From the cover
After the water rises
A closer look
The big picture
Data shows that since 2017, the county has bought out 144 homes—87 in Precinct 4. The Conroe-area neighborhood River Plantation in Precinct 2 has also seen sustained buyout activity. Lumbley said east Montgomery County has been a focus in recent years, and newer areas saw increased activity after 2024. In January and May of 2024, parts of the county ooded twice. “It’s the little things I’ve lost through life that I’ll never be able to replace,” Adams said.
A oodway is more restrictive. FEMA de nes it as the river channel and nearby land that must stay open to carry base oodwaters. However, a map is not a guarantee that a home won’t ood. County recovery sta said residents homes often ood even when a map doesn’t show them in a oodplain. Lumbley 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 Adams, the risk became impossible to ignore. She views her only option as Montgomery County buying out her property. “You start paying attention when it’s sitting at your front door,” Adams said. “You have to.”
A FEMA ood map—which outlines the areas within ood zones—does more than show where water may go. In Montgomery County, it can a ect whether a homeowner needs ood insurance, what permits are required after a storm and how expensive it may be to rebuild, o cials 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 O ce of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. FEMA de nes a Special Flood Hazard Area—or high-risk A or V zones—as land that has 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.
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/ oodway: 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 oodplain; high ooding risk Zone X/shaded: between the 100-year and 500-year oodplains; moderate ooding risk
Montgomery County
SOURCE: MONTGOMERY COUNTY, FEMA COMMUNITY IMPACT
Precinct 1
Why it matters
LAKE CONROE
Lumbley said the full process typically takes between 2 1/2 and 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 need outpaces availability. About 100 people have called asking for a buyout, Lumbley said. “We have zero control as to how long things sit at the federal and state level,” Lumbley said.
Precinct 4
45
105
336
Still waiting
10 properties : 2019 FMA scope modi cation request
9 properties: 2020 FMA scope modi cation request
7 properties: nal Hurricane Harvey CDBG- DR batch
Precinct 2
Precinct 3
MAP NOT TO SCALE N
SOURCE: MONTGOMERY COUNTY COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCES: MONTGOMERY COUNTY, FEMA COMMUNITY IMPACT
28
COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Powered by FlippingBook