According to the statewide flood plan, some five million Texans currently live in areas that are prone to flooding. As we have learned, that creates a pretty big problem for them and for first responders. So how did these populated areas of Texas become such large risks?
State Senator Charles Perry says that for many decades, as the population of Harris County spread into unincorporated areas of Harris County, flood planning just wasn't in the scope of development for these new communities.
Perry says that unfortunately, the property values for these high flood risk homes are so low that buyouts aren't an option for many people because the owners wouldn't be able to get enough money to move somewhere else.
Senator Perry says that we know every few years we are going to get floods in these areas, and now we have the resources to predict when and how bad these areas will flood, so we can have conversations about the best way to prepare for these floods.