What is Surge Forward?

Surge Forward is a coalition of local and regional community organizations in the Houston-Galveston Region committed to advocating for better solutions than the proposed Ike Dike, also known as the Coastal Barrier. We focus on promoting alternative approaches to coastal resilience, such as nature-based solutions, and addressing the specific needs of coastal communities. 

The Ike Dike—a megaproject proposed by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to prevent storm surges along the ship channel—is deemed insufficient to adequately protect Galveston Bay and the surrounding communities. The project appears to primarily safeguard industries along the ship channel from storm surges, failing to address some of the other critical needs and vulnerabilities of coastal communities in our region. The estimated cost for this project are currently around $57 billion. 

What else could we do with $57 billion?

We need projects and policy changes that will address our region’s combined risks from major storms, industrial pollution, and infrastructure failures. Actions include:

• Listen to most impacted communities. Help residents most vulnerable to flooding and storm surges make their homes safer, and move people out of harm’s way if needed.
• Work with nature. Prevent further development in the 100-year floodplain and on coastlines, and preserve large expanses of wetlands, prairies, and coastline as natural climate protections.
• Make industry safer. Adopt stricter regulations of harmful chemicals and enforce violations by industrial facilities. Require industrial facilities to adapt to withstand Category 4-5 storms. Make industry comply with existing regulations and pay for own climate protections.
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by investing in clean energy sources, particularly solar and offshore wind, and public transportation.
• View engineered solutions as our last resort. The real lesson from the Dutch is to invest in nature and supplement with dikes, not the other way around.