Wise use of floodplains reduces risk of flood damage

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Q & A
Q: Who sets the boundaries of floodplains?
A: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), working with local governments, sets the 100-year floodplain boundaries through flood insurance rate studies. Separate studies are done for communities because floodplain levels vary depending on an area's characteristics. LCRA's dam operating procedures, established by the Corps of Engineers, also play a role.

Q. What is a 100-year floodplain? A: This term indicates the likelihood that a particular area will flood in a year's time. For example, a home in a 100-year floodplain has a one in 100 (or 1 percent) chance every year of being flooded. That percentage holds true every year, regardless of how many floods have occurred in previous years, or their severity.

Q. Who can buy flood insurance?
A: Anyone who lives in a community that participates in National Flood Insurance Program. Learn myths and facts about flood insurance.

LCRA is a resource for local governments to improve flood management by:

Coordinating training for floodplain managers and emergency management coordinators.
Joining with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA to help communities obtain more accurate floodplain maps.
Partnering with the Army Corps of Engineers on a project to more accurately identify flood-prone areas and evaluate cost-effective flood and floodplain management alternatives, such as buying and moving homes or building more facilities to manage floodwaters.
Supporting the efforts of local officials from throughout the basin to coordinate their floodplain management activities through the Texas Colorado River Floodplain Coalition. The coalition of more than 50 cities and counties shares information, supports key legislation and acquires state and federal funds for flood management projects in the 20,000-square-mile lower Coloardo River basin.

The importance of local efforts
Why is cooperation and coordination so critical to reducing the risk of flood damage? Only local governments have authority to manage the development of structures in the floodplain. Development in floodplains increases the risk of flooding: It causes water to run off into creeks and streams instead of soaking into the ground. The result is higher flood levels downstream.