06-23-08 Drainage and Flooding Committee Minutes

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that prohibits the construction of a small personal floodwall in the front yards of Brookglen houses, as no walls are allowed between the minimum building setback and the street. The building ordinances for La Porte have elevation requirements for new, substantially damaged, and substantially improved residential buildings located in the 100-year floodplain. These regulations require an extra level of safety for frequently flooded property owners, i.e. one extra foot of protection. However, because most of the structures in the Brookglen neighborhood are located in the X zone, the regulations do not apply, and thus must be done voluntarily. More stringent building regulations can protect homeowners' from future flooding and help them qualify for ICC funding. D. Mitigation Measures: Several mitigation techniques would be helpful to residents. Drainage improvements would cause little disruption of the neighborhood, and would protect streets and yards as well as houses. However, the success of such improvements is determined by free flowing channels, and drainage improvements may not work for large storms. Acquisition offers 100% flood protection, and there is a buyout program available from the Harris County Flood Control District. Elevation above the flood hazard also offers secure flood protection. Harris County is not currently offering an elevation program, however the City of La Porte can apply for elevation funds separate from the County. Elevation is costly, especially for slab houses. Small personal floodwalls are effective for shallow flooding, and the soil types found in the study area are appropriate for floodwalls. If floodwaters stay up for a long period of time, the floodwall could be subject to seepage. Dry floodproofmg is a lower cost option than floodwalls for owners of slab houses, but a dry floodproofed house is also susceptible to seepage during longer duration floods. Revision development regulations causes no physical impact to a house while protecting homes from shallow repetitive flooding. However, revised development regulations may not do too much for existing buildings. Flood Insurance is always in effect and works for all flood levels. It will not prevent flood damage, but it will provide funds for repairs. II. Recommendations: These recommendations are categorized first for the City of La Porte, and second for La Porte homeowners. They are a combination of recommended improvements made by the reports which were reviewed for this report, and recommendations made by the UNO-CHART Team. A. For the City of La Porte: . Adopt more stringent local development regulations including o a cumulative damage/improvement ordinance6 o mandating that all fIrst floor elevations must be a certain height above the street, e.g. two to three feet, rather than the current one foot requirement (as similar to Action I in the Appendix of the Harris County All Hazard Mitigation Plan) o identifying repetitively flooded neighborhoods and regulating the X zo.ne in these neighborhoods as if it were an A flood zone 6Cumulative damage/improvement ordinance: Any combination of repairs, reconstruction, alteration, or improvements to a building in which the cumulative cost equals or exceeds fIfty percent (50%) of the market value of the building. Brookglen Area Analysis - DRAFT 29 9/8/2008