HOUSTON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Governor of the U.S. state of Texas Greg Abbott is pushing for 60 billion U.S. dollars in additional federal funding to repair infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Harvey, local media reported Monday.
The Houston Chronicle reported that the pitch will be made during a visit to Washington on Tuesday for Harvey-related recovery projects ranging from a coastal flood barrier to transportation and drainage improvements, as well as new flood-prevention projects to help Houston and other storm-ravaged areas along the Texas coast.
Total damage by Hurricane Harvey in Texas, the second-largest state in the United States, are expected to hit 150 billion dollars, making it the most costly storm ever to hit the U.S. mainland.
Two months ago, Harvey flattened cities and towns in coastal areas with strong winds and dumped about 1.5 meters of rain in some areas in a week-long disaster.
The U.S. Congress in September approved 7.4 billion dollars in Harvey aid for Texas, and additional funding for the state was included in a 36-billion-dollar appropriation for disaster relief approved about two weeks ago that also included hurricane-recovery funds for Puerto Rico and Florida and relief for wildfire victims in California.
