25-05-2025
Will deadly 1949 flood be repeated in Fort Worth? This project aims to prevent it
In May 1949, 11 inches of rain fell on Fort Worth in nine hours, turning the Trinity River into a 14-block-wide body of water and crippling our community of 350,000 people. This month marks the 76th anniversary of that event — the worst natural disaster in Fort Worth history.
The flood left 13,000 people homeless and 10 people dead. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with the local sponsor Tarrant Regional Water District, responded by constructing a 27-mile levee system and floodgates intended to contain the river through Fort Worth in a major rain event. Almost 75 years later, the system remains intact, but conditions have changed.
Fort Worth has experienced substantial growth. Just recently, Cowtown's population officially exceeded 1 million residents. More rooftops, development, and impervious concrete have reduced the amount of land available to soak up rainfall. At the same time, extreme weather conditions stand to increase the regularity and intensity of significant rainstorms.
We cannot wish away natural disasters. Just as drought will return, so will the rains. We've recently endured heavy storms that caused rivers to rise and our reservoirs to fill. Water from local lakes had to be released to ensure the safety of our community. Only through proactive, careful planning were we able to mitigate impacts to our city and daily lives.
But as history shows us, it is not a matter of if another major flood will hit this area, but when. With proactive preparation and planning, a community can withstand an onslaught from the elements. Fortunately, for the citizens of Fort Worth, local leaders have for years been hard at work to ensure this community will be ready for whatever comes.
The Central City Flood Control project involves the construction of a 1.5-mile bypass channel near downtown Fort Worth that will reroute floodwater from the Trinity River. By redirecting the Clear Fork and West Fork through the bypass, water levels will be lowered, enabling the existing levee system to manage the flow more efficiently and providing increased flood protection for the community. Once completed, the project will protect thousands of acres of established neighborhoods, which have become significantly more populated since the original levee system was built in the 1960s.
The area once fully protected by the levee system is currently home to more than 14,000 residents, 7,200 homes, and almost 1,100 businesses.
Beyond keeping flood waters at bay, this multi-faceted, multi-benefit flood control project has also inspired a re-imagining and a rediscovery of the Trinity River as a community asset. Even before construction begins, the benefits can already be seen. In one of the largest environmental cleanup efforts in the state, more than 400,000 tons of contaminated soil has been removed to make way for the bypass channel.
Flood water storage areas are now helping protect the city from flooding. Environmental remediation near Gateway Park on the city's east side has also removed hazardous materials, allowing for the creation of wetlands, aquatic habitat, improved forested areas and recreational trails.
Urban revitalization has been a benefit of this transformative project from the beginning. The ambitious and innovative design of the flood control project provides an opportunity to create Panther Island. A once-neglected industrial section near the Trinity River will be transformed into a vibrant neighborhood with green spaces bustling with activity and opportunities for living, working, shopping, connecting, and playing.
With preparatory work nearing completion, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expected to begin construction on the north half of the bypass channel in early 2026.
Corps officials have said they are 'absolutely committed to ruthlessly continue' the Central City Flood Control Project, but it can only do so if it has the money. Delays triggered by the lack of congressional funding have affected the project, as it has others across the country. Sometimes those delays have devastating consequences. For example, in 1991, the Corps recommended building a 12-mile-long diversion channel from the Comite River to the Mississippi River near Baton Rouge to control flooding. But funding issues dragged the project out and, in 2016, a powerful storm dumped 21 inches of rain on the region, resulting in dire flash flooding.
About 109,000 homes were flooded in Louisiana, and residential property damages were estimated at $3.8 billion. And just last year, a similar story played out in Asheville, North Carolina.
Around the country, communities are asking themselves, could it happen here? In Fort Worth, one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. that sits on the banks of a major river that has already flooded, the answer is yes — but we have options. We can invest in flood protection today or spend billions in disaster recovery tomorrow.
Mattie Parker is the mayor of Fort Worth, Carlos Flores is the District 2 city councilman of Fort Worth and Leah King is the board president of the Tarrant Regional Water District.
