NW Houston News

Congressman Dan Crenshaw, in a recent event in Kingwood, Texas, highlighted the completion of a flood mitigation project that aims to protect Kingwood High School from future storms. The project, which was 90% federally funded, involved collaboration between FEMA, Humble Independent School District, and the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

Crenshaw emphasized the importance of the project, stating, "No one ever wants to see flooding like we saw during Hurricane Harvey, especially in our children’s schools. Prevention and preparation is key, and that’s what this project was about."

The congressman expressed pride in securing the federal funding that made the project possible and emphasized his commitment to investing in flood resiliency. He stated, "Students will no longer worry if the next storm will keep them out of school for a year."

The project included repairs to the high school costing over $56 million and the installation of flood gates totaling approximately $28 million. FEMA covered 90% of these costs, with the remaining 10% shared by the State of Texas and the school district. In total, the project cost over $78 million, with a significant portion funded by the Federal government.

In 2017, Hurricane Harvey caused massive flooding in the community, including 5.5 feet of water at Kingwood High School, leading to its closure for seven months and displacing 2,800 students for over a year. After renovations costing $63 million, the school reopened in the spring of 2018.

Through the completion of this flood mitigation project, the school district, in partnership with the federal government and the state of Texas, aims to protect Kingwood High School from future devastation caused by flooding.