The city of Katy has voted to amend its flood damage prevention ordinance to potentially lower residents’ flood insurance rates.
What’s happening?
At a Sept. 14 meeting, Katy City Council approved an ordinance change to broaden flood prevention requirements for specific structures.
During the meeting, City Planner Rachel Lazo said the city is already part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program, but the intention is to join the program’s community rating system as well.
“Municipalities or agencies can choose to adopt higher standards to reduce flood risk and in exchange potentially get a reduction on flood insurance rates for citizens in that community,” Lazo said.
In 2022, Katy officials conducted a major update to the floodplain ordinance to coincide with the Harris County Flood Control District’s standards requiring either a one-foot buffer above the base flood elevation or the 500-year elevation, whichever is higher.
“That does already apply throughout the development standards. However, the [incident safety] officer wanted it reiterated throughout multiple sections just to make very clear that it did apply in all scenarios listed,” Lazo said.
What’s new
Lazo said the specific changes made to the ordinance include:
Mechanical equipment in residential or non-residential developments is required to have a one-foot buffer above the base flood elevation or to be at the 500-year elevation.
Floodproofing is now an alternative to elevation for non-residential construction as long as it meets city standards.
Manufactured homes and areas of shallow flooding must have a one-foot buffer above the base flood elevation or be at the 500-year elevation.
“The changes today would be minimal to none,” Lazo said. “I think it actually offers relief to commercial and industrial development, again, allowing floodproofing as an option.”
Next steps
Lazo said the city has already applied to be part of the CRS, but the incident safety officer will review the application materials in the coming days before they are formally processed.
Katy officials are expected to find out if the city will join the CRS by spring 2027. If the application is denied, the city would need to wait another year to apply again.
