AUSTIN — Today Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush announced the Texas General Land Office (GLO) approved $591,701 in Hurricane Harvey disaster recovery funds to improve drainage, water, wastewater, and public facilities in Town of Austwell. 

"Hurricane Harvey devastated communities across the Texas Coast," said Commissioner Bush. "These recovery funds are critical to improving local infrastructure that will protect lives, homes and businesses from future storms. We continue to work with our partners in communities across the region to leverage these resources efficiently and effectively to benefit Texans affected by Hurricane Harvey."

During Hurricane Harvey, heavy rainfall inundated undersized culverts throughout the town, prohibiting stormwater from draining effectively. The storm also caused power outages at the community center and damaged the water plant and wastewater plant facilities. With these funds, Austwell will be able to conduct ditch improvements, install new culverts, and build new windstorm rated water treatment equipment buildings at the water plant and wastewater treatment plant. Permanent emergency generators will be installed at the water and wastewater treatment plants, the north and south lift stations, and the community center.

Construction for ditch improvements and new culverts will take place at the following locations:

• Bay Street - from Stevens Street to approximately 720 linear feet south along Bay Street
• McDowell Street (both sides) - from Stevens Street to Gisler Street
• Main Street - from Stevens Street to Gisler Street
• Proctor Street (both sides)- from Mernitz Street to Gisler Street
• Vandenberge Street - from Stevens Street to Gisler Street
• Mernitz Street (both sides) - from Bay Street to FM 239
• Austin Street (both sides) - from Bay Street to Proctor Street
• Hexter Street - from Bay Street to Luthardt Street

Texas GLO Hurricane Harvey Recovery Funds:

Commissioner George P. Bush and the Texas General Land Office was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to lead the historic Hurricane Harvey housing recovery efforts funded by $5.676 billion in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The GLO allocated $413 million of the allocation for infrastructure projects to protect communities affected by the storm. The GLO allocated the funds to regional Council of Governments' (COGs) based on a HUD approved needs assessment. The locally-led COGs then conducted methods of distribution (MODs) for determining infrastructure and buyout and acquisition amounts for cities and counties within each jurisdiction. COG boards are comprised of officials from the impacted communities elected in part to prioritize funds allocated for recovery programs. The MOD process requires public engagement and the GLO reviewed each MOD for compliance with federal rules and requirements before approving each plan.

To review the approved MODs, please visit https://recovery.texas.gov/action-plans/hurricane-harvey/index.html.