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In Houston, proposed rules would require building above 500-year flood level

Codes and Standards

In Houston, proposed rules would require building above 500-year flood level

Change would impact 85,739 pieces of property.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | April 5, 2018

City leaders in Houston are considering new floodplain rules that would require buildings to be built above the 500-year flood level.

Houston has experienced three ā€œ500-year floodsā€ between 2015 and 2017. The current building code requires buildings to be able to withstand a 100-year flood.

The change would affect 85,739 pieces of property that were not previously in a regulated area. Some Hurricane Harvey victims are concerned that they would be forced to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to rebuild their homes to the new standards.

Homes already in the rebuilding process, though, may not be affected.

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