The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers granted funding for flood mitigation, storm surge protection and other disaster recovery and resiliency projects in Texas totaling almost $4 billion.

“As the state of Texas continues to rebuild after Hurricane Harvey we must also prioritize resiliency projects to protect against the next storm,” Texas General Land Office Commissioner George P. Bush said in a statement. “As we witnessed with Hurricane Harvey, storm surge and flooding can cause devastating damage. By prioritizing resiliency, we can protect against future damage along our Texas coastline, one of our nation’s strongest economic engines.”

Commissioner of Precinct 4 Michael Sinegal said that he is pleased about the funding for the levees, but is cautious about being too optimistic.

“I am very thankful that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are fortifying the levees,” Sinegal said. “I’m all for them fortifying the levees. The only thing we have to be careful with is that we need to understand that the storm surge isn’t our only problem with flooding.”

Sinegal said that the levees could cause a problem because they also trap rainwater.

“There are a few things we need to shore up,” he said. “The last few floods weren’t caused by storm surges. We need to find out why we are still flooding. Homes are still flooding and we need to find ways to prevent that.”

Two weeks ago, Sinegal and Precinct 2 Commissioner Brent Weaver suggested that the commissioners have a workshop with Drainage District 7 to answer questions and try to find solutions to reduce the local flooding.

“I’ve been getting calls from citizens trying to understand why this is happening,” Sinegal said. “They know that I don’t have control over that, but they know I’ll ask the questions. If DD7 says that it is a Port Arthur problem, then we need to get on Port Arthur. I’m sure that after the flooding that there are some culverts that need to be cleaned out. I just want someone to tell me so we can start working on getting these things fixed before we flood again.

“The levee fortification is a great step in the right direction though. We just can’t get complacent.”

Weaver could not be reached for comment.