US House approves Ike Dike, but it's not a done deal yet
HOUSTON - The U.S. House of Representatives have approved the Ike Dike, however, it's not quite a done deal yet.
The bill, HR 7776, which passed by a vote of 384 to 37, will "provide for improvements to the rivers and harbors of the United States, to provide for the conservation and development of water and related resources, and for other purposes."
However, while the Ike Dike has been approved, funding for the project has not yet been approved.
The Ike Dike proposal is named after Hurricane Ike, which brought death and destruction when it made landfall in Galveston in 2008. It flooded more than 100 thousand homes. It caused more than $30 million in damage. Hurricane Ike was a category two storm. Hurricane Ida was a category four, leaving Houstonians wondering how we'd fare against such a powerful hit.
MORE: Has flood protection in Harris County improved since Hurricane Harvey?
In a past interview with FOX 26, Dr. William Merrell, professor at Texas A&M Galveston and author of the Ike Dike proposal says it's based on a concept borrowed from the Dutch. The plan involves strengthening and shortening the coast to better protect against surges. This would involve everything from levees to a massive gate to protect the ship channel.
"The beautiful thing about the Ike Dike is it protects everyone," Dr. Merrell said. "It protects the ship channel, it protects the communities in the upper bay, it keeps water from getting into Galveston Bay, it stops the surge at the coast; everybody ought to be interested."
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo voiced her approval of the vote on social media Wednesday evening saying, "This is a huge step forward to make Harris County more resilient. I am proud of the members of our Congressional delegation who are fighting hard to bring this project closer to reality."
Want to dig into the details of the Ike Dike proposal? Click here to view in-depth information about the plan.