For the first time in nearly two decades, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has updated floodplain maps for the Houston area. Many locals are now raising concerns about the potential impact the changes will have.
Since FEMA last released flood zone maps in 2007 for Harris County, Texas, the region has undergone significant development and has experienced greater rainfall. These are among the factors that have led FEMA to expand designated flood zones significantly.
A Houston Chronicle analysis found that the area’s 100-year flood zones have grown by 43%. Meanwhile, 500-year flood zones increased 30%. In total, about 420,000 properties could be reclassified as having a greater risk of flooding…