Post-Harvey, Houston officials hope Congress is up for funding Ike Dike

[TexasTowelie]

by Kiah Collier and Neena Satija, Texas Tribune

HOUSTON — Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Tuesday gave his strongest endorsement to date for constructing a physical coastal barrier to protect the region from deadly storm surge during hurricanes.

Though such a barrier system would not have guarded against the unrelenting and unprecedented rain Hurricane Harvey dumped on the area, Turner — one of the region's last leaders to endorse the "coastal spine" concept — said at a Tuesday news conference that he believes it is crucial.

"We cannot talk about rebuilding" from Harvey "if we do not build the coastal spine,” he said.

With Harvey — which was downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it reached Houston — "we again dodged the bullet."

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2017/09/12/after-dismissing-need-storm-surge-barrier-sylvester-turner-says-housto/

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