Harris County Commissioners Court Approves $52M Storm Surge Levee and Drainage Reconstruction in Baytown

HOUSTON, TX — The Harris County Commissioners Court voted 4–1 on Tuesday to award a $52.4 million construction and engineering contract to the Harris County Flood Control District to reconstruct and elevate the Cedar Bayou storm surge levee system in eastern Baytown.

Engineering Modernization and Surge Defenses

The capital project raises the earthen levee crest by four feet to withstand a 500-year tropical storm surge event, armoring 4.5 miles of coastal shoreline with reinforced riprap and sheet-pile bulkheads. The contract also completely modernizes two high-capacity stormwater pumping stations, replacing aging diesel engines with automated dual-fuel backup generators capable of moving 120,000 gallons of floodwater per minute into Galveston Bay.

The project is co-financed through local Harris County Flood Resilience Bond funds and FEMA hazard mitigation matching grants.

Industrial and Neighborhood Risk Reduction

Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia emphasized that the Cedar Bayou levee system protects over 12,000 residents in working-class neighborhoods as well as critical chemical manufacturing refineries along the Houston Ship Channel.

Completing the levee elevation will significantly reduce flood insurance risk premiums for thousands of local homeowners while safeguarding regional shipping and energy logistics from severe hurricane storm tides.

Construction Mobilization Schedule

Heavy marine and civil engineering contractors will mobilize on-site in October 2026, with total levee construction estimated to take 22 months.