Houston’s Ike Dike will not provide sufficient protection to the city.

After Hurricane Ike hit the city in 2008, a $31 billion flood control project called the ‘Ike Dike’ was designed, consisting of a “chain of sea walls and artificial dunes along the 50-mile-length of Galveston Bay, anchored by a two-mile-wide concrete gate system at the mouth of the ship channel”. However, experts claim that the Ike Dike may not be sufficient protection for Houston and surrounding areas during major storms. This is because the barriers may not be strong or high enough to cope with extreme storm surges, especially as hurricanes are expected to become more intense due to climate change.

The Corps has stated that the project “would reduce damage from medium-size hurricanes by as much as 77 percent and prevent an average of $2 billion in damages each year,” but ultimately, the Corps’ own analysis found that even with the project in place, the bay would suffer an average of over $1 billion in annual storm damage. Additionally, the Corps’ designs suggest that it may not be able to withstand storm surges caused by Category 4 and 5 hurricanes.

Grist’s Jake Bittle also notes that Houston’s inland neighbourhoods are also at risk of flooding during storms, as the city’s network of bayous can swell. The Corps is looking for ways to address this type of urban flooding but is struggling to identify good solutions. Activists such as Save Buffalo Bayou Director Susan Chadwick have called for the Corps to spend money on green spaces and grasslands that can absorb water across the city, instead of opting for engineered ‘gray infrastructure’ to control waterways.