Are there laws for notifying homeowners in Houston about their flooding risk?

An article in the Sunday February 11th edition of the Houston Chronicle presented many issues related to proposed flood mitigation projects.  The article is entitled "Flooding battle plans take shape - Six months after Harvey, local, state leaders eye an overhaul of defenses."


Discussed in the article were many proposals that have been in the news in recent months, including:

  • Increased buyouts of flood-prone properties
  • Additions of and improvements for bayous, dams, and reservoirs
  • New, tougher regulations governing development in floodplains
  • Recalculation of methods for measuring rainfall and defining the 100-year storm
  • Drawing of new floodplain maps using the updated rainfall estimates
An interesting quote from Houston mayor Sylvester Turner caught my attention since one of the main themes of this blog is whether or not homebuyers and residents are properly informed regarding flooding risk.  

Mayor Turner was quoted as saying "What we do know is that the game has changed and we can't continue to operate like we did prior to Harvey.  The image and livability of the city will be at risk, and no one can afford that."  He went on to say that he plans to re-examine city ordinances that could be amended to mandate disclosure of flood risk in the reservoirs, floodways, or floodplains.

I searched for current city ordinances requiring this type of disclosure but did not find any.  Please comment if you aware of such or you have experience with flooding-related city ordinances that affected your home purchase or residence choices.

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