A draft of the first-ever statewide flood plan for Texas estimates that more than 5 million residents live or work in an area susceptible to flooding.
– More than 5 million Texans, or one in six people in the state, live or work in an area susceptible to flooding, according tois an effort to reduce the risk for those people by recommending solutions to harden Texas against floods and rising sea levels.
“When the plan is approved, it’s going to be a historic moment for Texas,” Kirkle said. “This will be a really critical piece in understanding the topography and where you have higher and lower elevations in order to properly plan for which parts of the state are going to be subject to the risk.” More than 2.4 million people live or work in a 100-year floodplain — areas that have a 1% chance of flooding each year — according to the draft state flood plan. Another 2.8 million people are in a 500-year floodplain, which have a 0.2% chance of flooding each year.
The state flood plan estimates that recommended flood mitigation projects to reduce the risk of flooding across Texas could cost more than $49 billion, but more than half of the money would be allocated to the “Ike Dike” project, a coastal barrier intended to protect the Houston region from storm surge during hurricanes. TWDB is recommending that state lawmakers allocate additional funding for flood mitigation and prevention projects.
According to the plan, more than 70% of all flood fatalities in Texas occur when people try to cross flooded low water crossings. The TWDB recommends additional funding for the removal of low water crossings, additional signage and bridge improvements. Cyrus Reed, conservation director for the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, said the plan is an impressive effort, but does have some limitations.
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