First Colony Levee Improvement District

HOUSTON, Texas (CW39) The City of Sugar Land recently launched a web-based tool, to provide residents and city engineers with real-time information on street flooding. The city hopes this will help residents make more informed decisions to protect life and property.

Called the Integrated Stormwater Management Model (ISWMM), it is a system of integrated drainage models that includes the entire city and its infrastructure assets. It is connected to the 28 rain gauges across the city that report real-time information during weather events which is used to create ponding maps.

The system gives:

• public access to real-time ponding information;
• the ability to send notifications about ponding, street flooding and potential street closures;
• assistance in the planning of evacuation routes; and
• assistance in evaluating current drainage infrastructure to more efficiently target drainage improvements.

“ISWMM is a sophisticated piece of technology that not many cities have. This technology is a good reflection of the commitment of Sugar Land to provide its residents with useful tools that can keep them out of harm’s way and save time and money for the City. Additionally, having ISWMM as a part of larger system that includes emergency alert and flood gauges will work to keep residents safe as major flood events impact our region and rainfall events continue to change.”

https://cw39.com/news/sugar-land-launching-real-time-flood-warning-system-to-help-keep-residents-safe

Should you buy flood insurance or not if you live within the boundaries of First Colony Levee Improvement District (FCLID)?  That is a question that each homeowner must ask themselves.  Whether you already have it or are considering it, here is something you need to know.

FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is coming out with a new method of rating the flood risk of a property.  Their original method was with a product called Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM).  This methodology has not changed in over 50 years, but change is coming, and it will go into effect October 1, 2021.  This new method called Risk Rating 2.0 utilizes the latest technology available to assess the flood risk of a property.

With Risk Rating 2.0, FEMA estimates that 14% of Texas residents with an existing flood insurance policy will see an immediate decrease in their flood insurance premium; 79% of Texas residents with an existing flood insurance policy will see an immediate increase in their flood insurance premium that could range from $0 to $10 per month; 3% of Texas residents with an existing flood insurance policy will see an immediate increase in their flood insurance premium of $10 to $20 per month; and 4% of Texas residents with an existing flood insurance policy will see an immediate increase in their flood insurance premium greater than $20 per month.

We do not yet know how Risk Rating 2.0 will impact flood insurance prices in FCLID.  We do not know which category of premium change will include us.  However, if you already have flood insurance, you are grandfathered into how fast your flood insurance premium can increase.  It is federally mandated that a flood insurance premium cannot increase by more than 18% per year.

Therefore, we encourage you to get flood insurance. Contact your home insurance provider.  Since a flood insurance policy takes 30 days to go into effect, you must purchase your policy by September 1, 2021, for your policy to become effective prior to the effective date of Risk Rating 2.0.

Click here for additional information regarding Risk Rating 2.0.