It’s been more than two months since the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Harris County Flood Control District released the long-awaited draft maps highlighting updated flood risks across the region.
While the data is a work in progress, some local homeowners said they are wondering how the changes will impact their bills.
The big picture
FEMA requires all property owners with a federally-backed mortgage living in a 100-year floodplain—areas with a 1% annual chance of flooding—to obtain flood insurance through private insurers or the National Flood Insurance Program, known as NFIP. A before-and-after glimpse of the preliminary maps indicates more Lake Houston-area homes fall within a high- or moderate-risk flood zone, potentially impacting flood insurance requirements for certain residents. The February draft reflects nearly two decades of change, as FEMA last released flood maps in 2007 using data from Tropical Storm Allison, per the agency’s website.
Emily Woodell, HCFCD chief external affairs officer, said new insurance requirements won’t take effect until the map is finalized in two to three years. She said HCFCD doesn’t know the exact number of homes now in a floodplain, but there was a “significant expansion in the maps” driven by a 30% increase in rainfall rates.
“Our stance has always been and will always be that everyone in Harris County should have flood insurance no matter where you live,” she said.
As for cost, Houston-area insurance agent Jose Medrano said every property is unique, and the map alone no longer determines premiums. In 2023, FEMA implemented a new pricing system called Risk Rating 2.0 that uses factors such as home elevation, distance to flood sources and construction history to calculate quotes.
The cost
Medrano said standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood-related damages.
“What [flood insurance] covers is damage to your property if water comes from the ground up,” he said. “Regular home insurance is if the water comes in from the sky down.”
Annual flood insurance costs vary greatly for Harris County residents—anywhere from $500 to more than $1,000—according to FEMA data.
Medrano said residents living outside the 100-year floodplain may be able to buy a NFIP policy at a lower rate. The NFIP also offers discounts for high-risk homes under the new maps.
Bob Rehak, a member of the Harris County Community Flood Resilience Task Force, said he has lived in Kingwood for 42 years. He said that his house hasn’t flooded, but the flood levels have gotten closer with each major storm.
"We’ve seen water come across Kingwood Drive four times, and each time, it’s gotten progressively higher,” Rehak said.
Rehak said many people buying homes don’t realize that floodplains are constantly changing due to a variety of factors. Therefore, they can still be at risk, even if their homes are not in a danger zone on the FEMA flood maps.
Zooming outKingwood insurance agent Jeanna Bumpass—whose own house flooded during Hurricane Harvey—said homeowners need to plan well in advance when obtaining flood coverage.
