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<br />B. Flood Insurance Study (FIS): The City of La Porte is covered under the Harris County <br />Flood Insurance Study (PIS) issued in June 2007. According to the PIS, the resulting potential <br />for extreme rainfall events, coupled with the flat topography and poorly draining soils, contribute <br />to the frequent occurrence of flooding. Furthermore, flooding also results from storm surge <br />along Galveston Bay caused by hurricanes and tropical storms. <br /> <br />C. Claims Data: The UNO-CHART team obtained claims data from FEMA Region VI for all <br />repetitive flood loss properties in the Brookglen study area. Of the 70 properties included in the <br />study area., 26 (37%) are repetitive flood loss properties. In total, the homeowners for these <br />repetitive flood loss properties have received $3,358,943.00 in flood insurance payments since <br />1978. The average claim payment is $25,066.74. Of the repetitive flood loss properties located <br />in the study area, 24 (92%) are on FEMA's severe repetitive loss list. Summary data on the <br />repetitive flood loss properties in the study area and rain gauge data from a gauge near the study <br />area are given in Table 2-1. This table states that the recent events with the highest claims total <br />are Tropical Storms Allison (6/912001) and Erin (8/1612007). Additionally, rain events which <br />accumulate less than 9 inches in the gauge did not produce flood claims, except on one occasion. <br /> <br />The table shows all events recorded by the "Houston Deer Park" rain gauge when over 5 inches <br />of rain fell over two days or where a flood insurance claim was paid to one of the 26 repetitive <br />loss properties. The gauge is located <br />north of the Pasadena Freeway (state <br />route 225) and east of East Belt <br />Drive. It is the gauge closest to the <br />watershed upstream of Brookglen <br />with available historical data. <br /> <br />While the Deer Park gauge is not a <br />perfect match to rain conditions that <br />affect the neighborhood, the table <br />shows a direct relation between <br />heavy rains and flood insurance <br />claims for repetitive loss properties <br />before 1993. After some drainage <br />improvements were constructed in <br />1993, there appears to be a reduction <br />in claims and payments until <br />Tropical Storm Allison. The 17 <br />claims from Tropical Storm Erin do <br />not fit this pattern. Most of Erin's <br />rain must have fallen south of the <br />gauge. <br />It is important to understand that <br />repetitive flood insurance claims <br />figures often understate the flooding <br />problem for various reasons: <br /> <br />Table 2-1: Claims data for the repetitive flood loss <br /> properties in the study area <br /> Rain Number <br />Date of Gauge of Claims Dollars Paid <br />Event Reading Claims <br />7/26/1979 10.63 18 $364,519 <br />9/19/1979 9.48 22 $205,744 <br />6/5/1981 9.59 25 $552,245 <br />6/24/1989 14.47 20 $493,162 <br />10/18/1994 13.96 1 $5,293 <br />12/18/1995 5.05 <br />9/11/1998 7.20 <br />1/5/1998 3.35 1 $3,191 <br />1/22/1998 7.24 <br />6/9/2001 13.43 22 $1,191,364 <br />4/8/2002 5.70 <br />6/19/2006 7.30 <br />10/16/2006 6.80 3 $78,123 <br />8/16/2007 1.82* 17 $465,302 <br /> Claims Total: $3,358,943.00 <br /> <br />*The reading from Tropical Storm Erin is assumed to be a gauge <br />reporting error <br /> <br />Brookglen Area Analysis - DRAFT <br /> <br />8 <br /> <br />9/812008 <br />