Harris County secures funding for more flood sensors

Harris County plans to use a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for additional flood sensors.

Driving the news: The grant, announced late last month, will go toward the Harris County Engineering Department's pilot project of installing sensors to monitor and alert residents of rainwater levels on Houston streets.

Why it matters: While flood-prone Harris County has 188 gage stations to track and alert residents of flooded areas, they're only located near bridges and waterways. The new sensors would be placed on highly and moderately flood-prone roadways.

Details: The funding will be used to purchase several types of flood sensors to test which ones would be best for Harris County to invest in long term, according to Patrick Mandapaka, director of community resilience and transportation planning at the Harris County Office of Engineering.

• The pilot sensors — which could range from CCTV monitors to flashers — will be installed in the next 18 months across the four precincts.
• After officials decide which sensors would be best for the long term, the county can apply for additional funding to secure more sensors.