South Texas lawmakers press federal support for decades-old Raymondville Drain flood project
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Summary
Representative Gonzales urged committee support for the Raymondville Drain project — a 63‑mile drainage improvement authorized in 1986 — saying recent storms damaged thousands of homes and preliminary NOAA estimates put damages in the region at over $100 million.
Representative Gonzales told the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee that South Texas communities near the border need federal help to complete the Raymondville Drain project, a 63‑mile drainage corridor authorized for construction in 1986 and expanded later.
“Just a few months ago, we had a 20‑inch flood in a matter of hours,” Gonzales said, recounting that the most recent storms forced evacuations, stranded vehicles and left thousands of homes damaged. He said a preliminary NOAA report estimated more than $100 million in damages as of April 14, 2025, and that county officials had confirmed over 5,000 damaged homes.
Gonzales said the Raymondville Drain would “substantially improve stormwater management for the region” and that Hidalgo County district number 1 is the nonfederal sponsor. He said the project’s feasibility study was submitted in 2020 and that the local sponsor recently requested a Section 203 study from the Army Corps of Engineers.
Why it matters: Gonzales said completing the long‑authorized drainage project would reduce flood risk for a region that hosts energy and logistics facilities and could prevent far larger recovery costs if another major hurricane or flood strikes.
Representative Gonzales asked the committee to support steps that would move the project into construction and to ensure that Corps and committee staff coordinate to accelerate review and funding pathways.