Hello Neighbors,
Harris County/FEMA have released new draft (“preliminary”) floodplain maps, and our neighborhood is currently shown as being within the 1% annual chance (“100-year”) floodplain. While these maps are not final yet, they can still affect how residents think about risk—and once adopted in the future, they may impact flood insurance requirements and costs (especially for homes with federally backed mortgages), as well as real estate disclosures and property decisions.
- Look up your address on FEMA’s official Flood Map Service Center (this is the authoritative source for the current/effective maps and map status):
https://msc.fema.gov/portal/search - Check Harris County’s Flood Education Mapping Tool to see mapped floodplains relative to your home and nearby waterways:
https://www.harriscountyfemt.org/ - Review Harris County MAAPnext draft maps (shared for awareness/education). These are draft and are not used for insurance/regulatory decisions right now, but they help show what may be coming:
https://www.maapnext.org/ – The red link is the purposed changes.
(Helpful explainer page: https://www.maapnext.org/Understand-Your-Flood-Risk)
What “100-year floodplain” actually means
- It does not mean flooding happens only once every 100 years.
- It means there is approximately a 1% chance of flooding in any given year in that mapped area.
Insurance / mortgage notes (important)
- If your home is shown inside the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) when maps become final, flood insurance may be required for properties with a federally backed mortgage.
- Even if it’s not required, many homeowners choose coverage for protection and peace of mind.
Where to get help / ask questions
- Harris County Permits – Floodplain Management (includes info and contact for an unofficial flood hazard determination):
https://oce.harriscountytx.gov/Services/Permits/Floodplain-Management
HOA note
The HOA is sharing this to keep everyone informed early. We will continue monitoring official updates and will send another message if/when we learn more about timelines for public comment/appeals and final adoption.
If you have questions or want help finding your map panel, feel free to email us at barwood.hoa@live.com (include your address and I’ll point you to the correct map links/tools).
Sincerely,
Justin Christian
President, Barwood Homes Association