Why Grand Lakes Residents Are Encouraged To Get Flood Insurance
April 25 2022
As written in the February 2020 edition of Grand Lakes, the "Official Newsletter of Grand Lakes" (p.5), "The major responsibilities of the Association [GLCA] are to protect the investment and enhance the value of the property owned by its members, the homeowners." We are approaching another Rainy Season (recall the floods of Tax Day 2016 and Memorial Day 2017 occurred prior to the onset of Hurricane Season on 1 June), so I write to express my continued concern for flooding in our subdivision and to urge our Grand Lakes Community Association (GLCA) to act in every way possible to mitigate this single greatest threat to our property values.
On 9 October 2017, the first meeting of the GLCA to be held following Hurricane Harvey, David Corbin, PE, of Costello, Inc. civil engineering, reported on behalf of Grand Lakes Municipal Utility District (MUD) No. 4 and the Water Control and Improvement District (WCID) the following estimate of homes flooded (<3ft):
GL MUD No. 1 449 homes
GL MUD No. 2 8 or 9 homes
GL MUD No. 4 4 homes
Although this represents only about 2% of the houses in GL (for which we may be thankful), the number is not insignificant and the threat of recurrent flooding extends to far more homes located within the "maximum design flood pool" of the Barker Reservoir.
This article in the Texas Tribune, magazine https://www.texastribune.org/2019/12/17/hurricane-harvey-flood-victims-barker-addicks-reservoirs-win-lawsuit/ reports on the outcome of a lawsuit brought against the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), who operate the Barker and Addicks reservoirs. Another article in Community Impact Newspaper https://communityimpact.com/houston/katy/government/2020/02/20/court-finds-corps-responsible-for-harvey-flooding-of-katy-area-properties-upstream-of-reservoirs/ elaborates on the findings of the US Court of Federal Claims and on the effect on property values that the reservoir-related flooding has had and could have on property values in the affected areas.
The latter article (p. 26 column 3 bottom), quotes Senior Judge Charles Lettow's opinion to have said "Harris and Fort bend counties knew subdivisions were being constructed within the maximum design flood pool of the Barker Reservoir but did not do enough to inform property owners."
"It is undisputed that [the property owners] did not know their properties were located within the reservoirs and subject to government-induced flooding," Lettow wrote.
A new Texas law (Senate Bill 339) that went into effect 1 September 2019, described in this post by Houston Business Journal https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2019/08/27/texas-sellers-must-disclose-propertys-flood-risk.html , however requires owners to disclose when selling that their parcel is located within the flood pool of the reservoir. Many homeowners share concerns that this new law will make it difficult to sell their property.
As the Community Impact article points out (p. 26 column 3 top) the USACE "has no plan to change the operation of the reservoirs," i.e., closing the dam gates to impound water.
Regardless of this or court ruling or future decisions on damages to be awarded plaintiffs, the threat of flooding to a large portion of Grand lakes will remain. I call upon the GLCA Board to ignore the reality of this situation no longer. I believe it is incumbent on the Board to take an active role in informing the GL residents of the risk and the steps available to mitigate it.
Chief among these steps is for homeowners and renters alike to obtain coverage via the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) https://www.floodsmart.gov/. This is a link to information fact sheets about the NFIP
Attached are a brochure outining the "Benefits of Flood Insurance versus Disaster Relief," https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1643-20490-9801/f_217_benefits_30nov2012_web.pdf and other literature that can be used in conjunction with local government agencies to set up community outreach project to get all of Grand Lakes acquainted with the NFIP and what else is being done to ensure the "health, safety and welfare of the residents and Owners" from this threat.
(Article written by Jonathan Jee a Grand Lakes Resident)
