Governor signs storm resilience plan 2 years after Harvey

HOUSTON (AP) — Gov. Greg Abbott has signed a $1.6 billion storm and flood resilience plan nearly two years after Hurricane Harvey battered Texas.
Abbott signed the bill Thursday in Houston, where the Category 4 hurricane dumped more than 50 inches of rain. Harvey killed 68 people and caused an estimated $125 billion in damage.
Abbott says a storm cleanup and readiness package passed by the Legislature will mitigate damage from the next catastrophic storm. A report from Abbott’s office last year warned that powerful natural disasters will become more frequent in Texas, citing a changing climate.
Abbott has said it’s “impossible” for him to say whether manmade global warming is to blame.
Last week, President Donald Trump signed a $19.1 billion disaster relief bill that releases recovery money for Texas.