NEWTON COUNTY BUYOUT PROGRAM - CDBG-DR FOR HURRICANE HARVEY AND THE 2016 FLOOD EVENTS

Newton County selected JWTC in 2021 to complete the demolition of flood-damaged homes and man-made structures. These services were in support of the Newton County Buyout Program for residents of Newton County who were impacted by Hurricane Harvey and the Tax Day floods of 2016.

Hurricane Harvey was a category 4 storm that hit Texas on August 25, 2017. It made landfall three times in six days. At its peak on September 1, 2017, one-third of Houston was underwater. Two feet of rain fell in the first 24 hours. The flooding forced 39,000 people out of their homes and into shelters. According to the National Hurricane Center, it caused $125 billion in damages. The storm damaged 204,000 homes, of which three-fourths were outside of the 100-year flood plain. Most of those homeowners did not have flood insurance. The 2016 flooding events were devastating to Texas communities as most were still trying to recover from the impact of the 2015 floods. Approximately 3,500 Newton County residents were forced to leave their homes because of a mandatory evacuation. The 2016 floods also impacted and disrupted businesses across the nation due to Interstate 10 closing along the Texas-Louisiana border.

The program, funded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), provided disaster relief funds to assist in long-term recovery. The goal of the program was to restore the natural floodplain values of the area to the highest quality, ensuring the site was dedicated and maintained in perpetuity for use compatible with open space. In addition to demolishing manmade structures such as houses and outbuildings, several safety and environmental factors were taken into consideration, such as proper decommissioning of septic systems, capping water wells, seeding with native grasses, stabilizing/grading the area if needed to reduce the possibility of erosion, using silt fencing, berming, lead abatement, asbestos abatement, and ensuring habitation for endangered species was taken into account.

LOCATION:
Newton County, Texas

CLIENT:
Newton County

PROJECT DURATION:
2022-2024