| Floodwaters pour from Tom Miller Dam in Austin during a flood in July 2002. |
Federal emergency planners are gearing up to study the need for revised floodplains in Travis County, one of the most flood-prone regions in the United States.
Austin and other communities in Travis County -- in the heart of the lower basin of the Texas Colorado River -- plan to collaborate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in remapping 100-year floodplains for those communities. FEMA expects to complete the flood-insurance and remapping study in three and a half years.
'Flash Flood Alley'
The remapping project is one of a series of studies and actions by local, state and federal officials to address the risks associated with heavy rains in the Austin-Hill Country region, dubbed by some hydrologists as "Flash Flood Alley." The region has a long history of devastating floods along the Colorado River, usually caused by heavy rains in the Hill Country area.
In earlier times, catastrophic floods affected Austin and other downstream communities every few years. The Highland Lakes chain of dams, built by LCRA on the river in Austin and upstream, has lessened but not eliminated the threat of heavy flooding. As population grows along the lakes and river, more people are exposed to the risks of flooding.
FEMA ranks Travis County among the top 10 percent of counties in the nation with a significant risk of flood damages, based on the number of people at risk of flooding, the rate of population growth, the number of homes repeatedly damaged by floods, and the number of homes with flood-insurance policies, said Frank Pagano, FEMA division director for federal insurance and mitigation.
"In addition, we know our efforts there will be strengthened by the established partnerships in that region," Pagano said. "We know there is a strong local commitment of technical and financial resources." The City of Austin, LCRA and the Texas Natural Resources Information System, a division of the Texas Water Development Board, are technical partners on the project.
FEMA will draw upon dozens of flood studies conducted in Travis County over the years. One of the largest, issued last year by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, indicates that a 100-year flood on Lake Travis would reach a level six feet higher than previously thought -- 722 feet above mean sea level (msl) instead of 716 feet above msl. The flood hazard boundary zone along Lake Travis would include about 700 more structures if FEMA accepts the Corps of Engineers study and uses its findings in the remapping process.
How the new maps will affect property owners will depend on the location of the property. The FEMA study likely will result in new 100-year floodplain boundaries that include some properties currently outside of the floodplain, and vice versa. If FEMA raises the 100-year floodplain, there may be flood insurance rate benefits to owners of property in the newly designated floodplain who have obtained flood insurance prior to the change.
Public to be involved in process
The public will be involved in the process. FEMA will develop a public outreach and information program that will include periodic informational meetings, newsletters, Web pages and public hearings. Residents will be able to comment and respond to proposed new flood-hazard boundaries.
After the study, FEMA will issue preliminary maps for a 90-day public review and comment. A property owner can contest any changes during the 90-day review period by providing technical backup or studies. After FEMA addresses the comments and prints final maps, Travis County and incorporated communities will have six months to pass ordinances adopting them. They must adopt the new maps by ordinance to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program.
FEMA estimates that it will produce more than 83 maps to replace the 91 flood-insurance rate maps currently in Travis County. They will be produced in digital format for accessibility and easier updating.
For more information about FEMA flood insurance regulations, contact the FEMA Region VI office, (940) 898-5127, or the National Flood Insurance Program, (281) 829-6880. Information about both programs is available at www.fema.gov.
Kimbrell is an LCRA writer specializing in water topics. Contact her at carol.kimbrell@lcra.org.
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