Real estate
BY NICHAELA SHAHEEN
How FEMA maps aect buyout options
A closer look
While oodmaps help show where risk exists, the county’s buyout data shows where ooding has already forced some homeowners to leave. Montgomery County has bought out 144 prop- erties since 2017, of which 87—more than 60%—are in Precinct 4. Timber Lakes Timber Ridge in Precinct 3 has also seen sustained buyout activity. But the map of need is shifting. Lumbley said east Montgomery County has been a consistent focus in recent years, and newer areas saw increased activity after the 2024 oods.
A oodway is more restrictive. FEMA denes it as the river channel and nearby land that must stay open to carry base oodwaters. However, a map is not a guarantee. County recovery sta said residents’ homes often ood even when a map does not show them in a oodplain. Lumbley said maps do not tell the whole story. She said residents have told her on multiple occasions that they are not labeled in the oodplain but still experience ooding. “Anywhere can ood at any time,” Lumbley said. “Homeowners need to take steps to protect themselves at all costs, regardless of where their property falls on a map.” For McDade Park resident Kathleen Adams, the risk became impossible to ignore. She views her only option is for Montgomery County to buyout her property. “You start paying attention when it’s sitting at your front door, you have to,” Adams said.
A Federal Emergency Management Agency ood map—which outlines the areas within ood zones—does more than show where water may go. In Montgomery County, it can aect whether a homeowner needs ood insurance, what permits are required after a storm and how expensive it may be to rebuild, ocials said. Montgomery County requires permits for development or work in the 100-year oodplain, and post-ood repairs in oodplain or oodway areas can trigger compliance requirements, said Morgan Lumbley, disaster recovery manager with the Montgomery County Oce of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. A Special Flood Hazard Area—aka high-risk A or V zones—is dened by FEMA as land with a 1% annual chance of ooding. County guidance states homes in high-risk A or V zones with federally backed mortgages must carry ood insurance. AE zones are one type of high-risk A zone, while X zones are generally lower-risk.
Where buyouts have happened Montgomery County buyouts by precinct
144 total
Precinct 1 Precinct 3 21 Precinct 2 34 Precinct 4 87 2
properties
$36.97M Total spent through FMA and CDBG-DR grants 2.5–3 years Typical wait from application to closing
$618.8M Total FEMA claims dollars paid ~1,000 Properties still need buyouts across the county
What the map means While the oodplain refers to an area with elevated ood risks, other designations show levels of concern.
Zone AE/Floodway: Regulatory oodway; river channel adjacent land areas that must be reserved to discharge the base ood Zone AE: 1% annual ood hazard aka 100-year ood plain; a high-risk A zone with base ood elevations Zone X: A lower-risk area outside the mapped 100-year oodplain
SOURCE: MONTGOMERY COUNTYCOMMUNITY IMPACT
Montgomery County
Precinct 1
Why it matters
LAKE CONROE
For homeowners trying to leave a repeatedly ooded property, the buyout process can feel like a waiting game. Lumbley said the full process typically takes between two to three years, depending on the federal funding source. Once funding reaches the county and homeowners stay engaged, she said closings can move in 60-90 days. But the need still outpaces the available programs. Lumbley said 10 properties are tied to a 2019 Flood Mitigation Assistance scope modi cation request, nine are tied to a 2020 FMA scope modi cation request and seven remain in the nal Hurricane Harvey CDBG-DR batch. About 100 people have called the county asking for a buyout, she said. Realistically, Lumbley said, close to 1,000 properties may still need to be purchased because of repeated ooding.
Precinct 4
45
105
336
Precinct 2
Precinct 3
MAP NOT TO SCALE N
SOURCES: FEMA, MONTGOMERY COUNTYCOMMUNITY IMPACT
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THE WOODLANDS EDITION
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