Houston’s buyout program has prevented flood damage but many more homes at risk

Recent flooding in Houston has increased focus on a 30-year-old program to buy out some of the area’s most vulnerable homes.

Storms dropped 23 inches of rain on parts of southeast Texas, leading to thousands of homes being flooded in low-lying neighborhoods around Houston. Much of the worst flooding happened near the San Jacinto River, an area that has engaged in “managed retreat” for about 30 years—among the longest-running such programs in the country.

This approach to flood mitigation involves buying out homeowners located within the most at-risk areas, demolishing the homes, and often, returning the lots to their natural state. Harris County has purchased roughly 600 flood-prone homes along the river, most of which would have flooded during the recent storm.  The county has targeted more than 1,600 more homes to buy, but it hasn’t yet been able to raise funds and get property owners on board.

The recent flooding shows that nature isn’t waiting for officials and homeowners to act, and it illustrates the urgency of preventing future disasters by relocating people from the most vulnerable areas.