Navigating flood protection From the cover
What you need to know
Tomball-area ZIP codes
Occupied housing units vs. NFIP flood insurance policies in Harris County
20.4%
1.175M Total occupied housing units
240,031 Total NFIP policy count in Harris County
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. 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. Per the data, the proposed changes would re- map the 100-year floodplain to include certain areas around FM 2920 and Telge Road, and near neighborhoods such as Willowcreek Ranch and Country Club Greens. 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. 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. As for cost, Houston-area insurance agent Jose
249
77375
77377
2920
99 TOLL
20.42 Estimated flood insurance policies for every 100 occupied units
290
N
NFIP policyholder premium changes Monthly premiums shifted across Tomball in the past year based on a matrix used by the NFIP called Risk Rating 2.0.
Policy count 3,597
$20+ decrease
$10-$20 decrease
$0-$10 decrease
$0-$10 increase
$10-$20 increase
$20+ increase
77375
0.8% 0.2% 15.4% 83.1% 0.5% 0.1%
77377
3,012
0.7% 0.1% 11.3% 87.7% 0% 0%
NOTE: ONE HOUSING UNIT MAY CARRY MORE THAN ONE POLICY, AS COVERAGE FOR THE BUILDING AND PERSONAL BELONGINGS ARE PACKAGED SEPARATELY. SOURCE: NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM AND U.S. CENSUS BUREAU/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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.
Another detail
Zooming out
One more thing
In addition to rainfall, development con- tributes to the increased flood risks seen in northwest Harris County, Medrano said. New streets and buildings impact the flow of water, particularly in flat regions like Cypress and Katy.
Medrano said standard homeowners insur- ance does not cover flood-related damages. “Flood insurance, what that covers is dam- age 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.” Residents can obtain flood insurance directly through FEMA or through its Write Your Own Program, which is a list of private companies that issue standardized policies regulated by the NFIP.
All Harris County residents are eligible for flood insurance through the NFIP, per HCFCD. “Everyone in Harris County should have flood insurance,” Woodell said.
Tips to kick off your flood insurance research Visit www.floodsmart.gov and enter details about your property to get a quote. Compare potential changes to your flood zone by visiting www.maapnext.org and entering your address. Use the slide tool to view FEMA’s existing maps versus draft maps. Contact NFIP experts at floodsmart@fema.dhs.gov or call 800-427-4661. Reach out to an insurance agent to discuss possible coverage options for your property and personal belongings. Consider obtaining a home inspection and elevation certificate, which may decrease your quote.
Claims paid by NFIP by county*, past 10 years Dollar amount of claims paid by NFIP Number of NFIP claims paid
Montgomery County
Liberty County
1,220 $83.1M
NFIP claims filed, paid in unincorporated Harris County*
5,386 $471.4M
Write your own: Private insurers issue the policy, but NFIP pays the claim. Direct
Harris County
61,563 $6.5B
Galveston County
Number of claims
8,564 $861.7M
37,093
12,716
Total: 49,809
Fort Bend County
Net dollars paid
3,848 $432.5M
Brazoria County
Sign up for flood alerts at www.harriscountyfws.org.
$2.08B
$477.34M
Total: $2.56B
5,396 $449.7M
*INCLUDES INCORPORATED CITIES WITHIN ALL COUNTIES
SOURCE: NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM/COMMUNITY IMPACT DATA COLLECTED THROUGH DEC. 31 *DOES NOT INCLUDE INCORPORATED CITIES WITHIN HARRIS COUNTY
NOTE: STANDARD NFIP POLICIES TAKE 30 DAYS TO TAKE EFFECT. SOURCES: NFIP, HCFCD, HAR/COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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