Longwood Flood Maps Under Review?

[GettaClue]

We've been looking at a home in Longwood and when we went to check the FIRM maps on the TSARP site, just about any address you put in from that community comes up with a big orange warning notice, stating that map changes for the area are under review by FEMA.

Does anyone have any knowledge of the issues? HERE and HERE are the detail maps they direct you to for more info, but without context and much experience, I can't make heads or tails of it.

Any help that can be offered ASAP will be very much appreciated.

[TheNiche]

We've been looking at a home in Longwood and when we went to check the FIRM maps on the TSARP site, just about any address you put in from that community comes up with a big orange warning notice, stating that map changes for the area are under review by FEMA.

Does anyone have any knowledge of the issues? HERE and HERE are the detail maps they direct you to for more info, but without context and much experience, I can't make heads or tails of it.

Any help that can be offered ASAP will be very much appreciated.

It's very uncommon for FEMA to modify their detailed flood maps every couple of years, even if there's been a lot of construction that would impact the layout of flood planes.

There is an appeals process set up, though, for landowners who think FEMA forgot to take something into account. In this case, though, that ship probably sailed a long time ago. Also, developers can build flood control facilities that actually remove a subdivision from a flood plain, and once the facilities have been built, they need a letter from FEMA to that effect. That might have something or another to do with it.

[Waterfall]

There is a watershed-wide (Cypress Creek watershed) letter of map revision (LOMR) process going on right now. The hydrologic and hydraulic models for Cypress Creek that were developed for TSARP have been found to contain some errors that need to be addressed and have been addressed. Thus, the current floodplain boundaries may change dramatically in some areas.

If you really are concerned about flooding, I suggest that you do some common sense checks on the likelihood of the house flooding. Is the lot elevated compared to the streets? About how high is the lot compared to the closest flooding source? Is there a history of flooding in the neighborhood?

[mrfootball]

We've been looking at a home in Longwood and when we went to check the FIRM maps on the TSARP site, just about any address you put in from that community comes up with a big orange warning notice, stating that map changes for the area are under review by FEMA.

Does anyone have any knowledge of the issues? HERE and HERE are the detail maps they direct you to for more info, but without context and much experience, I can't make heads or tails of it.

Any help that can be offered ASAP will be very much appreciated.

I'm a Longwood resident and appreciate the thoughtful design that went into the neighborhood. One of my friends from my UT days is a civil engineer who recently moved to Longwood. He said it was one of the best designed neighborhoods in the Greater Houston area. He works with one of the engineers who originally laid it out and knows the nuances of the neighborhood. Says that's one of the reasons he moved here. The neighborhood was developed by Cypress Real Estate Advisors. The founding partner, Stephen Clark, managed Harvard University's Real Estate endowment. A first class outfit, they did a great job developing this community, aesthetically and structurally.

The golf course serves as a retention area along Cypress Creek that buffers homes from any potential flooding. There's also two large retention ponds just outside the neighborhood. One of them could be a decent sized lake, but it never fills up. Wish it would, it would make a nice park. BTW, the creek and subsequent areas that lie in the 100 year flood plain also limit development in the area, which is a beautifully wooded section of town. Anyhow, we don't have any flooding problems and I've never heard of any flood issues anywhere at all in Longwood. Here's the interactive Flood Map for you to reference.

Other nice features....Beautiful 27-hole golf course. We have one of the best school feeder patterns in the Houston area (Hamilton El (Ex), Hamilton MS (Ex), and Cy-Fair HS (Rec'd). This area is surrounded for miles and miles and miles by other nice neighborhoods. Great demographics, beautiful community, solid buy.

[GettaClue]

I appreciate all the info everyne here has provided!

How did the area fare during today's onslaught of torrential rains?

[mrfootball]

I appreciate all the info everyne here has provided!

How did the area fare during today's onslaught of torrential rains?

We got a heck of a lot of rain yesterday. My pool overflowed twice. Probably as much as I've ever seen living here 5 years. The creek is very high and golf course looks like a lake in places. No flooding that I'm aware of, though.

[cnote]

We got a heck of a lot of rain yesterday. My pool overflowed twice. Probably as much as I've ever seen living here 5 years. The creek is very high and golf course looks like a lake in places. No flooding that I'm aware of, though.

ABC 13 (aka the scare mongers) showed our area received around 11 inches in 24 hrs. That is a ton of rain. No one in Coles or Longwood flooded to my knowledge, but Jarvis was impassable between Barker-Cypress and Telge.