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Harlingen commissioners back exploring regional Rio Grande Valley flood-control district after broad public outcry
Summary
After hours of public testimony from repeated flood victims and experts, the Harlingen City Commission voted to pursue a merged, amended resolution supporting exploration of a regional watershed-based Rio Grande Valley flood-control approach and asked staff to produce concrete steps and a timeline for further action.
Harlingen commissioners voted to move forward with a staff-led effort to merge and refine competing resolutions supporting a regional Rio Grande Valley (RGV) watershed-style flood-control district after multiple residents, experts and advocacy groups urged action following repeated flooding events.
Residents described repeated home flooding over the last several years and pressed the commission for regional solutions. Wandy Velasquez, who lives in Los Ranchitos, told commissioners, “Please, please, please fix the canal in Los Ranchitos. Make it deeper. Make it wider. Do whatever it takes to prevent it from over flooding again.” Dawn Graves, a longtime resident, recounted repeated flooding affecting elderly residents and said neighbors “fear every time that we have a storm, even just a 6 inch rain.” Several other residents described damage from the March 2025 flood and urged the city to back a regional plan.
The Rio Grande Valley…
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