Flooding
Much of the region is a flat flood plain with only slowly permeable soils. This natural tendency to flood, made more severe by rapid development, has had significant negative impacts on the region. The impermeable nature of buildings and paved surfaces reduces the land's ability to absorb storm water.

Additionally, past efforts to protect residents from floods have focused mainly on concrete lined, straight channels, without much regard for native flora and fauna.

Consequences of Flooding
Flooding can both help and harm ecosystems. Estuaries benefit from increased nutrients and sediment brought by floods, but the excess water and its velocity can disrupt freshwater ecosystem processes, kill plants and animals, and have devastating consequences for residents.

These facts became particularly apparent in June of 2001 when Tropical Storm Allison flooded thousands of homes and businesses and left 22 people dead.

Flooding has serious economic impacts on the region as well. About 25 percent of Harris County's population lives within the 100-year floodplain; the region also has the highest number of repeat flood damage claims of any metropolitan area in the country. Damage from Tropical Storm Allison is estimated at $5 billion.

Flood Management
Concreting channels, a traditional method of flood control, has sometimes proven to be an effective way of removing water quickly but it also has flaws. Channelization destroys habitat and is only a temporary fix. Some environmental groups, such as the Bayou Preservation Association, advocate other flood control measures, such as detention, diversion, and flood plain buyouts. They say system storage should be the first priority in watershed management; system conveyance should be the second priority. Development policies that reduce impervious surfaces and subsequent runoff are vital as well.

Some concerned residents are advocating major changes in flood management policy. System watershed capacity, or the total amount of water the watershed can nondestructively accommodate, should be considered a publicly owned resource, they argue, and no development project should be allowed to reduce or diminish it.

Recent Progress
Public awareness
The aftermath of Tropical Storm Allison brought the flooding issue and the opinions of environmentalists to the forefront. Formation of the group Houston Voters Against Flooding signaled the fact that Houstonians are both aware of the public policy issues that affect flood management and willing to take an active role in the process by holding elected officials accountable. The group hosted town hall meetings with candidates and released a slate of endorsements.

Drainage Fee
In 2003, Houston City Council voted for the creation of a drainage fee, marking the first time the city will have dedicated funds to pay for flood management. Most of the money would have come from a two-dollar-per month tax on city water bills. Though the majority of council members voted in favor of the fee, con-servatives collected more than 30,000 signatures on petitions asking council to repeal the newly approved tax. In the last days of his administration, Lee Brown abandoned the plan and the city was left with large gap in funding for drainage projects. New mayor Bill White established a committee in 2004, chaired by council woman Ada Edwards, to address the city's flood management issues.

Remapping the floodplain
The Federal Emergency Management Agency began work with the Harris County Flood Control District to redefine the region's flood-plains. Using updated hydrology and rainfall data, FEMA will be producing new flood insurance rate maps in three years. The project was originally scheduled for completion in March 2003 but fell behind schedule. The new maps are now due out in the first quarter of 2004. The release will be followed by FEMA briefings in 35 Harris County communities and public meetings. The public will have 90 days to appeal the new maps. For more information, visit the pro-ject web site at www.tsarp.com.

Flooding Quick Guide
With support from the Bayou Preservation Association and the Harris County Flood Control District, the Texas Floodplain Management Association released in 2002 an important guide for individuals and communities threatened by flooding. The Texas Quick Guide is a user-friendly reference that provides information to help communities manage floodplains to protect people and property. It explains ordinances, rules, and requirements adopted by flood-prone communities.