Inaction by Congress left Onion Creek (Austin) families in harm’s way
AUSTIN--An act of God sent Jesse and Marissa Garcia scrambling to their rooftop on Halloween to escape the raging floodwaters of Onion Creek, which ruined their house and most of their possessions. An act of Congress could have moved them out of harm’s way long before the flood.
More than 160 homeowners in Austin’s highest-risk flood zone near Onion Creek in Southeast Austin could have received buyouts and relocated years before the Oct. 31 flood, which damaged or destroyed more than 600 homes and caused $30 million in insured losses. But for years, a federal buyout plan has been caught in Washington’s bitter budget battles, and Congress has failed to approve the money for the buyouts.
A 2006 Army Corps of Engineers study identified more than 600 homes at high risk of flooding near Onion Creek and determined that relocating residents and replacing the homes with parkland was the most cost-effective solution. The Corps proposed that the federal government pay $44.3 million for the project, with the city and county contributing an additional $39 million.
City leaders quickly got the issue in front of voters — who approved the city’s share of the money in a November 2006 bond election — and began making offers to homeowners. To date, the city has purchased 323 homes near the creek; Travis County has bought out an additional 121 homeowners.
But Congress never acted, and on Halloween, 164 homes in the target area were still standing. They all flooded, as the creek reached an all-time high during an intense storm.
More at http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/local/inaction-by-congress-left-onion-creek-families-in-/ndQQX/?icmp=statesman_internallink_invitationbox_apr2013_statesmanstubtomystatesmanpremium (subscription required).