![\"New](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-16-101511-1000x626.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Harris County Flood Control District<\/p>\n
This draft flood risk map shows proposed flood-risk levels for the Houston area. Areas shaded light green are slated for a 500-year floodplain designation by FEMA, while darker areas represent a 100-year floodplain designation.<\/p>\n
A newly proposed Harris County flood zone map adds heightened flood risks for households across the Houston area. <\/p>\n
A draft of the Federal Emergency Management Agency\u2019s new and long-awaited flood risk map will likely go through several variations before final approval. The map \u2014 which was quietly released on the agency\u2019s website<\/a> two weeks ago and intended for technical reviews by floodplain administrators \u2014 marks a major revision in Harris County\u2019s flood risk zones that haven\u2019t seen a comprehensive update in nearly 20 years.<\/p>\n Under the proposed map \u2014 which will influence insurance coverages as well as local development rules \u2014 the 100-year and 500-year floodplains widely expanded in south Houston, while some areas in southwest Houston saw a reduced flood risk. Both floodplains appeared to spread in northeast Harris County near Lake Houston under the proposal. <\/p>\n Sign up for the Hello, Houston!<\/a> daily newsletter to get local reports like this delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p>\n Jim Blackburn, an environmental law professor at Rice University, said that a reevaluation of rainfall rates is one of the most significant developments since the county\u2019s previous flood maps were released in 2007. The federal agency\u2019s newly proposed map reflects about a 30% increase in rainfall rates.<\/p>\n The 2007 maps \u2014 which will continue to be used until the proposal is evaluated by floodplain administrators and county officials \u2014 used a calculation that properties in 100-year floodplains could flood with 13 inches of rain in 24 hours. The new maps assume about 17 inches of rain in 24 hours in those floodplains. <\/p>\n \u201cThat increase, we saw it with Allison, we saw it with Harvey, we saw it with Imelda \u2026 flooding that we had all in the last 20 years,\u201d Blackburn said. \u201cSo the numbers are going up. With bigger rains, you\u2019re going to have bigger floodplains.\u201d <\/p>\n The Harris County Flood Control District, which works with FEMA to provide technical information to inform updated flood risk maps, on Monday published a user-friendly version of the proposed map allowing residents to compare their household\u2019s potential risk. Before the proposed map was released, the flood control district updated Harris County\u2019s topography and mapped an additional 400 miles of channels in the county, which includes Houston.<\/p>\n Harris County Flood Control District<\/p>\n The top image shows southeast Houston on Harris County’s existing flood risk map, while the bottom image reveals the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s proposed flood risk map.<\/p>\n Emily Woodell, a spokesperson for the flood control district, said some of the changes reflect the progress of several flood mitigation projects. Early results show areas where flood risk has decreased because of investments made through the county\u2019s 2018 flood bond program, she said. <\/p>\n \u201cThat means in some neighborhoods, families who once faced repeated flooding are now seeing measurable reductions in risk,\u201d Woodell said. \u201cThere is more work to do, but we know these projects are making a difference, and hundreds of millions of dollars in additional construction is set to begin this year.\u201d <\/p>\n![\"FEMA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Image-6-700x1000.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n