DENTON, Texas – The revised preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) are available for review by residents and business owners in the City of Norman.  Officials encourage property owners to review the latest information to learn about local flood risks and potential future flood insurance requirements.                                                                                                                                                         For this physical map revision, the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for Cleveland County serve multiple purposes, including defining Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) and setting rates for flood insurance. SFHAs are areas at high risk for flooding. Communities and residents can use the information...

AUSTIN, Texas – FEMA has awarded more than $8.9 million to Brazoria County, through the Texas Division of Emergency Management, to fund the elevation of 70 flood-prone homes as part of FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). Federal grant funding will provide 75% of the cost of this project, and a local match will provide 25%.  These homes will be elevated to at least 2 feet above the base flood elevation, which is the depth of the water during a 1% chance flood. For a community to participate in the National Flood...

AUSTIN, Texas – More than 70 percent of Texas homes that flooded in Tropical Storm Imelda were in areas at low risk for flooding. And most of those with flood damage from Imelda did not have flood insurance. Insurance policies for those who live in low-risk areas are inexpensive and can make a huge difference if, and when flooding occurs.  Charles and Rose Lyons, a retired couple living about 30 miles northeast of Houston, didn’t think they needed flood insurance before the 2019 spring flood, since their subdivision had not flooded...

AUSTIN, Texas – Disaster survivors affected by the severe storms and floods from Tropical Storm Imelda, can visit local home improvement stores in Cypress, Houston, Pasadena and Orange from Monday, Dec. 2, to Saturday, Dec. 7, for rebuilding tips from mitigation experts. Mitigation specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be on hand to answer questions about home repair, making disaster plans, putting together supply kits and the importance of flood insurance. Assistance will be available at the following locations: HARRIS COUNTYLowe’s14128 Cypress-Rosehill RoadCypress, TX 77429Monday – Saturday, from 8 a.m....

For communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), substantial damage determinations are required by local floodplain-management ordinances. These rules must be in place for residents of a community to purchase flood insurance through the NFIP.Substantial damage applies to a structure in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) for which the total cost of repairs is 50 percent or more of the structure’s market value before the disaster occurred, regardless of the cause of damage. This percentage could vary among jurisdictions but must not be below NFIP standards.  For...