After years of delays, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has quietly posted a draft of Harris County’s new flood maps online, kickstarting a review process that could lead to the first major update to the county’s floodplain boundaries in nearly two decades.
Flood maps are supposed to show where flooding is most likely to happen during major storms. FEMA creates them with help from local governments, using rainfall data, terrain features and models that predict how water moves.
Harris County has not had a comprehensive map update since 2007. After Hurricane Harvey, the county partnered with the federal agency on a major map overhaul. The new maps were originally expected to be released in 2022, but have since encountered repeated delays.
The draft maps, now viewable on FEMA’s website, are intended for floodplain administrators and local elected officials. They show the new 100-year floodplain expanding significantly, roughly aligning with areas currently designated as the 500-year floodplain, according to Emily Woodell, a spokesperson for the Harris County Flood Control.
Based on the draft maps, many homeowners across the region could be affected.
Most homes newly placed in the 100-year floodplain will be required to carry flood insurance if they have a federally backed mortgage. The updated boundaries could also influence building codes and development decisions. Additionally, once the maps are finalized, homeowners will be required to disclose the updated designation when selling their properties.
Woodell said flood control officials are scheduled to discuss the policy implications of the new maps with elected officials during Thursday’s Commissioners Court meeting.
“People who were not previously in the 100-year floodplain are going to feel more restrictions,” said Jim Blackburn, a Rice University professor who specializes in environmental law and sustainable design. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s a red flag about living in this area.”
Sam Brody, an environmental science professor at Texas A&M University, said the expanded floodplains will ultimately have a positive impact on the region. By pulling more people into regulated flood zones, he said, the new maps could prompt them to pay closer attention to flood risk and take steps to reduce it at their own homes.
“It’s going to broaden the population that receives more information about risk,” Brody said. “I see it more as an opportunity than a constraint.”
There’s a map in that Chron story (gift link) that you can plug your address into, to see what changes if any have been made around your home. Whatever did happen, it’s better to know than not to know. This map is a draft, and as the story notes it will be a couple of years before the finalized version is released, possibly with further changes. Good luck and stay dry. KHOU has more.
Interestingly, our address did not change, but our street itself got worse. They did good modelling, since our lot level is elevated from the street.
House shopping in Texas, I soon learned that I couldn’t know if a property was affordable for me until I got a quote back for flood insurance.