Last week, Lt. Gen. Todd T. Semonite, USACE Commanding General and 54th U.S. Army Chief of Engineers, signed the Rio Guayanilla Flood Risk Management Study Chief’s Report.
This key step in the USACE study process approves the findings of the Chicago District and starts the process of Congressional consideration to authorize the project for future construction.
The Rio Guayanilla, in Puerto Rico, drains approximately 96 square kilometers while running through the municipality of Guayanilla on its way into the Guayanilla Bay which opens to the Caribbean Sea.
There have been 10 major floods in the last 45 years, with the most recent occurring in September 2017 during Hurricane Maria.
The overbank flooding impacts more than 1100 homes, businesses, industry, and utilities with expected annual damages of $19.8M.
USACE plans to achieve 97% reduction in damages throughout the construction of conveyance improvements, levees, floodwalls, a 9000-foot engineered diversion channel, diversion structures, and road relocations at a cost of $154.34M.