Government
BY JESSICA SHORTEN
Harris County residents can now see preliminary Federal Emergency Management Agency map data through a new interactive dashboard from FEMA and the Harris County Flood Control District in the rst countywide update since 2007. The county’s 34 oodplain administrators received preliminary data and maps from FEMA in the rst week of February, HCFCD Executive Director Tina Petersen said. “These maps are draft. There will be years of opportunity to review these maps and engage with the process before they are nal,” Petersen said “We have a lot more work to do, but it is really fullling to see that the FEMA maps are showing the progress that we all know is happening.” According to the data, areas along Lake Houston, the west and east forks of the San Jacinto River and other tributaries, are included in the oodway and oodplain. To view the full draft map, visit www.maapnext.org/interactive-map. Draft FEMA maps update released
Proposed ood hazard zones Draft oodway (extreme risk) Draft 100-year oodplain (high risk - special ood hazard area) Draft 500-year oodplain (moderate risk) Low risk
N
R .
KINGWOOD DR.
1960
59
W. LAKE HOUSTON PKWY.
WOODLAND HILLS DR.
LAKE HOUSTON
N
SOURCE: MODELING, ASSESSMENT AND AWARENESS PROJECT MAAPNEXTCOMMUNITY IMPACT
Next steps
The path ahead The estimated timeline provided to commissioners highlighted the maps may not become nal until 2028.
Stay tuned
Petersen said the Modeling, Assessment and Awareness Project (MAAPNext) dashboard has been updated with the preliminary data received from FEMA to help individuals understand potential oodplain impacts. However, she cautioned against using the data formally as it is set to change. Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey said his major concern was that residents who are pur- chasing homes or property without the updated oodplain maps could be purchasing homes within a oodplain. “People are going to be buying homes tomorrow, and they won’t know anything about these maps,” Ramsey said. “I don’t know if there’s anything we can do to facilitate at least making the homeowner that’s about to buy something—banking his life or her life investment in a piece of property—[aware] that we’ve got more information about it.” Petersen said part of the decision to release the preliminary data typically only provided to oodplain administrators was an eort to begin educating the public now about potential ood- plain and oodway changes.
Petersen said a series of in-person meetings and webinars will be held to ensure the public has time to submit feedback on the new maps. However, the dates have not been nalized as of press time. “It is important to emphasize that, at this stage, these are draft maps from FEMA intended for technical review by oodplain administrators,” HCFCD spokesperson Emily Woodell said. “They are not nal, not regulatory. ... Nothing changes right now related to ood insurance requirements or development regulations.” Various portions of the county have received spot updates following major developments and infrastructure improvements in 2017 and 2019, according to FEMA documents. “In a county as large and complex as Harris County, it takes many dierent individuals to help move an eort like this forward,” Petersen said Feb. 12.
A Feb. 2:
2026
Draft data is released from FEMA to oodplain administrators
A
B
C
B May:
FEMA releases public data; community outreach begins C May 2026-January 2027: Ocials start community outreach, town halls D February-May 2027: Formal FEMA appeals and comment period E May 2027-May 2028: Map and modeling revisions made based on feedback F May-June 2028:
2027
D
E
2028
Final letters of map approvals are sent to elected ocials, oodplain administrators
F
G November 2028:
Ocials approve nal maps
G
2029
SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT COMMUNITY IMPACT
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LAKE HOUSTON HUMBLE KINGWOOD EDITION
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