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Why climate change and urban sprawl could make flooding worse in Harris County

Summary

More than a third of Harris County's acreage is in a FEMA-designated flood plain, a statistic that is anticipated to rise significantly when FEMA issues revised flood maps for Harris County later this year. These floods often disproportionately harm renters and minorities. According to Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Hurricane Harvey impacted 26 percent of Harris County's rental apartments whereas only 15 percent of homeowner-occupied units were damaged. Similarly, 25% of Harris County's Black people and 21% of Hispanic citizens were affected, while 13% of white persons were. As Harris County's population grows - it acquired more than 620,000 residents between 2010 and 2019 – urban expansion continues to encroach on flood plains. Since 2001, mid- and high-intensity development has consumed an increasing proportion of land cover, while permeable areas such as meadows and woods, which may assist regulate floods, have diminished.

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