flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

More than half of Houston properties at high or moderate risk of flooding are not in FEMA flood zone

Codes and Standards

More than half of Houston properties at high or moderate risk of flooding are not in FEMA flood zone

Properties outside of these zones are not required to carry flood insurance.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | September 7, 2017
Floodwaters rise at the Interstate Motor Lodge in Houston

Wikimedia Commons Public Domain

More than half of residential and commercial properties in Houston that are at high or moderate risk of flooding are not included in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA), according to CoreLogic.

Properties outside those zones don't need flood insurance, so many flood victims of Hurricane Harvey will not have access to insurance reimbursements to make repairs. About 52% of residential and commercial properties in the Houston metro are at “High” or “Moderate” risk of flooding, but are not in a (SFHA), CoreLogic says.

Less than two weeks before Harvey, President Trump did away with the Obama-era Federal Flood Risk Management Standard that required federally funded construction in flood-prone areas to be built to higher resilience standards. There are concerns that rebuilding in Houston will not be done according to the more stringent standards that in some cases require structures to be built at higher elevations.

FEMA had proposed that most construction projects using federal funds be built 2 feet above the 100-year floodplain. Hospitals and other "critical action" projects would have been required to be built 3 feet above that floodplain. The higher elevation could mean the difference between full hospital functionality and a complete failure of electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems, according to an NBBJ healthcare partner quoted in a Modern Healthcare report.

Related Stories

Codes and Standards | May 24, 2016

Ontario planning to spend $7 billion on wide-ranging climate change plan

Includes financial incentives to retrofit buildings.  

Codes and Standards | May 23, 2016

Facility managers say Internet of Things, analytics will impact maintenance soon

More reliable data needed for optimal results from the technology.  

Codes and Standards | May 20, 2016

Industry leaders call for wider use of bamboo as a building material

Benefits include seismic resiliency and sustainability.  

Codes and Standards | May 19, 2016

Asphalt roofing group publishes updated shingle installation guide

Technical manual provides best practices for roofing professionals.  

Codes and Standards | May 16, 2016

EPA proposes new stormwater discharge regulations for construction sites

Would apply to sites of one or more acres.  

Roofing | May 16, 2016

New guide focused on increasing energy and structural performance with raised-heel trusses

Higher trusses simplify attic ventilation, leave more space for insulation.  

Codes and Standards | May 11, 2016

Current California seismic codes provide safety, resiliency, but needed upgrades present challenge

Los Angeles requires seismic retrofits, but other cities do not.  

Codes and Standards | May 10, 2016

Apple spars with Cupertino, Calif., mayor over strained city infrastructure

Apple’s new ‘spaceship’ campus project prompts questions about whether the company should pay more to offset traffic woes.

Codes and Standards | May 9, 2016

Safety Stand-Down yields proposals to boost construction safety

One example: Gilbane encourages safety harnesses for all working above 6 feet.  

Codes and Standards | May 9, 2016

EcoDistricts unveils sustainable neighborhood framework

Focus is on equity, resilience, and climate protection.  

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Sustainability

Grimshaw launches free online tool to help accelerate decarbonization of buildings

Minoro, an online platform to help accelerate the decarbonization of buildings, was recently launched by architecture firm Grimshaw, in collaboration with more than 20 supporting organizations including World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), RIBA, Architecture 2030, the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and several national Green Building Councils from across the globe.




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021