New Stormwater Resilience Measures Approved in Austin

The Austin City Council last week adopted a "resolution that incorporates a range of initiatives to improve flood mitigation infrastructure, expand disaster response training and provide vulnerable households access to affordable flood insurance," reports Kali Bramble.

The resolution "encourages the city to make maximal use of funding available for flood resilience projects," according to Bramble. "In addition to directing the city manager to seek funding for infrastructure improvements at the state and federal level through organizations like FEMA, it calls for connecting vulnerable communities with disaster preparedness and response training."

The resolution also "builds upon work done by the city’s Watershed Protection Department, affirming the city’s commitment to tightening regulations on future development and investing in flood mitigation infrastructure such as gutters and drainage swales."

The source article details how the Halloween floods of 2013 and 2015 contributed to the political will to achieve this new priority on flood control in Austin. The City Council also approve the resolution while the city was under a flash flood warning.