Port of Corpus Christi to receive FEMA funds for Hurricane Harvey repairs

The Port of Corpus Christi will receive additional funding from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) for infrastructure repairs damaged during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The more than $2.5 million in grant funding derives from federal awards for the State of Texas under the Stafford Act.

The Stafford Act authorizes the President to provide federal assistance to a governmental entity to respond or recover from a disaster. The Public Assistance Grant Program outlined in the Act provides assistance for a number of uses, including restoring public infrastructure. The Port has been working closely with its South Texas Congressional Delegation – U.S. House Representatives Michael Cloud, Filemon Vela, Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez – as it continues to navigate the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Harvey.
The projects are for repairs to Oil Docks 1 and 2, and for Nueces Bay Shoreline damaged during Hurricane Harvey. FEMA’s grant will fund nearly $2.5 million of the project costs, with the Port responsible for $280,000. Work includes channel slope stabilization and further protection of over 10,000 linear feet of shoreline to prevent future shoreline retreat. Additional funding is anticipated for further mitigation to this shoreline to restore it to pre-Hurricane Harvey conditions.
“We are grateful to our congressional delegation for their continuous support in our region’s recovery from the impacts of Hurricane Harvey,” said Sean Strawbridge, Chief Executive Officer for the Port of Corpus Christi. “These funds will help the Port of Corpus Christi make the needed repairs to vital infrastructure as we move forward with restoring our nation’s economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“I would like to thank the dedicated Port staff for all the work they have done over the past three years to keep our recovery moving forward,” said Kent Britton, Chief Financial Officer for the Port of Corpus Christi. “The Port is a vital economic engine for the Coastal Bend and the State of Texas, generating billions in economic activity and supporting thousands of jobs. This funding will help ensure the Port of Corpus Christi fulfills that purpose for years to come.”
“Even though it has been three years since Hurricane Harvey ravaged the Coastal Bend region, recovery is ongoing in our region and other parts of the state,” said Charles W. Zahn, Port of Corpus Christi Commission Chairman. “This funding is a crucial part of making sure that recovery continues unimpeded and with the full support of the federal government.”