"As it prepares a statewide flood prevention plan, the state found that almost 6 million Texans live in an area susceptible to floodwaters."
"Almost 6 million Texans, or about 20% of the population, live in an area susceptible to flooding, according to first-of-its-kind data gathered as part of a statewide effort to harden Texas against floods and rising sea levels.
The analysis is part of the Texas Water Development Board’s first statewide flood plan, still in development, which the Legislature required in a 2019 law passed in response to Hurricane Harvey. Flood risks in Texas are increasing as climate change brings heavier precipitation, stronger hurricanes and sea level rise and as the state’s population continues to climb.
More than 2.4 million Texans live in areas that have a 1% chance of flooding each year, known as the 100-year floodplain, the analysis found. Another 3.5 million people live in areas with a 0.2% chance of flooding each year, known as the 500-year floodplain.
One-fifth of the state’s land — roughly 56,000 square miles — now fall within the 100-year floodplain, TWDB staff said in a presentation this week."
Advertisement 
