AUSTIN - The Texas Department of Rural Affairs (TDRA) Disaster Recovery division today awarded a grant of $2,144,044 for Willacy County to repair damages caused by Hurricane Dolly. The grant is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery funds.

With these funds, the county will install emer- gency electric generators on water and wastewater systems as well as reconstruct and repair numerous drainage systems and roadways. Willacy County will also rebuild bridges on North Gonzalez Road, North Cemetery Road and Cantu Road benefitting some eleven thousand residents of the county.

This grant is part of $46,863,447 awarded to the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council for hurricane recovery. TDRA recovery projects reach from East Texas to the Rio Grande Valley. In all, some 220 grants have been awarded for recovery projects throughout the disaster area.

TDRA has oversight of HUD disaster recovery funding for the non-housing portion of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) disaster recovery funds. Projects are selected by local officials, citizens and stakeholders in each affected area.

For more information, visit TDRA online at www.tdra.st ate.tx.us