Texas Adopts Statewide Flood Plan

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has approved the 2024 State Flood Plan, a statewide assessment of risks and strategies for mitigating them, according to an article in the Panola Watchman.

“The plan incorporates the findings of 15 regional flood plans and includes legislative and floodplain management recommendations to guide state, regional, and local flood control policy to reduce the risk and impact of flooding.” While conditions vary, the plan found ‘significant risk’ in all 15 of the state’s planning regions, with one in six of the state’s residents living in an area with flood risk. 

The plan’s roughly 4,600 proposed solutions and mitigation strategies are estimated to cost over $54.5 billion. “Planning groups reported an estimated 843,339 people and 214,292 buildings would be removed from the 1% annual chance (100-year) floodplain if the state flood plan is implemented.” The plan will be updated every five years.