Bringing over 40 inches of rain to the Upper Texas Coast, many communities are just beginning to assess the damages left behind by Tropical Storm Imelda. Only two years after Hurricane Harvey’s unprecedented rainfall, Imelda submerged some areas left untouched by Harvey, while also striking hard-hit communities that are still struggling to recover from Harvey’s damage. During Hurricane Harvey, a staggering 68% of homes that experienced flooding in Harris County lay outside of the 100-year floodplain, changing our assumptions about what areas are safe from floods.
While you can never be sure whether your home will flood or not, preparing for the next flood event includes understanding your home’s flood risk and purchasing flood insurance, if needed. “Given the repetitive flood events experienced in Harris County in 2015, 2016, 2017, and now Imelda, residents need to be aware of the flood risk for their current home or any future home they are considering renting or buying,” said Amy Dinn, Managing Attorney with Lone Star Legal Aid’s Environmental Justice team, part of LSLA’s Equitable Development Initiative (EDI). Dinn shared the following tips for finding out your home’s current flood risk and improving your chances of not leasing or buying a home that might flood in the future:
Investigate whether the property is prone to flooding and purchase flood insurance, if needed.
Review FEMA flood maps at: https://msc.fema.gov/portal
A higher risk of storm surge exists in east and southeast Harris County below 25 feet.
Many streets are backup drainage systems: Compare the height of slab of house to crown of the street.
Know whether your zip code is an evacuation area: http://prepare.readyharris.org/Evacuation-Map
New Rule: Homeowners Must Disclose Flood Risk
As of September 1, 2019, sellers in the State of Texas are now required
to disclose to buyers or renters whether a home is in a:
Recovering from the Storm: Flood Insurance and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Equal Justice Works Fellow with Lone Star Legal Aid’s Disaster Recovery Unit, Chase Porter explains that understanding flood insurance is key for homeowners to be able to receive help after a flood. When flood insurance is not maintained, homeowners can lose their eligibility to receive other types of assistance. “Flood insurance may be your only way of getting help making repairs after a flood – and whether or not you maintain your flood insurance can also affect your ability to receive federal assistance in the future,” shared Porter.