Redrawing Nation's Flood Maps

According to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) the U.S. has launched an effort to redraw the nations flood maps.

"The Federal Emergency Management Agency is about to launch an extensive nationwide effort to redraw the maps that predict where floods are likely to occur, a move that will have major financial implications for homeowners, property developers and the government-run flood-insurance program.
...
"Flooding is our most frequent and most costly hazard," says Anthony S. Lowe, director of the Mitigation Division at FEMA, which earlier this year joined the Department of Homeland Security. "These maps are used 25 million times a year," he says. "We're talking about a huge variety of people, from insurance professionals to folks in communities to decide where to locate their homes." Three-quarters of the 100,000 flood maps nationwide are over a decade old.
...
"New flood maps can create deep puddles for homeowners and real-estate developers. Landowners have a strong financial interest to keep the map lines off their property since being in a flood zone increases construction and insurance costs. Zoning ordinances often restrict development on land that falls in a mapped flood zone or require mitigation techniques such as keeping building heights two feet above where floods are common."

I have to wonder how that will affect those of us in drought stricken west Texas. I suppose the rains could come again some day. After all, our rainfall this year is currently 86% of normal - that's a lot of rain compared to recent years.

But, after years of drought water below ground has to have been depleted just as the above ground lakes have. So, it would seem that rain water would run off and soak up much faster.

Officially designated flood zones are a real nuisance. I don't know if any living person could recall a flood at the Midland Shooters Association rifle range southeast of Midland, but it is supposed to be in or near a flood zone. (Joe can tell a tale about the regulatory hoops that had to be jumped through before authorization could be obtained to build a new building and install a septic tank at that location.)

So, what would a new flood map of Midland County look like? I wish I knew, but hopefully the current flood zones will have shrunk.

Aside: Casual visitors to Midland like to chuckle at the rivers that rush down certain streets when it rains. But, it really is a very efficient and cheap way to disperse rain water. Well, okay, you can't go anywhere when it's happening. But, it's much better than the standing lakes that form within cities like Houston and San Antonio each time it rains.

Comments

[Redman]

Sounds like a gigantic "make work" project for FEMA engineers to me.

I know, I'm such a pessimist.

[Eric]

Actually, you shouldn't be surprised if the flood plains inside the city limits are enlarged.

Much of the development along Loop 250, especially the NW quadrant, has resulted in replacing bare ground (which absorbs water) with concrete (which, um, doesn't).

You may recall that the site of the current Target, Home Depot, Sonic Drive-In, etc. was a cotton field/grass burr-mesquite preserve not all that many years ago.

Granted, the drainage ditch has been widened and deepened, so it's a toss-up as to which factor is more important.

[Another Eric]

Just as an FYI, Midland's Flood Insurance Rate Maps were last fully revised in December 1999. And even still, some are modified via "Letter of Map Revisions" as drainage improvements are constructed. As an aside, the City of Midland has a couple of drainage documents that require any new development to demonstrate how they are not increasing the 100-year Flood Plain. This is enforced in the platting process.