent heavy rainfall events such as last year’s Hurricane Harvey demonstrate the region’s vulnerability to flooding. Severe heat also becomes an issue for transportation assets during the summer months. Experts predict that future weather events will be more intense, and occur with greater frequency. Through programming and partnerships, H-GAC has addressed extreme weather preparedness, mitigation, and evacuation. H-GAC would benefit from improved information to develop projects and programs that reduce risk, accelerate recovery, and promote adaptation to changing environmental conditions.

H–GAC applied for and was selected to receive a Resilience and Durability to Extreme Weather Pilot Program grant from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to assess the vulnerability of the region’s transportation system to extreme weather events. H–GAC will build on previous and on-going high-quality and consensus-based resiliency efforts in the region such as Our Great Region 2040, Foresight Panel on Environmental Effects, and County Hazard Mitigation Plans. Through the planning process, H-GAC will add resiliency considerations to the 2045 Regional Transportation Plan and update the H–GAC Foresight Panel on Environmental Effects report. The FHWA’s resiliency tools will be utilized in transportation resiliency planning. The deliverables from the planning project will be disseminated to local governments, stakeholders, and the public.

Federal:  $250,000 

Local Match: $125,000 (TxDOT)

No

Request authorization to contract with TxDOT to receive Resilience and Durability to Extreme Weather Pilot Program grant funds; amount not to exceed $375,000. (Staff Contact: Alan Clark)