Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia brought the motion to the Aug. 26 court meeting, where commissioners unanimously voted in favor to authorize a letter signed by court members to prioritize and expedite the maps, which guide infrastructure and insurance decisions for a county with a growing population of more than 4.7 million residents and nearly 1.8 million households, according to the latest data by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Garcia said that while the county has invested significantly in local data and has collaborated with FEMA, their “repeated delays” in the map release hinders what he called "crucial" public safety measures.
“Our shared goal is clear: to provide Harris County residents with the most accurate, transparent information possible so they can make informed choices for their families, homes and livelihoods,” Garcia said. “We respectfully urge FEMA to prioritize and expedite the release of these new flood risk maps for Harris County.”
Digging deeper
Garcia read a portion of the letter during the court meeting:
“Harris County has experienced repeated catastrophic flood events over the last decade, including Hurricane Harvey and more frequent intense rain, rainfall events that underscored the urgent need for the most current data to guide our community's decisions. One of the most critical tools in this effort is to enact accurate, flood plain mapping.”
Zooming out
The last time frame FEMA issued regarding the release of Harris County’s preliminary flood insurance rate maps was in 2023, according to Harris County Flood Control District officials, as previously reported in Community Impact. Previously, the HCFCD projected FEMA would release maps in the spring or summer of 2022 but has continually pushed back its estimate.
Federal law requires FEMA to assess if flood maps need to be revised or updated at least every five years. Local flood control entities partner with FEMA to provide information for those maps, which show flood risk and mandate the purchase of flood insurance in high-risk areas. HCFCD Planning Division Director Ataul Hannan previously told Community Impact that FEMA’s flood maps have not been updated countywide since 2007, but several of the areas comprising the maps have changed due to the completion of HCFCD projects.
Community Impact has not heard back from FEMA officials nor could confirm a flood map release date from HCFCD as of press time.
Also of note
This comes as regional agencies are already voicing concerns over the future of FEMA. Gov. Greg Abbott was appointed to the special review council in May alongside Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Department of Emergency Management. Abbott's office stated in a May news release that in times of disaster, Texas leads emergency response efforts and coordinates with local, state and federal partners for needed support and recovery resources.
The biggest concern voiced by local agencies is that natural disasters typically cause several million in debris removal and hazard mitigation costs that is typically reimbursed by FEMA.
“Montgomery County, like every other jurisdiction across Texas, does partner with FEMA and other federal agencies to provide disaster recovery services to our mutual constituents,” said Jason Millsaps, executive director of the Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. “Without this federal assistance, our citizens and the county would not be able to swiftly recover from a disaster as seen in previously presidentially declared disasters.”
Jessica Shorten contributed to this report.
