This document discusses reducing flood risk in the Houston/Galveston region. It notes that the region has 6 million people and a large petrochemical industry, but received no federal surge reduction strategies after Hurricane Ike. Texas A&M University took a leadership role in studying surge risk reduction where the federal government did not act. The university formed a research team that incorporated best practices from around the world to study the "Ike Dike" concept of a coastal barrier to protect the region from hurricanes.

1. REDUCING FLOOD RISK
IN THE
HOUSTON/GALVESTON
REGION

2.  PEOPLE
 6 million and Growing
 4th largest city in the United States
 Job Creation
 ECONOMY
 2nd largest Petrochemical Complex in the world
 #1 Exporting region in the United States $110B with Regional GDP of $450B
 $50 billion in private sector investment
 ENVIRONMENT
 7th largest estuary in the United States
 Produces more seafood than any other estuary except Chesapeake Bay
 Large recreational boating and fishing communities in the United states
THE REGION INVESTMENT
/NATIONAL SECURITY

4.  DAMAGES 3rd costliest hurricane in U.S. history
behind Hurricane Andrew and Hurricane Katrina
estimated $39 billion in U.S. damages
• No federal surge reduction strategies in Galveston
Bay – money actively diverted to Sabine and Brazoria
• New GLO/USACE agreement to start standard USACE
process with GLO providing 50% match
• USACE standard process has never produced a major
project and Texas treatment is in stark contrast with
other hard hit areas
COST OF AND RESPONSE TO IKE

5. Storm
Event
Area
State
Plan
Study
Funds
Const.
Funds
Other
Funds
Public Laws
Exceptions from
Regular Corps Process
Katrina
New
Orleans
Yes $20M
$5B cost
shared
$9.9B
FCCE
109-62 (‘05)
109-148 (‘06)
109-234 (‘06)
110-28 (‘06)
110-252 (‘08)
110-329 (‘09)
111-32 (‘09)
Comprehensive Study at Full Federal
Expense, $14.5B in projects
constructed with NEPA performed
after construction. Only $5B in
construction shared 65F/35NF.
Katrina Mississippi No $10M
Future up
to $1.2B
$439M
FCCE
109-148 (‘06)
11-32 (‘09)
Comprehensive Study at Full Federal
Expense, Cost Effective Projects in
lieu of NED, No Incremental Benefit-
to-Cost Analysis, completed in 24
months. Future Const. to be cost
shared 65F/35NF.
Ike Galveston No None $9M
46.4M
FCCE/
$217M
O&M
None None
Sandy
New
England
District
No $50M
$3.4B
with$2.9B
specifically
for CSRM
projects
$1.829B
FCCE/
O&M
113-2 (‘13)
$20M Comprehensive Study at Full
Federal Expense - Not a Decision
Document, No NEPA, No
recommendations.
EXCEPTIONS TO
NORMAL USACE POLICY AND FUNDING

6. Unique in US – all other hard-hit regions received
special legislation for USACE-led efforts
A Texas A&M University-led research team has taken
a leadership role in studying surge risk reduction
We stepped in and filled a vacuum
With only local funding, lean and focused
Formed a quality research team
Incorporated the best practices world-wide,
in particular, innovative Dutch approaches
TEXAS A&M ROLE

7.  ECONOMY
Drs Bill Gilmer and Adam Perdue,
Institute for Regional Forecasting, University of Houston
Drs Sam Brody, Wesley Highfield and Meri Davlasheridze, TAMUG
 SURGE MODELING
Drs Robert Whalin, Tom Richardson and Bruce Ebersole,
Homeland Security Center of Excellence, Jackson State University
Dr Jeff Melby, USACE/Engineering Research & Development Center
 BARRIER DESIGN
Dr Bas Jonkman, Delft Technical University
Dr Jens Figlus, TAMUG
Drs Galen Newman and Eric Bardenhagen, Landscape Architecture, TAMU
 OVERALL FLOOD RISK REDUCTION/PROJECT COORDINATION/
PUBLIC OUTREACH/DATA AND INFORMATION ACCESSIBILITY
Dr Sam Brody, COL Len Waterworth and Dr Bill Merrell, TAMUG
TAMUG RESEARCH TEAM

8. Coastal Spine
Bolivar Roads
Intracoastal Waterway
• San Luis Pass
Existing Seawall
High
Island
Houston Ship
Channel

9. CITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING THE
IKE DIKE CONCEPT

10. International Maritime Advisory Committee of the
Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership
Bay Area Coastal Protection Alliance formed
Endorsements from East Harris County
Manufacturers Association (130 companies),
25 municipalities, 15 regional organizations
WIDE PUBLIC SUPPORT

11. 5-year, $3.6 million project on flood risk reduction
along the Galveston Bay Awarded Last Week
Same partners as Ike Dike – verifies the team’s
quality
Houston/Galveston region is now the nation’s test
bed for flood risk reduction research and outreach
Organizing research to achieve the NSF-mandated
role of changing US national policy
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
PROGRAM - FLOOD RISK REDUCTION

12. Continue to advance the Ike Dike concept as the
basis to go forward more quickly with the federal
project when authorized and to help seek legislation
similar to other hard hit areas
Seek state funding to bridge ongoing privately-
funded applied research effort with nationally-
funded basic research effort
Pioneer cutting-edge spatial data display tools and
techniques in both our research and public outreach
OTHER NEXT STEPS